The Odyssey

Books 1-4

READING CHECK

1. What is Odysseus’s wife’s name?

Answer: Penelope

2. Which god is most invested in preventing Odysseus’s return to his home?

Answer: Poseidon

3. How many years has Odysseus been away from Ithaca at the start of the epic?

Answer: 20

4. Name one of the two destinations Telemachus sails to at Athena’s instruction.

Answer: Pylos or Sparta

5. When does Penelope say she will choose a suitor?

Answer: once she completes the burial shroud for Odysseus’s father

6. Who accompanies Telemachus on his trip, disguised as a man named Mentor?

Answer: Athena

7. Who says she helped protect Odysseus’s identity when he snuck into Troy dressed as a beggar?

Answer: Helen

QUIZ

1. Why does Poseidon seek to prevent Odysseus’s return home?

A) Odysseus insulted him during the Trojan War.

B) Poseidon’s animosity toward Odysseus is never explained.

C) Odysseus blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus.

D) Poseidon wants Penelope for himself.

2. What is Athena’s plan for freeing Odysseus from Calypso?

A) Athena will disguise herself as a man and seduce Calypso.

B) Athena will have Zeus send Hermes to free Odysseus.

C) Athena will initiate a war between Calypso and a neighboring island.

D) Athena will drug Calypso, allowing Odysseus to escape.

3. How do Penelope’s suitors threaten to exhaust Odysseus’s wealth in his absence?

A) by launching a full-scale effort to find Odysseus

B) by waging war against Ithaca’s neighbors

C) by holding nonstop banquets and feasts

D) by buying Penelope lavish presents

Discussion Suggestion: Launch a discussion from the above question on how Homer uses hospitality to measure the moral fiber of various characters. Discuss why hospitality is so important to these characters, both in conveying their virtues as human beings and in anticipating that will be treated well in their own future travels.

4. Why does Penelope undo the work she’s done on her father-in-law’s burial shroud each night?

A) She doesn’t want to complete it because he is not dead yet.

B) She is continually unsatisfied with her work.

C) She is waiting to bury him until Odysseus returns.

D) She wants to forestall making a decision on which suitor to marry.

5. What is the purpose of Telemachus’s journey to Pylos?

A) to wage war against its leaders

B) to find superior suitors for Penelope

C) to retrieve an important idol needed for Odysseus’s safe return

D) to learn more about what happened to Odysseus from Nestor

6. According to Nestor, how was Agamemnon killed? (short answer)

7. What do the suitors plan to do about Telemachus after they learn of his departure from Ithaca?

A) They plot to ambush his ship upon his return.

B) They plan to throw a banquet in his honor.

C) They pray to the gods that his ship is lost at sea.

D) They don’t care about his departure one way or another.

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. C. Although the other Olympian gods largely respect Odysseus’s good deeds and reputation, Poseidon seeks vengeance against the hero.

2. B. Before he can proceed on his long journey home, Odysseus must be freed from Calypso.

3. C. The feasting is yet another show of the suitors’ disrespect of Penelope’s hospitality.

4. D. Penelope vowed to choose a suitor only once she’s completed the burial shroud, and by undoing the work each night she can delay the decision indefinitely in the hopes that Odysseus returns.

5. D. Athena also hopes that Telemachus will learn how to be a great leader from being in the company of men like Nestor.

6. Aegisthus murdered him. He did so after seducing Agamemnon’s wife while the king was away fighting the Trojan War.

7. A. Angry that Telemachus is off to look for Odysseus, the suitors await by the shore ready to kill him when he returns.

Books 5-8

READING CHECK

1. What item does Ino the sea nymph give to Odysseus to protect him?

Answer: the immortal scarf or veil

2. To whom does Athena appear in a dream, chastising the dreamer for her untidy appearance?

Answer: Nausicaa

3. Of which god are the Phaeacians descendants?

Answer: Poseidon

4. For how many years does Odysseus say he was imprisoned with Calypso?

Answer: seven

5. What is the topic of the song Demodocus sings that causes Odysseus to cry?

Answer: the Trojan Horse

QUIZ

1. Why does Calypso agree to release Odysseus after Hermes’s arrival on her island?

A) She feels she must comply with Zeus’s commands.

B) She is in love with Hermes.

C) She is under the influence of Athena.

D) She has grown tired of Odysseus.

2. What is Odysseus doing when the reader first encounters him?

A) slaying the Cyclops

B) locked in a romantic embrace with Calypso

C) weeping alone on a beach

D) sailing from Ogygia to Scheria

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to jumpstart a discussion on how Homer shows the contradictions in Odysseus’s character. In the first four books, Odysseus only appears in secondhand descriptions, in which he is always achieving some heroic deed. Yet when readers finally meet him for themselves, he is completely humbled.

