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A list of how the gods help Odysseus overcome problems or cause problems in the prescribed Books.

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Athena is the most important god/goddess in determining what happens. How far do you agree? 

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Athena is the most important god/goddess in determining what happens. How far do you agree? 

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Athena’s influence is manifested in various ways:

- She provides the beggar disguise which protects Odysseus in Ithaca. - She plans the downfall of the Suitors with Odysseus.
- She is present in the battle, urging on the hero and deflecting spears.
- However, her influence is also lacking during many key episodes during his travels.

However, other immortals also have influence:

- Poseidon who delays Odysseus’ return
- Circe who delays the hero’s nostos and provides him with invaluable information
- Hermes is essential in Odysseus overcoming Circe
- Zeus is the patron god of the xenia shown towards Odysseus by Aeolus and the Phaeacians.
- Fate and Destiny

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Homeric servants are bad and cannot be trusted. How far do you agree?

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Homeric servants are bad and cannot be trusted. How far do you agree?

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Examples of slaves who support this statement might include:

Melanthius:
- dining with the Suitors;
- kicks the disguised Odysseus;
- provides the Suitors with weapons during the fight.

Melantho:
- sleeping with one of the Suitors
- betrays Penelope her mistress and the one who brought her up as her own by revealing the shroud trick
- rude to the disguised Odysseus.

However, there is plenty of evidence to counter this statement:

Eumaeus:
- stays loyal to Odysseus over the years;
- is diligent in his care of Odysseus’ livestock
- fights alongside Odysseus
- Odysseus has high opinion of his servant and promises to reward him

Eurycleia:
- is conscientious in her care of Penelope
- keeps Odysseus’ identity a secret
- keeps the other women securely away from the final fight
- is prepared to identify the unfaithful maidservants

Philoetius:

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This is a lis of Greek terms encountered when reading the Odyssey, and the literary devices. The green are  most important for the Homeric World exam.

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The disguise of Odysseus as the beggar and recognition scenes of his true identity.

- Penelope (Book 19):  She questions the beggar - the depth of proof she requires displays her loyalty. The similarities between husband and wife in this episode are touching But we do not know if she is fully aware it is her husband.
- Eurycleia (Book 19): suspense and potential danger of the faithful maidservant revealing Odysseus’ identity. It also allows for the telling of the story of how Odysseus got the scar and also delays the final outcome.
- The Suitors (Book 22): consider how long their recognition of Odysseus takes to happen, which perhaps damns them even more for their sheer stupidity. Odysseus’ power is also reinforced by this and there is the feeling that the Suitors are receiving their a deserved fate.

- Eumaeus and Philoetius (Book 21): provides Odysseus with essential allies for the battle with the Suitors.

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How does Homer make Book 22, passage 1-67 vivid and dramatic?  

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How does Homer make Book 22, passage 1-67 vivid and dramatic?  

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- The unexpected demise of Antinous, the ring leader of the Suitors.
- The description of Antinous’ death is sensitive (‘tender throat’) yet gory; it is also full of action – 'cup falling', 'thick jet of blood gushed', ‘kicked the table’
- The reaction of the Suitors is vividly represented, ‘uproar’, ‘leapt in from their seats in fear’, ‘running'
- The direct speech enlivens the narrative
- The dramatic irony in the Suitor's words is dramatic;

- The Suitors’ naivety is also stressed – each of them ‘imagined’, it ‘not realising that the net of fate had been thrown over them’
- By contrast, Odysseus is described as the ‘resourceful’;
the ‘glowered’ and the words ‘the net of fate’ all portend to the Suitors’ imminent deaths

- The repetition of ‘you’ is effective and adds emphasis to the long list of what the Suitors have done wrong - 'you dogs', 'you laid waste'
- The 'fear blanched their cheeks' perhaps foreshadows of their deaths

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This means the desire to return ton your homeland.

We encounter Odysseus' love of his homeland at the beginning of Book 9 when he tells his tale to the Phaeacians:

- Odysseus’ negative view of his adventures away from his homeland reflects his love of his homeland – ‘sad troubles’, 'weep and groan the more'
- The use of adjectives to describe Ithaca – ‘clear skies’
- Its unique nature compared to the other islands in facing the setting sun; personification – ‘nurtures’ and the use of contrast; despite being "a rugged land", it produces 'fine young men'
- Odysseus knows all the names of the islands around Ithaca.
- Odysseus’ love of his country is also seen in his response to Circe’s and Calypso’s affection. They were unable to detain him despite yearning for him – ‘but they failed to move my heart.’
- His comment about a man’s fatherland and parents; 'nothing is sweeter than a man's own parents and country'

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Penelope is the only female character depicted as being without fault or flaw. How far do you agree? 

