1. Where is Odysseus as the poem opens?
2. What situation does Athena describe to Zeus, and what does she propose?
3. Who is Telemachus? Who is Penelope?
4. Who comes to Telelmachus as Mentes?
5. What does Mentes tell Telemachus to do?
6. What is it that he “must not cling to?”
7. What is the suitors’ attitude toward Telemachus?
Book 2
1. What does Telemachus tell the suitors in assembly?
2. What is Penelope doing to delay the decision to marry one of the suitors?
3. How do the suitors respond to the prophecy of Halistherses?
4. What do the suitors think of Telemachus’ plans for a trip?
5. What is the problem in Odysseus’ home in Ithaca?
6. What identity does Athena now assume to help Telemacus?
7. Under what circumstances does Telemachus depart Ithaca to begin his trip?
Book 3
1. As Telemachus arrives in Pylos what is he worried about and why?
2. What does Telemachus ask King Nestor?
3. Above all other men Telemachus says Odysseus was born for what?
4. What does King Nestor know firsthand about the homecomings of the other Acheans? Why?
5. What does he know of affairs on Ithaca?
6. What lengthy story does Nestor tell Telemachus? Why this story?
7. Where does Nestor advise Telemachus to go?
8. Who accompanies Telemachus on this journey?
Book 4
1. Upon the arrival of Pisistratus and Telemachus, what do Eteoneus and Menelaus discuss?
2. What does Menelaus say happened while he was wandering, finding his way home?
3. Whose memory troubles Menelaus most and why?
4. Who identifies Telemachus and how? How old was Telemachus when Odysseus left?
5. What story does Helen tell?
6. What story does Menelaus tell in response to Helen’s story?
7. What does Menelaus learn from the Old Man of the Sea generally, and about Ajax the Lesser, Agamemnon and Odysseus particularly?
8. How do the suitors react to Telemachus’ leaving on his voyage?
9. What do the suitors plot to do?
Book 5
1. When Hermes arrives on Calypso’s island, where is Odysseus and what is he doing?
2. At this point, is this the resourceful, cunning Odysseus we met in the Iliad?
3. How does Odysseus first react to Calypso’s telling him he can go?
4. What does Calypso offer him to stay with her?
5. How does Odysseus justify his refusal of her offer?
6. Who spoils his journey on the raft?
7. What does Ino give him to help him withstand the waves? How long does he swim?
8. What things does he do when he reaches land?
Book 6
1. Why does Nausicaa go down to the river by the seashore?
2. What does Odysseus say when he awakes?
3. What is Odysseus’ dilemma in getting help from the young women?
4. What goddess does he say Nausicaa appears to be?
5. After Odysseus is bathed and cleaned up, what does Nausicaa think about him?
6. To whom does Nausicaa tell Odysseus to go to in the palace?
Book 7
1. What is the name of the king of the Phaecians? The queen?
2. What does the king say they will discuss in assembly the next morning?
3. Who questions Odysseus first? Why?
4. How long was Odysseus on Calypso’s island?
5. What two things does Alcinous offer Odysseus?
Book 8
1. What song does the bard Demodocus sing?
2. How does Odysseus react to this song?
3. When Broadsea insults Odysseus for not looking like an athlete, where does Odysseus say his place has been?
4. What does he reveal about himself when he talks of shooting the bow?
5. Synthesis: What is the significance of this revelation?
6. How does the king refer to Odysseus in lines 267-68, and 285?
7. What does Broadsea do to make amends?
8. What song does Odysseus ask the bard to sing? How does Odysseus react?
9. What two things do they ask Odysseus to tell them?
Book 9
1. What is Odysseus beginning to do as Book 9 opens?
2. What does he tell them shortly after he begins?
3. Narratively what happens in lines 43-45?
4. After the storm where do they land?
5. What does Odysseus tell his men he wants to learn by exploring Cyclops’ island?
6. What does Odysseus tell Cyclops or Polyphemus his name is? Give another example of Odysseus living up to his epithet polutropos.