3. Why does Calypso believe it is unfair that she must release Odysseus?

A) Odysseus crashed on her island and therefore he is now her property.

B) Calypso has never before felt strong emotion for a human.

C) Odysseus was cruel to her, and must atone for his reprehensible behavior.

D) She finds it unfair that male gods can take female humans for lovers, but not vice versa.

4. How does Ino’s gift keep Odysseus safe?

A) It allows him to fly through the air to his destination.

B) It allows him to stay afloat, even in the roughest waters.

C) It keeps him from freezing to death in the frigid seas.

D) It makes him invisible so that Poseidon cannot track him.

5. According to Alcinous’s prophecy, why does Poseidon resent the Phaeacians?

A) The Phaeacians stopped worshipping Poseidon generations ago.

B) Their ships intuitively pilot sailors home, regardless of the talent of the helmsman.

C) They sing of the glory of Odysseus, whom Poseidon hates.

D) Their sacrifices to Poseidon are deemed insufficient.

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. A. Calypso is all but forced to release Odysseus, given the danger of going against Zeus’s commands.

2. C. Although the reader has heard of Odysseus’s exploits from other characters, this is the first he appears in the story directly.

3. D. Calypso identifies a double standard in how male gods and female gods are permitted to behave.

4. B. The scarf gives him superhuman swimming powers, as long as he discards it back into the sea when he reaches the shore.

5. B. Their ships are essentially magic, angering Poseidon, whose domain is the sea.

Books 9-12

READING CHECK

1. To whom is Odysseus speaking as he narrates these chapters?

Answer: the Phaeacians

2. In tricking Polyphemus the Cyclops, what does Odysseus say his name is?

Answer: Noman

3. What gift does Aeolus give to Odysseus?

Answer: a bag of winds

4. What is the name of the sorceress Odysseus encounters on Aeaea?

Answer: Circe

5. Which god descends to help Odysseus overcome Circe?

Answer: Hermes

6. In the Land of the Dead, which deceased warrior refuses to speak to Odysseus?

Answer: Ajax

7. Which creatures tempt Odysseus with knowledge of “whatever happens anywhere on earth”?

Answer: the sirens

8. Where does Odysseus land at the end of Book 12?

Answer: Circe’s island/Aeaea

QUIZ

1. What happens to Odysseus’s men after they eat the lotus fruit?

A) They become paralyzed by fear.

B) They suffer violent convulsions.

C) They turn into pigs.

D) They forget home and lose all desire to return.

2. What is the “gift” Polyphemus the Cyclops says he will give to Odysseus after asking for his name?

A) advice on how to pass Scylla and Charybdis

B) the favor of Polyphemus eating Odysseus last

C) a prophecy foretelling Odysseus’s doom

D) Polyphemus’s favorite ram

3. What crucial mistake does Odysseus make as he sails away from Polyphemus?

A) He fails to resist the sirens’ song.

B) He tells Polyphemus his real name.

C) He openly insults Poseidon.

D) He falls asleep at the ship’s helm.

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to discuss this critical turning point in Odysseus’s journey, which turns Poseidon against him. Is it mere hubris or vanity that causes Odysseus to shout out his real name? Or is there another interpretation, given the importance Odysseus and other mortal characters place on reputation?

4. What happens to Odysseus’s ship after his men open the gift Aeolus gave them?

A) It is blown off-course, arriving back at Aeolus’s home.     

B) It is blown within a few miles of Odysseus’s home.

C) It is blown off-course, arriving at Scylla and Charybdis.

D) It is torn apart by winds.

5. On Aeaea, what makes Odysseus consider killing his comrade Eurylochus?

A) Eurylochus tries to seduce Circe, which Odysseus knows is dangerous.

B) Odysseus overhears Eurylochus insulting Penelope.

C) Eurylochus questions Odysseus’s judgment in front of the other men.

D) Eurylochus allows the men to kill Helius’s cattle.

6. Why must Odysseus travel to the Land of the Dead?

A) to consult Tiresias on how to get home

B) to apologize to Ajax

C) to retrieve the Moly plant for Circe

D) to bring Achilles back to the land of the living

7. Spurred on by Eurylochus, what order do Odysseus’s men disobey after Odysseus falls asleep on Thrinacia, the island of Helius? (short answer)

8. Who is Scylla?

A) a monster whose whirlpools swallow ships

B) one of the sirens who seduce Odysseus’s men

C) the god who lives on Thrinacia

D) a six-headed beast who eats sailors

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. D. The concept of “lotus eating” endures in popular culture as a metaphor for sloth and/or drug addiction.