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Penelope is the only female character depicted as being without fault or flaw. How far do you agree? 

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Consider both sides of the argument and include a range of female figures

- Penelope is portrayed as being desirable and idealistic in the Odyssey. However I don’t believe that she is the only female character to be portrayed positively or that she is portrayed without flaw.

- Many of the female characters in the Odyssey are depicted as having flaws – Melantho in exposing Penelope’s weaving trick and becoming mistress to one of the Suitors shows her lack of loyalty and virtue, two characteristics which are greatly desirable of a maid. Circe, in trying to turn Odysseus and all of his men into pigs certainly has flaws. Circe has some redeeming characteristics when forced to  help Odysseus.

- From the perspective of a modern audience, it could be argued that Penelope too, has flaws. She spends the majority of the Odyssey crying and praying for death due to her lack of husband, and seems incapable, despite being Queen
of Ithaca, to get rid of the Suitors despite the fact that they have both shown bad xenia in their behaviour and long outstayed the welcome allowed to them by xenia. However in the time this epic was authored, these would not have been seen as flaws. As a woman, Penelope would not have been able to remove the suitors from her house, and as a loyal wife she would be expected to mourn for her husband. Additionally,  it could be argued that Penelope is without flaw as she shows intelligence (metis) by fooling the Suitors by “unravelling her work” so she doesn’t have to marry one. Her cunning shows that she is equal to Odysseus as they both have metis.

- Athena is also shown to be a female character without fault or flaw – she may not always be there to help Odysseus but she has her reasons for this and if she helped him with everything there would be no story. It could be argued that her lack of action in some parts of the epic is a fault but as a Goddess she cannot watch over Odysseus alone, and it could easily be argued that by leaving Odysseus and allowing him to have to think for himself and find his own way out of situations is a virtue – if she did not leave him, and instead chose to help him at every opportunity, he would lose a great deal of character and depth.

- Eurycleia, too, has few faults, if any at all. She agrees to remain silent to help Odysseus when he wishes to remain disguises even from his wife and she goes to help him discerns the good maids and those who have helped the Suitors. Perhaps her only flaw is that she takes too much delight in seeing the Suitors dead, but after having to live with them for nearly 20 years, that is understandable

- Overall, I don’t entirely agree with this statement – Penelope is not the only female character in the Odyssey who has no faults or flaws while many do, for example Malantho, Circe,  and to some extent  Eurycleia is not shown to have any flaws and neither is Athena. Penelope is merely one of the few female characters in the Odyssey who has no faults or flaws.

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The rules of succession in  Homeric society were strictly made by and for men. The throne would either stay within the family, from father to son or next in kin, or would be taken by force by a male enemy. Throughout the Odyssey the audience is reminded that Telemachus will be the rightful successor of Ithaca one day; either because of the death of Odysseus or given by Odysseus at a later age, and at the same time one is reminded that Penelope has to give up her power to her son or returning husband.

However, Penelope has simply been looking after her household and has been protecting it from the Suitors, as Telemachus is not yet of age and Laertes, Odysseus' father, is absent, which leaves Ithaca in the hands of a woman. Penelope's loyalty as a wife is very important as a marriage with her would entitle one of the Suitors the kingdom. Marriage was also something sacred. By Book 19 Telemachus has reached manhood and urges Penelope to leave the palace, as he is worried about the Suitors squandering his inheritance. He has  finally matured.

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This means gift-giving, hospitality, hereditary friendship, or guest-gifts.

Homeric characters must uphold Zeus’ laws of hospitality and establish alliances and be given gifts

This is contrasted with Polyphemus’ bad hospitality and bad guest-gifts, for which he is punished by Odysseus. Likewise, Odysseus is the instrument of Zeus punishing the Suitors exploiting Penelope's hospitality.

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Odysseus is never made to feel welcome on his travels and shown poor hospitality in Books 9 and 10. How far do you agree? 