7. What does Odysseus say to the Cyclops as he is escaping?
8. What does the Cyclops do? What are the consequences of his action?
Book 10
1. After leaving the Cyclops’ island, whose island do Odysseus and his men find next?
2. From the glossary, what is the king of this island in charge of?
3. What kind of xenia does Odysseus receive and how long does he stay?
4. What gift does the king give him?
5. What happens to this gift? What land can the men see when it happens, and what is Odysseus doing?
6. Where does the wind take them? What are they told when they arrive there?
7. How many of Odysseus’ twelve ships sail away from the Laestrygonians?
8. What does Circe do to Odysseus’ men?
9. Specifically what enables Odysseus to avoid the same fate?
10. How long is Odysseus with Circe on her island? Why does he decide to leave?
11. Where does Circe tell Odysseus he must go? What must he do there?
12. What happens to Elpenor?
Book 11
1. Whom does Odysseus see first? What request does he ask of Odysseus?
2. What god does Tiresias say is angry with Odysseus? Why?
3. What does Tiresias say will happen to Odysseus if his men harm the cattle of Helios?
4. What does Tiresias say Odysseus must he do to end the anger of the god?
5. Who first appears to Odysseus after Tiresias departs? What killed this person?
6. What does this person generally say of Odysseus’ father, son and wife?
7. According to Homer what does Oedipus do after Epicaste/Jocasta dies?
8. What does Odysseus suggest when he pauses his story? What do they tell him?
9. After Odysseus resumes his story, who first appears to him? Why is this visit significant?
10. Who appears next? What does this shade say about his fate?
11. What shade will not approach Odysseus? Why?
12. Synthesis: The appearance of Odysseus’ mother begins a whole series or catalog of appearances from women that continues until Odysseus interrupts his own story. Given the low status of women in the culture, why does Odysseus bother relating the visits from all these women?
13. Synthesis: Do we believe that Odysseus, given his polutropos mind, pauses his story for the reason he states? If not, then why?