2. B. Polyphemus’s characterization of this promise as a “gift” is meant to be ironic.

3. B. This is a critical mistake for Odysseus, whose name will be invoked by Polyphemus when he begs his father Poseidon to avenge him.

4. A. Aeolus’s gift is a bag of all the winds that could blow Odysseus off course.

5. C. This foreshadows future tensions between Odysseus and Eurylochus on Thrinacia.

6. A. Tiresias’s clairvoyance is crucial, as he warns Odysseus against eating Helius’s beloved cattle.

7. They kill Helius’s cattle.

8. D. Despite how deadly she is, risking an attack by Scylla is less threatening than passing by the whirlpool creator Charybdis.

Books 13-16

READING CHECK

1. After he finishes telling his tale to the Phaeacians, what is Odysseus’s next destination?

Answer: Ithaca/home

2. After Odysseus’s safe arrival, which character tells Zeus, “I will lose all my standing with the gods”?

Answer: Poseidon

3. Who appears to Odysseus as a shepherd when he wakes up after his journey on the Phaeacians’ ship?

Answer: Athena

4. Where is Telemachus when his father returns to Ithaca?

Answer: Sparta

5. How does Penelope find out about the suitors’ plot to murder Telemachus?

Answer: From her bard, Medon

Quiz

1. How does Poseidon punish the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus?

A) He sends a plague to their land that will last one thousand years.

B) He wipes their homeland off the map with a giant wave.

C) He turns their self-piloting ship to stone.

D) He refuses to answer their prayers going forward.

2. What is Athena’s reason for not offering protection to Odysseus on his journey?

A) She wanted to see Odysseus grow as a warrior.

B) She disapproved of his extramarital dalliances with Calypso and Circe.

C) She did not want to go against her father’s brother.

D) She was powerless to help because she holds no sway over the realm of the sea.

3. Who are the swineherd Eumaeus’s parents?

A) a queen and a bard

B) a swineherd and a wet nurse

C) Zeus and a courtesan

D) a king and a Phoenician enslaved woman

4. What does Odysseus say to mollify his son’s fear that they are vastly outnumbered in the fight against the suitors?

A) Odysseus has Athena and Zeus on his side.

B) The suitors are too drunk to fight effectively.

C) Most of the suitors don’t care enough to stay and fight.

D) Even if they lose, it is better to die fighting than surrender.

5. Why does Odysseus tell Telemachus not to tell any of their servants of his return?

A) to make a bigger impression when he finally reveals himself

B) to test their loyalty

C) to keep the servants safe

D) because he already knows the servants are against him

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. C. Poseidon holds back from doing worse, perhaps because their only crime is providing hospitality to a traveler.

2. C. Ultimately, Athena is beholden first and foremost to Zeus and her familial ties.

3. D. Homer may be suggesting that Eumeaus’s noble blood makes him more likely to remain loyal to Odysseus.

4. A. Once Odysseus is outside Poseidon’s domain, he is confident that Athena will remain by his side.

5. B. At this point, Odysseus cannot trust anybody except Telemachus—not even Penelope or Eumeaus.

Books 17-20

READING CHECK

1. Who scolds Telemachus for letting Odysseus—disguised as a beggar—“eat your master’s wealth”?

Answer: Antinous

2. In Book 18, the suitors arrange a fight between Odysseus and whom?

Answer: another beggar/Irus

3. What idea does Athena put into Penelope’s head while she naps?

Answer: to go visit the suitors

4. Who is the first to recognize Odysseus at Ithaca, other than Telemachus?

Answer: his old nurse/Eurycleia

5. Who does the eagle symbolize in Penelope’s dream of the eagle and the geese?

Answer: Odysseus

6. In Penelope’s plan to choose a husband, what must the suitors do with 12 axes?

Answer: shoot an arrow through them

Quiz

1. What does Odysseus’s old dog Argos do upon seeing his old master again?

A) bites him

B) runs up and licks his face

C) wags his tail in recognition then passes away

D) ignores him

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to discuss the importance of loyalty and endurance in The Odyssey. Now past the age of 20, the dog has held onto life in hopes of seeing his master again, a gesture that moves Odysseus to tears. What other characters remain loyal for those 20 years and how do they do so? And given the years Odysseus spent with Circe and Calypso—despite the expectation that his own wife would remain faithful—is he guilty of violating the very precepts of loyalty he holds so dear?

2. What is Penelope’s reaction when the disguised Odysseus says he knows her husband?

A) She says she wishes Odysseus was here so he could kick the beggar out of his home.

B) She says she wishes Odysseus was here so he and Telemachus could enact revenge against the suitors.

C) She angrily calls him a liar.

D) She says she hopes Odysseus never sees her in her reduced state.