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Odysseus is never made to feel welcome on his travels and shown poor hospitality in Books 9 and 10. How far do you agree? 

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1. Laestrygonians
2. Polyphemus
3. Aeolus
4. Circe

Remember to look at both positive and negative aspects of each

- Odysseus was obviously not made to feel welcome by the Laestrygonians as they attacked and killed of all Odysseus’ men except for Odysseus and the men on his ship. This brutal attack was almost immediate, and no form of xenia was shown to him and his men, thus supporting the statement that Odysseus was never made to feel welcome during his travels.
- Polyphemus did not adhere to the rule of xenia when Odysseus and his men entered his cave, but neither did Odysseus. He ate six of Odysseus’ men and was very rude to Odysseus and claimed that he was above the gods and their laws of hospitality. Polyphemus also displayed poor xenia to Odysseus when he showed that his idea of rewarding Odysseus for the gift of wine was to eat him last! Although it could be said that Odysseus deserved such treatment for eating the Cyclops’ food and eventually blinding him, Polyphemus also disregarded the laws of xenia when he threw boulders at Odysseus’ ship as it was leaving and called on Poseidon to stop him. It is nigh on impossible to argue that Polyphemus showed Odysseus any sort of proper welcome according to the laws of xenia or that he welcomed him during his visit, especially as Odysseus and his men were not staying willingly, but were trapped by the Cyclops.
- Aeolus is another individual who showed poor hospitality to Odysseus when Odysseus came to the island for the second time. Aeolus refused to help him and turned him away, saying that Odysseus must be hated by the gods. However, Aeolus did welcome Odysseus and show him good xenia during his first visit, providing for Odysseus and his crew for a month and finally providing him with the gift of a bag of winds and a westerly wind to help him get home to Ithaca. Therefore, this hospitality cannot be disregarded and so I cannot agree that Odysseus was shown poor xenia throughout his travels.
- At first, Circe showed Odysseus very poor xenia as she first attempted to turn him into a pig, and then attacked him with her wand. The only reason why she relented was because Odysseus had overpowered her using the advice and help from Hermes. However, her showing him great hospitality and care for a year, during which Odysseus and his men were content, overshadows this initial poor welcoming of Odysseus. She is also a good host when she provides Odysseus with instructions about how to get to the Underworld and seek the advice of Tiresias. Therefore, this is another occasion about which it is unfair to say that Odysseus was shown poor hospitality throughout his travels.

- In conclusion, although Odysseus is shown poor xenia by the Laestrygonians, Polyphemus and, to some extent, Aeolus and Circe, for the most part Odysseus is shown good hospitality by the Phaeacians and Aeolus for a month and Circe for a year. The bad hospitality shown to Odysseus mainly affected his crew and in time only lasted for a short time when compared to the periods of good hospitality and welcome that Odysseus actually enjoyed.

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The epic hero is a larger-than-life character, traditionally a man, who pursues long and dangerous adventures. Alternately aided and blocked by the gods, he carries the fate of his people on his shoulders.

The Odyssey has its main hero in Odysseus: he is the text’s centre of attention. But as you read it you discover that he is not entirely admirable, even though for Homer he is definitely ‘heroic’. The text also has other characters who can be admired – Penelope; Telemachus; the loyal herdsman, Eumaeus.

Such reading leads naturally also to thinking about villains, those who are set against our ‘hero’, in what ways they can be regarded as ‘bad’, and deserving of punishment.

It is important to remember that a modern definition of hero would be very different from the ideology of an ancient, epic hero. We should not question their actions through a modern lens, such as when Odysseus  viciously punishes Melanthius in Book 22. We have to isolate our modern perception of what a hero should be as the text is from a far-removed world, with different views on revenge, justice and war.

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1. Prestigious lineage (nobility)

2. Physical values (beauty, speed, strength
3. Intellectual values (sharp mind, rhetorical skills, cleverness)

4.. Wealth

5.. Leadership

6.. No constrictions

7. Purpose (kleos, nostos, and immortality)

8. Invulnerability (although heroes still need weapons)

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1. Shame

2. Misjudgement

3. Hubris (arrogance)

4. Revenge (nemesis)
5. Death

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How do Books 9 and 10 add to your enjoyment of the Odyssey and your understanding of its themes? 

