Study Questions (for discussion and short writes)

Transcription

1 Study Questions (for discussion and short writes) Book 1 The Suitors in the House of Odysseus 1. If an ancient Greek was a believer in the existence of the gods and goddesses, what roles would he or she say they played in his or her life? (4, 5 ) 2. Where is Odysseus at this point in the adventure? How long has he been away from home? 3. What elements of Greek hospitality do we learn from the treatment of Mentes? (6,7) 4. Why does Athena appear before Telemachos disguised rather than as herself? 5. What are the sins of the suitors?(9b,13-14a) Book 5 Calypso s Island Journey on the Raft 1. Agree or disagree? Calypso does not have a good heart. (64-68c) 2. What do we learn about the roles of the gods in the Ancient Greek mind in the episode of Ino, Goddess of the White Sea (68c-73c) and the River God (73)? (one hint: a veil was used to show humility and subservience to her man) 3. In the description of the shelter that Odysseus finds in Scheria Island what is the symbolic significance to the pair of trees? (73d-74) (don t forget the story of Athena and Poseidon s contest) 4. How does Odysseus go through the hero s journey in his quest to leave Calypso Island? (68c- 74) Book 6 Odysseus Meets Nausica 1. What character traits do you learn about Odysseus from his behavior and speech in Book 6? (77c;78b; 78e-79b; 80a; 80c; 82d-83) Bubble Map: quote, idea in a phrase, page # 2. What character traits do you learn about Nausicaa from her behavior and speech in Book 6? (78a; 80d; 8179d; 81-82) 3. What can you infer from the statement, For the Phaiacians care nothing for bow and quiver, but only masts and oars and the ships with their fine lines, these are their delight as they cross the hoary sea. (81c) Book 7 Palace of King Alcinoos

2 1. Why does Athena transfigure into a small girl who guides Odysseus to Alcinoos' palace? 2. List the numerous things that Athena does to aid Odysseus since he landed on Scheria Island. (Search All Over Question) 3. What message does the reader learn from Odysseus behavior when he meets Queen Arete? (The name "Arete" can mean "virtue" in Greek). 4. King Alcinoos' offers to give Odysseus the princess Nausicaa as his bride. What does this tell the Ancient Greek about the hero Odysseus? 5. What examples of hospitality do you see in the Phaiacian s treatment of Odysseus? Note: this is a good book if you are doing the hospitality essay. Book 8 Sports in Phaiacia 1. In Book 8, what character traits do you learn about Odysseus? (from his speech, actions, motives and attitudes) Book 9 Cyclops and the Lotus Eaters 1. What does the story of the Lotus Eaters symbolize? (107c-108a) 2. What do the Cyclops and Polyphemos symbolize? Think of all of their attributes. (108a,b, 112a) 3. Why did Odysseus tell Polyphemos his name was Noman? (114b, 115b) 4. The gods, goddesses and heroes of the Ancient Greeks had flaws. What are Odysseus s flaws in Book 9? What is the message to the reader? 5. Agree or disagree? Heroes should be held to a higher moral standard than the general public. Book 10 Island of the Winds and Midnight Sun (and Circe) 1. What is the symbolic meaning of the bag of winds in the Aiolos adventure? (How does it apply to our personal monomyth?) (120c-121c) 2. What is most significant about the Island of the Laistrygonians story? (121c-122) 3. What is the symbolic meaning of the land of the midnight sun? (How does it apply to our personal monomyth?) (121d;124b) 4. Agree or disagree. The purpose of the story of Circe was to expose Odysseus flaws.

3 Book 11 Land of the Dead 1. What does Teiresias tell Odysseus that he and his men must do in order to reach home safely? (135d-136b) 2. What is significant about the order in which the ghosts came to Odysseus? 3. What does Odysseus learn from the quote of Achilles, Don t bepraise death to me? (145c) 4. What does Odysseus learn from Minos, Orion, Tityos, Tantalos, Sisysphus and Heracles? (147c) 5. What does the trip to the underworld symbolize for our personal monomyths? Book 12 The Sirens and the Terror of Scylla and Charybdis 1. What do the Sirens sing about? Why are they so dangerous? What do they symbolize? (Close read 150b and 153c) 2. What is the meaning of the dangers posed by Scylla and Charybdis? (Close read 154c) 3. What is the theme in the story of the cows of Helios? (Close read 155c,d) 4. Why is Odysseus the only survivor? What saves him? Book 13 How Odysseus Came to Ithaca 1. ( b) Why did Zeus allow Poseidon to turn the Phaiacian ship to stone? (Also read page 104d; the prophecy) 2. ( ) Why did Athena place a mist over the land? 3. (171a) What is significant about Odysseus s the disguise that Athena bestowed on Odysseus? 4. What new information do we learn about the role of the gods from this chapter? Book 14 Odysseus and the Swineherd (skipped chapter)