3. Why do the other suitors criticize Antinous for throwing his stool at Odysseus disguised as a beggar?

A) because Antinous misses

B) because they increasingly question Antinous’s loyalty

C) because they are kind people who defend the low and weak

D) because beggars may be gods in disguise

4. What do the suitors award the winner of the fight between Odysseus and the beggar Irus?

A) a bag of gold

B) a night with a courtesan

C) a seat at their banquet table

D) their blessing

5. Why does Athena spur the suitors to intensify their mockery of Odysseus-as-a-beggar?

A) to punish Odysseus

B) to wound Odysseus’s pride and make him even angrier at the suitors

C) for her own amusement

D) because Poseidon commands her to do so

6. How does Eurycleia recognize Odysseus, despite his beggar disguise? (short answer)

7. How does Odysseus-as-a-beggar convince Penelope that he knew her husband?

A) He accurately describes the brooch attached to Odysseus’s coat.

B) He shares the story of when they first met.

C) He describes Odysseus’s feats on the battlefield.

D) He doesn’t—Penelope trusts him implicitly.

8. Why do the suitors decide to suspend their plot to murder Telemachus?

A) An eagle with a dove in its talons flies past.

B) Telemachus learns of the plot.

C) They discover that the beggar is really Odysseus.

D) They feel guilty.

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. C. This display of loyalty and perseverance moves Odysseus to tears.

2. B. At every one of Odysseus’s tests, Penelope shows her loyalty to her husband.

3. D. At any point, the gods may be watching, and the suitors must be careful not to show poor hospitality.

4. C. The suitors are unmatched in their cruelty.

5. B. Athena aims to push Odysseus to a point where he will be entirely merciless in fighting back.

6. a scar on his leg

7. A. He also describes Odysseus’s favorite herald.

8. A. Amphinomous interprets this as a bad omen.

Books 21-24

READING CHECK

1. Who is the first to attempt the archery contest?

Answer: Telemachus

2. Which god is honored at the feast where the contest takes place?

Answer: Apollo

3. Which suitor is the first to be killed by Odysseus in the slaughter?

Answer: Antinous

4. Which character, upon gloating at the dead suitors, is told by Odysseus, “It is not pious”?

Answer: his old nurse/Eurycleia

5. What is special about the bed Odysseus built?

Answer: One of the bedposts is made from a living olive tree.

6. Where do the suitors encounter Agamemnon and Achilles?

Answer: the underworld

QUIZ

1. Telemachus says he will “no longer mind” if his mother remarries, only if what occurs?

A) No one wins the archery contest.

B) Telemachus himself wins the archery contest.

C) Proof of Odysseus’s death is delivered.

D) Penelope finishes the burial shroud.

2. Why don’t the suitors want to let Odysseus-as-a-beggar participate in the archery contest?

A) They know the beggar is Odysseus.

B) They don’t want the beggar to be embarrassed.

C) It would be a blow to the suitors’ honor if a beggar succeeds where they failed.

D) The beggar is Telemachus’s guest, and they despise Telemachus.

3. What happens to the 12 enslaved women deemed disloyal?

A) They are exiled.

B) They are forgiven.

C) They are hanged.

D) Athena strikes them down.

4. Athena assists in the slaughter but does not go so far as to “grant a decisive victory.” Why not?

A) She wishes to test Odysseus and Telemachus’s courage and ability.

B) She is amused by the fighting.

C) She hopes to weaken Odysseus so she can betray him later.

D) She is simply following Zeus’s commands.

5. Which of these is a servant spared by Odysseus?

A) Leodes

B) Melanthius

C) Amphinomous

D) Medon

6. How does Penelope test Odysseus to see if he is really her husband?

A) She asks to see his scar.

B) She asks him to string his famed bow.

C) She requests that his olive tree bed be moved outside.

D) She asks about their first kiss, which occurred where they are standing.

7. How does the fighting between Odysseus and the suitors’ surviving relatives end?

A) Zeus and Athena intervene, forcing peace between the two parties.

B) Odysseus and his allies slaughter them all.

C) Antinous’s brother murders Odysseus.

D) Poseidon intervenes, sending a massive tidal wave to crush Odysseus and his allies.

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. B. Doing so would prove that Telemachus can carry his father’s legacy, allowing Penelope to remarry.

2. C. Once again, reputation is of paramount importance to the characters, even villains like the suitors.

3. C. Odysseus shows no mercy to the disloyal.

4. A. Although Odysseus could never have prevailed without Athena’s help, she is careful not to serve as crutch for him.

5. D. Medon is the bard who informed Penelope of the plot to kill Telemachus.

6. C. The bed has a living olive tree as one of its bedposts, and she knows the real Odysseus would be outraged if it were cut down.

7. A. With Odysseus safe and reunited with his wife and son, Athena and Zeus see no need for further bloodshed.