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How do Books 9 and 10 add to your enjoyment of the Odyssey and your understanding of its themes? 

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1. Where, when and why he tells these stories
2. How entertaining the stories are in themselves
3. What the stories show about Odysseus’ character and abilities
4. Themes that the stories illustrate
5. The immortals in these books.

Arguments for enjoyment and understanding:
- Odysseus is in Phaeacia receiving excellent xenia from Lord Alcinous during a pause in his travels in Book 9. The tales are in one sense simply Odysseus’ contribution to his side of the xenia; they must be good as what he has received up to this point far outweighs what he has given in return. From Homer’s point of view using the ‘flashback’ technique adds variety to the poem.
- The tales may be seen as the most entertaining aspect of the poem; nowhere else in the poem is there such a mix of the normal and the fantastic. Here alone we get so much direct interplay between mortals and immortals. Characters such as Circe (Book 10), Polyphemus (Book 9) and Aeolus (Book 10) are entertaining in themselves, while the voyage to Hades may be seen to represent man’s worst nightmares: Odysseus faces death and survives.
- The audience having recently met Odysseus, this set of flashbacks illustrates how far he has come to reach this point; there is a degree of progression in his character from the thoughtless sacker of the Cicones (Book 9) to the fearless survivor of Hades (Book 10), yet there is a tendency for error alongside the genius – failing to provide leadership to his crew at crucial moments, such as with the Laestrygonians, final words to Polyphemus, sleeping while the crew opened the bag of winds.
- The stories have a simplicity and directness that give clear messages: good usually triumphs over evil; good xenia brings rewards, bad xenia brings punishments; total respect for the gods is vital, even those against you; man can face and overcome the greatest monsters – even death.
- They give us a chance to see Odysseus  depending on himself; in key passages, such as the Cyclops, Hades, after the storm, he receives little help from the immortals, apart from Hermes in the Circe episode.
- The explanation for Poseidon’s enmity via the Cyclops story add to our understanding of how small humankind is seen as being by the gods.

Arguments for little enjoyment and understanding:
- Having reached Phaeacia, Odysseus is set up for a quick return to Ithaca and a chance to sort out the Suitors, and it is possible that Odysseus is ‘making up’ the stories.
- While possibly entertaining in themselves these stories are looking backwards so lack any real tension (Odysseus must have survived), unlike the other books the elements of fantasy are so prevalent here as to render the tales absurd, thus taking away from Odysseus’ apparent feats of daring
- Odysseus makes so many mistakes according to these stories that his reputation is hardly enhanced by them; he fails to make his men leave the island of the Cicones, gives his name to Polyphemus, fails to look after Aeolus’ present, lets his fleet be destroyed by the Laestrygonians, and so losing all his men hardly adds to his credit.
- Likewise the gods come out of it with little credit, as Poseidon’s desire to avenge his son is all too human, given the massive failings displayed by that son; all in all the gods do not contribute much positive to Odysseus’ progress.

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Do Homeric heroes have free will or are their lives predestined by fate?  

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Do Homeric heroes have free will or are their lives predestined by fate?  

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1. Zeus is working to accomplish the will of fate, and Homer knows what will happen.
2. Then  lesser gods and goddess who know some things but not all the details.
3.  The heroes/characters think they have free will and sometimes are aware of the will of the gods.

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Women have a marginal role in the story? How far do you agree?

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Women have a marginal role in the story? How far do you agree?

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The Homeric world represents a world where heroes and kings ruled and women looked after the oikos (home). However,  what is interesting about the  Odyssey is that women do have more to say and have more power to wield than in the Iliad; they are not just spoils of war or prizes.

Odysseus’ primary concern was to return home  (nostos), and he won fame through his survival and his use of his wits, but the female characters played a crucial role in his journey to return home, either helping him or causing problems.

Penelope, with her own strength proves that it is possible for a woman to gain power and earn fame. The Odyssey has many strong willed female characters, most of them magical, descendants of gods, or queens in a protected and stable home, but Penelope, on the other hand, is a mortal woman without any magical powers and is also a single mother amongst enemies.

Indeed, women are still less able or free to determine their own destiny as their fate is either determined by their husbands or men (Penelope’s actions are determined by her husband being away from home and her son reaching manhood).

Female characters in times of war and peace thus act very similar: they occupy themselves with the running of the household and weaving.

