The Odyssey Test Flashcards

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1
Q

Odysseus

A

Main character, king of Ithaca, son of Latres, “man who has borne so much pain” “the great tactian”
reward is getting home to his family,
- arrogance causes pain, loses his crew
- hero of Troy

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2
Q

Penelope

A

Wife of Odysseus, daughter of Icarius
- plagued by suitors, but does not want to marry any of them
- is eventually convinced that she must marry one of them so she says she will marry the first one that can shoot an arrow through twelve axes

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3
Q

Telemachus

A

Son of Odysseus and Penelope, goes on parallel journey to find out information on his father with the help of Athena
- not very confident,
- gains confidence by the end
- reward is proving his worth as his father’s son

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4
Q

Circe

A

the “bewitching queen of Aeaea” witch who curses men, turns some of Odysseus’ men into pigs
- odysseus tells her stories of his home, she tells him stories of the heroes who passed through her island
- tells him to go to the underworld for a prophecy

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5
Q

Eumaeus

A

“the loyal swineherd”
- stayed loyal to odysseus while he was away
- odysseus and telemachus stayed with him when they had first gotten to ithaca
- helps odysseus and telemachus battle the suitors

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6
Q

Calypso

A
  • goddess/nymph
  • home is on Ogygia
  • keeps odysseus hostage because she wants a husband
  • finally lets him go because the gods force her to
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7
Q

Polyphemus

A
  • the cyclops
  • son of poseidon
  • traps and eats odysseus and his men
  • odysseus tells him his name is “nobody”
  • odysseus stabs him in the eye
  • then escapes under his sheep
  • as they are sailing away odysseus taunts the cyclops, finally telling him his name is odysseus
  • cyclops then asks poseidon to make his journey horrible or kill him
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8
Q

Athena

A
  • Pallas Athena
    -goddess of wisdom, war, strategy in war
  • helps both odysseus and telemachus
  • symbols are owl + olive branch
  • helps odysseus and telemachus fight the suitors
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9
Q

Antinous

A
  • son of Eupithes
  • one of two leading suitors
  • wants to kill telemachus
  • the first one that odysseus kills with the bow
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10
Q

Laertes

A
  • father of odysseus
  • former king of Ithaca
  • distraught while his son is away
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11
Q

Melanthius

A
  • the disloyal goatherd
  • is disloyal to odysseus and supports the suitors
  • gives the suitors weapons
  • the swine and cowherds string him up to the ceiling while they battle, then kill him after
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12
Q

Eurycleia

A
  • the nurse of odysseus and telemachus
  • keeps telemachus’ journey a secret and odysseus’ identity a secret when she recognizes the scar on his leg
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13
Q

Nausicaa

A
  • daughter of Alcinous
  • finds odysseus on Phaeacia
  • bathes him, takes him to just outside of the city and tells him to go to the palace
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14
Q

Poseidon

A
  • the divine antagonist
  • wants to make odysseus’ journey as hard as possible because of what he did to the cyclops
  • sends storms and monsters and trials
  • was angry when odysseus wasn’t tried on Phaeacia
  • so he makes mountains on their port, barring their sea access
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15
Q

Menelaus

A
  • husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon
  • leader of the Argive army
  • gives Telemachus advice on what to do with the suitors (story of Orestes)
  • tells him stories of Odysseus
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16
Q

Man’s Flaws (Odysseus’)

A

Arrogance and pride,
- Odysseus telling the cyclops his real name
- showing off in games on Phaeacia
- lets go of this when dealing with suitors, humiliates himself as the beggar

17
Q

Man’s Attributes (Odysseus’)

A
  • courage
  • loyalty to his men (kind of to his wife)
18
Q

Heroism

A
  • Heroes are regarded with great respect
  • Odysseus is seen as a great hero and earns a lot of respect for it, from his son, wife, and people he meets on his journey
  • however the suitors do not respect him
19
Q

Love

A
  • odysseus loves his family
  • his family loves him
  • shows he loves them as they are his reward
20
Q

Resilience

A
  • Odysseus is resilient on his journey, he does not give up even after all of the trials he goes through
  • his family is resilient as they do not give up hope that he is alive
  • the swineherd and cowherd are resilient as they believe he is alive
21
Q

Family

A
  • family is very important to the ancient greeks
  • characters introduce themselves with their father’s names
  • guests are asked where they are from and who their family is
  • also shown with odysseus’ family being his reward
22
Q

Women and their roles

A
  • women are supposed to be faithful, while their husbands are not
  • they are also seen as “whores” or temptresses
  • penelope is faithful
  • calypso is a temptress
  • maids that sleep with the suitors are whores and temptresses