4 1. What is the name of the swineherd? 2. What does his hospitality say about Eumaeus? 3. What themes are derived from the swineherd? Book 16 How Telemachus Met His Father 1. What is significant about the fact that Odysseus and Telemachos meet in the hut of Eumaeus? 2. How is Penelopeia a hero? (208b) (and other text earlier in the book). 3. What do the characters Amphinomos (207e), Antinoos and Eurymachos (209a) symbolize in life? 4. Agree or disagree? Odysseus is justified in his plan to kill the suitors? 5. What are some major themes in Book 16? Book 17 Odysseus Returns Home 1. Why does Odysseus wish to go to his own palace disguised as a beggar? 2. What does the beggar disguise symbolize? 3. Why is it important for him to show patience and self-restraint, even when hit and insulted? 4. What is the meaning of the story of Argos, Odysseus' old hunting dog? CLOSE READ (look for symbolism) 5. Consider the advice of Athena to Odysseus. Agree or disagree. It is wise advice (from the Goddess of Wisdom). Book Why does Odysseus withhold his identity from Penelope? Does he trust her? 2. Pay extremely close attention to the scenes when Euryclea recognizes Odysseus? What gives him away? 3. Follow very closely the story of Odysseus' baptism by his grandfather Autolycus and of the boar hunt on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. What is the symbolic significance of these events in reference to the determination and shaping of Odysseus' character while he was still a very young boy? 4. Compare the passages describing the boar's hideout to those describing the shelter of Odysseus when he first arrives to Phaeacia. What are the implications of the similarities?

5 5. Who decides to set up the contest of the bow to find a new husband for Penelope? What does that decision imply about her fidelity to Odysseus? Book Notice the self-restraint of Odysseus. What can you infer from his self-restraint? 2. What is the meaning of his conversation with Athena? 3. Analyze the visions and prophecies of Theoklymenos. Book What does Odysseus bow symbolize? (260c-261c) 2. How is Penelope an Ancient Greek hero? (260d-261d) 3. How does this symbolism relate to the bow contest? 4. How does Odysseus handling of the bow relate to the symbolism of the bow? (269b) Or simply put, analyze the significance of the way Odysseus handles the bow. 5. What is the significance of the last half of this paragraph in which Odysseus wins the contest? Book 22 Battle in the Hall 1. What do you think of Odysseus' killing of the suitors? Is it justified? 2. What do you think of his killing of those who embraced his knees and begged for mercy? 3. What is the significance of his slaying of the prophet Leodes? 4. Notice the description of the victorious Odysseus as "spattered and caked with blood like a mountain lion. 5. Compare this description to that referring to the Cyclops (Book 9). What are the implications of this similarity? 6. What do you think of Telemachos' hanging of the maids and his mutilation of the goatherd Melanthios? 7. Do you see some similarities of character and behavior not only between Odysseus and the Cyclops but also between Odysseus and Telemachos? Book How does Penelope finally recognize Odysseus?

6 2. What is the symbolic meaning of the connection between the olive tree and the marriage bed? 3. Given the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope, can the Odyssey be regarded as a comedy? Why? Why not? Book How does Laertes, Odysseus' father, recognize Odysseus? 2. What is the symbolic significance of the fruit trees? 3. Is the anger of the suitors' relatives justified? 4. How does Odysseus propose to deal with this problem? 5. Is the ending of the Odyssey through Athena's intervention a convincing and meaningful way of putting an end to the struggle between the Ithacans? 6. Is it realistic to believe that the suitors' relatives simply dropped their weapons and went back home? 7. What is the problem with this ending? 8. Is it possible to suppose that Homer meant his readers to realize that the true ending of the Odyssey is something falling outside the scope of the poem and which the reader himself needs to envision on the basis of the events of the poem? In that case, do you think the Odyssey is a tragedy or a comedy?