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1. Excellence

2. Honour

3. Gift

4. Kleos (glory)

5. Friendship

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The Iliad is about the Trojan War (of 12th Century BC). According to Homer the Achaeans (Greeks) waged war on Troy to recover Helen, the most beautiful daughter of the God Zeus. She had been stolen from them and taken to Troy. Troy was besieged for ten years before the Greeks took the city. The Illiad is concerned with the last year of those ten, and its war is presupposed in the Odyssey

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The Odyssey was originally composed orally, without any help of writing. The Homeric word for poet means ‘singer’, and the narrative would have been ‘sung’ or chanted to the accompaniment of a stringed musical instrument, partly recalled from memory, partly made up and improvised as the poet went along.

This leads to the repetition of ‘formulaic’ expressions which help the audience (and now us readers) to remember certain key qualities of character or scene and topic, help the singer to keep metre, mark the introduction of a different time, place or event, and allow the singer to introduce different changes of emphasis and meaning. These ‘epithets’ are often attached to the names of characters, such 'wise Penelope', 'resourceful Odysseus', and 'royal Telemachus'.

There are also repeated scenes, conventions, or rituals which have a particular structure and significance, but note how Homer often varies the detail. Examples can be found in the welcoming and entertaining of guests, the forms of hospitality, on the occasions of public story-telling.

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The central hero of the Odyssey is Odysseus, King of Ithica, who fought in the Trojan War. The subject of the poem is his long, arduous journey back home to his kingdom, his wife, Penelope and his son, Telemachus (who was a baby when he left to go to war). Odysseus takes ten years to get back, and Homer describes his many adventures, the tests and trials he has to endure, and the obstacles he has to overcome. By the time he returns he has been away for twenty years.

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This means it is a long narrative poem, which is usually related to heroic deeds of a person of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery. The fate of history, conflicts, whole countries, other people, and households may depend on the bravery and courage of these heroes.
The action is often in battles, tasks to be carried out, obstacles to be overcome, long and difficult journeys, quests. This all happens under the eyes of the gods, who intervene very directly in human affairs and have very human qualities, such as anger, and minds which can be changed.
The events described come to have the importance of myth and legend through which countries and peoples define themselves and their history.

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A most important feature of the Odyssey is the number of stories told in it. For example, it certainly is Homer who tells the story of the Odyssey but, very soon in Books 9 and  10 Odysseus tells his own story of his adventures. As we read we should be aware of and alert to the significance of who is telling the story, why, to whom, in what context.

device = direct speech

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Look out for any columns in yellow as they could give you ideas about potential exam questions.

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Fate and the gods bring about Odysseus’ victory over the Suitors. How far do you agree?

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Fate and the gods bring about Odysseus’ victory over the Suitors. How far do you agree?

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1. The nature of fate in the Odyssey
2. The relationship between Zeus and fate interventions by other immortals
3. The characters and abilities of the Suitors interventions by other mortals
4. What Odysseus does on his own initiative.

Arguments for fate and the gods  bringing about the victory:
- By its very definition fate causes the ending as that is its very nature. Zeus, as agent of fate, seems content to sit back firm in the knowledge that all will be well. He
uses (or works against) the other gods to ensure that fate has its way, and even allows anti-Odysseus characters to do their worst, such as Poseidon and the immortals of Books 9 and 10.
- Only Athena of the immortals influences this stage of the story, but her influence is complete: she tells him how to reach the palace, assures him of her support and that he will succeed, disguises him and watches over him throughout, when the fight is in the balance she steps in, reassures Odysseus and even deflects the Suitors’ weapons.
- The number of Suitors (108) would be more than sufficient to overcome Odysseus and his small body of human helpers if they were given a fair chance; whether it was simply ‘fated’ for them to die or whether their own abuse of xenia was so offensive to Zeus and/or the gods in general, their deaths were clearly dictated from beyond the human world; Homer makes this clear by bringing Athena into the fight at a crucial time.
- Odysseus makes some errors of judgement in his preparations, such as not foreseeing the Melanthius problem, which could have been fatal in a ‘fair play’ situation.
- The humans who help Odysseus consist of only his (still young) son who is as much a hindrance given his failure to secure the weapon cupboard, and his swineherd Eumaeus, willing but inexperienced, and goatherd, Philoetius, in fighting; these two play very much a minor supporting role, offering little to make up the great discrepancy in numbers.
- As soon as he runs into trouble during the fight Athena reappears; following the initial killing of Antinous Odysseus gives up the element of surprise by making a speech to the Suitors; only then does he send Telemachus to bring armour/weapons, and allows Melanthius to outsmart him by arming the Suitors; when ‘Mentor’ turns up to help Odysseus wavers and needs to be shouted at to continue; at this point he may well have been killed had the Suitors’ weapons not been made to miss.