Book 12
1. Where does Odysseus go after he leaves the underworld? Why?
2. Who tells them they are “doomed to die twice over”? What is the significance of the remark?
3. What other information does this character offer them?
4. How does Odysseus hear the Sirens?
5. What is Scylla and what is Charibdis? How does he get past them?
6. What does Odysseus want to do when they reach the island of the Sun God?
7. What do the men think of his plan?
8. What happens to the plan to leave right away? How long are they there?
9. What happens when the men kill the cattle? Why?
10. What is Odysseus doing when his men butcher the cattle of Helios?
11. What threat does Helios make to Zeus if he doesn’t punish this crime?
12. How are the men punished? How many survive?
13. How long does he drift on the raft?
14. Where does he make landfall?
15. Synthesis: What does Odysseus himself NOT do on the island of Helios that Zeus can spare him?
Book 13
1. How does Odysseus arrive home? What is he doing as he reaches Ithaca?
2. What happens to the Phaecians as a result of helping Odysseus?
3. What does Odysseus first say on Ithaca? In general what is he asking about here?
4. How does he confirm he is home?
5. Essentially, what does he imply to Athena regarding her help after the sack of Troy?
6. What does the goddess answer?
7. Synthesis: Odysseus’ implication and the goddess’ answer is an example of what theme?
8. Where does Athena tell Odysseus to go? What disguise does he wear? Why does he disguise himself?
Book 14
1. What ritual do we see in the interaction of Eumaeus and the beggar?
2. What does Eumaeus say about his master?
3. What does the beggar say? What indication does Odysseus have about his household?
4. In his long tale Odysseus essentially tells Eumaeus he has been what throughout his life?
5. In his cunning way what does his tale reveal?
6. What about Eumaeus warms Odysseus’ heart?
Book 15
1. What four things does Athena tell/ask Telemachus to do?
2. What advice does Menelaus give Telemachus about what is best in all things?
3. What sign is given as Telemachus is departing? Who interprets the sign?
4. What favor does Telemachus ask of Pisistratus?
5. What happens as Telemachus prepares to sail? What is significant about this incident?
6. What do we learn of Eumaeus’ origins from the tale he tells?
7. Synthesis: What is significant about Eumaeus’ origins in the context of the current situation with Odysseus?
8. Who arrives home? What do we see him doing? Why? Where does he go?
Book 16
1. How does Eumaeus greet Telemachus? What literary device is used here?
2. Where does Telemachus tell Eumaeus to go and what does he want him to do?
3. What does Athena tell Odysseus to do? What does she do to him?
4. What is Telemachus’ reaction to the news that the stranger is his father?
5. Synthesis: Why is Telemachus’ reaction significant?
6. Synthesis: Why are they weeping?
7. After their greeting what is the thing we see father and son doing together?
8. How many suitors are there? What plans do they discuss for Telemachus?
9. What does Penelope say to the suitors?
Book 17
1. What does Telemachus say, and why, when Penelope asks him for news of Odysseus?
2. What does the prophet Theoclymenus say about Odysseus?
3. What does the servant Melanthius say to the beggar?
4. Odysseus is recognized upon his return to the palace. What are the circumstances?
5. What suitor questions the beggar’s presence? What do we observe of Eumaeus here?
6. Synthesis: Why this scene between the suitor(s), Eumaeus and the beggar?
7. Who asks to see the beggar? Why?
8. Synthesis: What emerges from the collective significance of these encounters?
Book 18
1. Synthesis: The opening scene sets what theme for all of Book 18?
2. What does the beggar tell Amphinomus about man?
3. What does the beggar prophesy?
4. What is revealed of Telemachus in his conversation with his mother?
5. What does Penelope demand of the suitors? What does the beggar think of what she does?
6. Who is the lover of Eurymachus, and how does she treat the beggar?
7. What does Eurymachus do to entertain the suitors? What does Telemachus do, and what do the suitors think about it?
Book 19
1. Odysseus sends Telemachus to bed, but stays behind to do what?
2. What servant again abuses the beggar? Who rebukes the servant? Why the rebuke?
3. What does Odysseus tell Penelope not to ask? Synthesis: Why?
4. Where does the beggar tell Penelope he saw Odysseus?
5. How does Penelope test the beggar? What is the tone of his response? Her response?
6. How does he try to comfort her?
7. Who now first recognizes Odysseus? How?
8. How did he receive this identifying mark?
9. What does Odysseus’ name mean?
10. Synthesis: Why does Penelope doubt the interpretation of her dream?
11. Generally, how does she say she will test the suitors?
Book 20
1. What are Odysseus’ two concerns that keep him from sleep?
2. What does Melanthius swear to the beggar?
3. Who arrives and treats the beggar respectfully?
4. What happens that causes the suitors to give up plotting to kill Telemachus?
5. What advice does Agelaus give Telelmachus? What does he say about Odysseus?
6. What portents of doom are manifest among the suitors?
7. Which suitor responds to the prophet Theoclymenus? What does he say of the prophet?
8. After the departure of Theoclymenus, how do the suitors treat Telemachus?
9. Who hears all of these proceedings?
Book 21
1. What story opens Book 21?
2. What does Penelope do as she retrieves the bow? Synthesis: Why?
3. What are the rules of the contest to win Penelope?
4. Penelope asks Eumaeus to set up the axes. Who actually does it?
5. Synthesis: Why is the performance of this act significant for the person who performs it?
6. How does Telemachus nearly spoil the plan at this point?
7. Synthesis: What is ironic about the suitors attempting to string the bow?
8. What does Odysseus promise Eumaues the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd?
9. How does Odysseus prove his identity to them?
10. What is Eurymachus’ chief concern about his failure to string the bow?
11. What does the beggar request? Who agrees with this request?
12. Who asserts authority over the bow and the contest? What does this person tell Penelope?
13. Is there anything familiar in the language describing how the beggar handles the bow?
14. How do the suitors react to the stringing of the bow? What else happens at that moment?
15. After Odysseus strings the bow, what does he do?
Book 22
1. Who is the first suitor to die?
2. Close reading: How do we know the suitors haven’t yet identified the beggar as Odysseus?
3. Once Odysseus’ identity is known, which of the suitors speaks? What does he say?
4. Who is the second suitor to die? By whose hand? Who kills the third?
5. Once battle is engaged where does Telemachus go?
6. What does he overlook to do as he returns to the battle?
7. Who exploits Telemachus’ oversight?
8. What does Telemachus say about the error?
9. Synthesis: What is the significance of what Telemachus tells his father?
10. What do Eumaeus and Philoetius do to Melanthius?
11. Is anyone spared? If so, who and why?
12. What is Eurycleia’s reaction? Odysseus’ response? What information does he ask her for?
13. What are the disloyal serving women made to do? What does Telemachus do to them?
14. When all is finished in the hall what does Odysseus do?
Book 23
1. What is Penelope’s reaction when she is told Odysseus has returned?
2. What proof does Eurycleia offer Penelope that Odysseus really has returned?
3. What is Penelope’s dilemma?
4. What is Telemachus’ reaction to his mother’s reserve?
5. What does Penelope tell Telemachus in reproof?
6. What does Odysseus tell Telemachus to do? Why?
7. Synthesis: What is the significance of the two opinions expressed by those outside the castle?
8. What test does Penelope devise for Odysseus?
9. Analysis: What is happening in lines 259-272 that demonstrates narrative artistry?
10. What does Odysseus tell Penelope he still has to do?
11. What do they talk about? How does Penelope react to what he tells her?
Book 24
1. What is happening as this book opens?
2. What comparison does Agamemnon make?
3. Where does Odysseus go?
4. What proofs of his identity does Odysseus offer his father?
5. What is Laertes afraid of at this point?
6. What has been happening while Odysseus has been with his father?
7. What do the families of the suitors decide to do? Why? Who tries to dissuade them?
8. What does Zeus decree?
9. What is the great joy of Laertes heart?
10. Who is the man Laertes kills? Who was the son of this man?
11. Who stops the fighting? Synthesis: Why?
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