Arguments that other factors are primarily responsible for the victory:
- The Suitors, despite their numbers, are an inadequate opposition; the suggestion is that their characters are rendered so dissolute by their behaviour that they are ripe for the taking; their own weaknesses therefore are a major factor in Odysseus’ victory; besides, being evil in an absolute sense (by actively disregarding xenia even to the point of plotting to murder their young host and equally by having outstayed their welcome and vastly exceeded any fair allowance of food & drink) they have doomed themselves (through human faults, rather than by being ‘fated’ to die).
- Odysseus may have few human supporters but they are totally loyal and play their supporting roles to the letter; Telemachus is instrumental in setting up the trap and kills a number of Suitors in the fight; ditto Eumaeus who has supported him during the planning stages and ‘does his bit’ in the battle; the help from these two and others, such as Eurycleia keeping the secret, is a major cause in the victory over the Suitors.
- Although Athena appears to take a prominent role, there are times when she steps back and allows Odysseus to fend for himself.
- Odysseus may be guided by Athena in his mode of returning to the palace but it is Penelope, not Athena who formulates the plan involving the axes; not only does Odysseus patiently endure the insults to himself as a beggar, but he checks his anger at the abuse of his palace until the moment is right; surrounding himself with only people he can trust he sees that all is right to gain the advantage of surprise; he wastes no time, slays the leaders first and is thus able to take on the confused pack one at a time; Athena’s help comes only in the latter stages and reflects largely only what Mentor (her disguise) could do; amid the panic of the Suitors Odysseus keeps calm and so brings a sense of inevitability to the outcome.

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How important is Penelope to the plot and themes of the Odyssey?

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How important is Penelope to the plot and themes of the Odyssey?

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1. Penelope’s importance to Odysseus
2. Her actions as the story proceeds
3. The hospitality she offers
4. The relationships between gods and humans
5. The relationships between men and women

Arguments suggesting Penelope's importance:
- Odysseus explains in Book 9 that his motive for trying to return home is because nothing is sweeter than your own country and no other women has been able to move his heart. This  establishes Penelope's importance, which is confirmed by her weeping for her husband in Book 19 and 21.
- Although Odysseus remains unknown to her upon his return to the palace, she holds conversations with the beggar which reflect her wisdom and goodness. She tells him the trick to keep the Suitors at bay and offer the stranger xenia.
- Although, she is kept in the dark about the stranger, she is clever enough to suspect something is odd. She comes up with the test involving the axes; unwittingly she helps set up the Suitors for their destruction.
- By obeying her son’s instruction to retire she acknowledges his growth to manhood as a good mother should.
- Homer describes her in glowing terms, comparing her to Artemis and Aphrodite.

Arguments suggesting a relative lack of importance:

- Book 9 and 10 focus on Odysseus; it is the skill of Odysseus (and his key relationship with Athena) that is important. Penelope may be the wife in waiting but in such a male-dominated society Telemachus is a more important goal for Odysseus to keep in mind
- Penelope is seen as the ‘prize’ sought by Odysseus and the Suitors.
- When Odysseus arrives in Ithaca no attempt is made by husband and son to involve her in the initial planning (or even to let her know her husband is alive); in the palace they keep her totally in the dark about the plot to kill the Suitors. When she attempts to involve herself in the contest to find her a husband she is abruptly dismissed to her room by Telemachus
- Although in a sense Penelope offers xenia to the Suitors, she is simply complying with a Greek custom.
- the gods pay little heed to Penelope, mainly putting her to sleep to keep her away from the battle in the hall, and so she plays no part in the fight.

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This was the most important female domestic occupation in the Homeric world and should not be taken lightly; perhaps it could even be compared to Homer weaving a  story together, allowing women to claim the position of the poet himself.

Weaving was an art which was given from Athena to women. Penelope uses this domestic chore and her intelligence to deceive the Suitors. With the shroud of Laertes, she was able to keep the Suitors at bay for three whole years. She would weave during the day and unravel it at night. With her clever words she assured the Suitors that it was her womanly duty to weave a shroud to her father-in-law and promised to marry one of them after she had finished it. But her plans were foiled by a treacherous maid. It is a huge achievement for a woman to be able to hold such cunningness and wisdom which could excel men’s intelligence.

Even goddesses are not idle to weaving. Circe must also have been busy at the loom as she has a huge tapestry.

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Odysseus is responsible for the sufferings of his men? How far do you agree? 

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Odysseus is responsible for the sufferings of his men? How far do you agree? 

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It could certainly be argued that Odysseus should shoulder some of the responsibility for his men’s sufferings.

- He leads them against the Cicones and fails to assert his authority in getting them to leave.
- His exploration and decision to stay in Polyphemus’ cave, despite his men wanting to make their escape.
- He fails to listen to his men when fleeing and boasts which leads to Polyphemus praying to Poseidon.
- Odysseus might not have fallen asleep on the ship when sailing away from Aeolia if he had trusted his crew and delegated the responsibility, instead hauling the sheets ceaselessly alone in an  attempt to reach home more swiftly.
- Odysseus might have been more open about the contents of the bag of winds.
- He allows all the other boats to be trapped with the Laestrygonians and fails to make any rescue attempt when the monsters attack.

Sometimes the men are to blame themselves:

- They disobey Odysseus’ orders at Ismarus.
- They should not have opened the bag of winds.
- Elpenor should not have got blindingly drunk.
- They should not have succumbed to Circe’s allure.

At other times their suffering seems entirely out of their or Odysseus’ hands:

- Laestrygonians
- Lotus-Eaters.

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Similarities between Odysseus and Penelope

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Similarities between Odysseus and Penelope

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1. Both husband and wife are gifted by Athena with the same attributes; wisdom and knowledge.
2. Penelope protected her home through her cunningness by tricking the Suitors, making her likeminded with her husband.
3. Like Odysseus, Penelope is a shape shifter, one moment she can be a virtuous wife and return to her quarters away from the Suitors, and the next she  can  secure the Suitors by posing as a price at the bow contest.
4. The death of the Suitors is thus a collaboration by both Penelope and Odysseus: Penelope had to set up the plan, and lure the Suitors into

the bow competition. The one to finish it had to be Odysseus, winning the competition and

slaying their enemies.

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Similarities between Telemachus and Odysseus

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Similarities between Telemachus and Odysseus

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A list of all the characters met in the prescribed books. The green characters are the most important.

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These are all the prescribed Books with my notes annotated on the side.
Characters are highlighted in green,  useful/key information in yellow, and similes in blue.
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Practice your knowledge of the prescribed Books through these simple comprehension questions. Include as much details as you want in your answers.

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This is a very brief overview of what happens in each prescribed Book. This is useful when you are looking for a specific event.

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Odyssey brief outline of prescribed books 

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This is the previous exam practice paper you did in class.

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Check your answers tot the simple comprehensions questions.
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Download this word document for tips on how to best revise.
There are examples of extended response exam questions and grids to help you structure your writing.
Some online, but advanced,  resources are included to extended your learning.

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Past Paper Sources Insert: The Homeric World

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Past Paper Sources Insert: The Homeric World

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These are the sources used in the last practice exam paper.

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Past Paper Mark Scheme: The Homeric World 

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Past Paper Mark Scheme: The Homeric World 

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This is the mark scheme of the last practice exam paper; the answers were reviewed in class.

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This document includes detailed explanations of what happens in the prescribed Books 9, 10, 19, 21, 22.

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Odyssey detailed outline of prescribed books

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How does Homer make Odysseus an interesting hero? 

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How does Homer make Odysseus an interesting hero? 

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Odysseus is flawed hero and has weaknesses.  He sometimes has to face impossible dilemmas; something an audience could relate to. If Odysseus was perfect, an audience might struggle to connect to him. We thus want heroes to be like us, and ourselves to be like them: any characteristic Odysseus has are qualities people in the Homeric world would have wanted to have, such as nobility, divine lineage, masculinity, the ability to change politics, etc.