The Odyssey

Question 1

Telemachus

Answer 1

In the beginning of the book, Telemachus voyages to Pylos and Sparta to find his father, who was not around most of his childhood life. Then, in the midst of the book, he is reunited with Odysseus at Eumias’s hut, where they scheme a plan to get rid of the suitors at their home. At the end of the novel, Telemachus cleans the blood from the suitors and hangs the disloyal maids. The reader can see the transformation of Telemachus from a fearful and inexperience boy to a confident and strong leader.

Question 2

Ithaka

Answer 2

It is ruled by king Odysseus and Queen Penelope. Though the city itself has not turned to turmoil, there is chaos in Odysseus’s palace. Suitors have taken over and want Penelope to choose one of them as her husband in order for them to enthrone the city.

Question 3

Penelope

Answer 3

She is a deceitful woman just like her husband. She is losing hope that Odysseus will come home. However, she does remain loyal to him throughout the play. To extend her marriage descision with a suitor, Penelope tricks them with her weaving. She said that she would marry one of the suitors when she finishes weaving. However, each night she would unravel the weaving. She also riddles Odysseus to find out if he really is her husband. She wanted Odysseus to tell her the secret about their marriage bed.

Question 4

Eurykleia

Answer 4

She is a servant for Penelope and natured Odysseus when he was a child. When Penelope orders her to give the old beggar a bath, Eurykleia sees the scar that Odysseus had from hunting trip with his father once. She complies Odysseus’s orders to not divulge his secret with anyone.

Question 5

Antinoos

Answer 5

A very mean and arrogant suitor, who really wants to only get enthrone and not love Penelope. He leads the plan to kill Telemakhus. Because of his cruelty, he is the first to die by Odysseus.

Question 6

Eurymakhos

Answer 6

He a manipulative suitor, who influences all the other suitors. During the gruesome death of all the suitors, Eurymakhos begs Odysseus to forgive them and then rallies the suitors to fight against Odysseus. In response, Odysseus indifferently shoots an arrow into Eurymakhos’s heart.

Question 7

Mentor

Answer 7

A loyal friend of Odysseus, who usually is Athena as disguised. Mentor, who is really Athena, goes with Telemakhos on the journey to find Odysseus. Til the very end, Mentor helps Odysseus defeat the suitors.

Question 8

Nestor/Pylos

Answer 8

Nestor is the ruler of Pylos and warrior in the Trojan War. Telemakhos goes first to Pylos to find out about his father. Nestor recalls the happenings of the war. According to him, the greek army splitted up, some stayed with Agamemnon and the others went with Menelaos. Odysseus went with Menelaos but they traveled back to Agamemnon. However, he does not know much about Odysseus afterwards because Nestor stayed with Menelaos but does tell Telemakhos to visit Menelaos. Nestor is so kind and helpful that he sends his own son with Telemakhos.

Question 9

Menelaos/Sparta

Answer 9

He is the king of Sparta and helped lead the Greeks in the Trojan War. When Telemakhos arrives, Menelaos is hosting weddings for his children and allows the newcomers to join them. Menelaos tells him about Odysseus’s Torjan Horse plan and then about his encounter with Proteus.

Question 10

Helen

Answer 10

She is the wife of Menelaos and the cause of the Trojan War. She was abducted from Sparta by the Trojans. She serves Telemakhos and his men with wine and tells funny stories about Odysseus in the war. For example, Odysseus dressed up as a Trojan beggar to learn about the Trojans.

Question 11

Hermes

Answer 11

He the messenger for the gods. He is sent by Zeus to convince Calypso to let Odysseus go. Also, he helps him resist Krike by giving him a flower that allows him to resist the magic.

Question 12

Poseidon

Answer 12

He is the father of Polyphemos the cyclops and god of sea, who despises Odysseus for blinding his son. When the cyclops prays and curse Odysseus, Poseidon hears and ravages stroms at Odysseus and his men. Throughout the play, Poseidon tries to kill Odysseus by turning people who him into stone or releasing an epic storm.

Question 13

Ino

Answer 13

She is the goddess that helps Odysseus when Poseidon releases a storm that destroys his ships. She gives her veil to protect him from the storm. The veil allows him to float and prevents him from drowning.

Question 14

Nausikaa

Answer 14

She is the pretty daughter of Alkinoos and Arete. When at a river to clean her clothes, she sees Odysseus naked in the river and is stunned by him. Odysseus lets his situation and she is willing to help him. She gives him directions to the palace and advice to bow down to her mother first.

Question 15

Alkinoos

Answer 15

He is the ruler of Phaeacians and was very generous to Odysseus when he visited his island. He felt sentimental toward Odysseus when he started to cry and wanted to know his back story. Unlike any of the previous encounters, Alkinoos was able to get Odysseus back to his home with many treasures.

Question 16

Arete

Answer 16

She is the wife of Alkinoos. She is very clever and respected. Nausikaa advices to bow down to her mother first. Arete was clever to figure out that Odysseus was wearing her daughter’s clothes.

Question 17

Demodokos

Answer 17

He was the singer at Alkinoos’s island. He sang about Agamemon’s tragedy and then about Odysseus, making him cry.

Question 18

Seareach

Answer 18

He is a Phaiakian that offended Odysseus and prompted him to join the sporting games.

Question 19

Kikones

Answer 19

In this city, Odysseus and his men kill everyone, pilfer the city and enslave the women.

Question 20

Lotus Eaters

Answer 20

This the island, where three of Odysseus’s men eat a dangerous lotus flower, making them lose desire to leave. Odysseus drags the ill men back to the ship and leaves immediately.

Question 21

Kyklops/Polyphemos

Answer 21

He is the son of Poseidon. He is stabbed in the eye by Odysseus. He curses Odysseus that he will never make it home or he will reach home but all his men would die.

Question 22

Aiolos

Answer 22

The wind god, who gave Odysseus a bag of winds. Odysseus’s crewmen open the bag in excitement when they see the shores of Ithaka and release a strong gust of wind that pushes them all the when back the Aiolos’s island. When Odysseus goes again to Aiolos for help, he is turned down.

Question 23

Laistrygones

Answer 23

They was giants that Odysseus encountered after sailing from Aiolia Island. The king falls on one of Odysseus’s men and drinks his blood. Therefore, they leave in fright.

Question 24

Kirke

Answer 24

The witch that transformed Odysseus’s crew into pigs. With Hermes’ herb, Odysseus tries to get his men back. Krike does turn Odysseus’s men back to humans with the condition that he has to sleep with her. Mesmerized with his sexual desire, Odysseus and his crew stay for a year on Krike’s island.

Question 25

Tiresias

Answer 25

The prophet in the underworld that told Odysseus his fate. He warned Odysseus to not to eat Helios’s cattle. Also, he said that all his men will die and when he gets to Ithaca there will be trouble for him. Tiresias tells Odysseus that he has to make a sacrifice for Poseidon when he reaches homes.

Question 26

Elpenor

Answer 26

He was the youngest one of Odysseus’s crewmen. At Krike’s island, he got drunk and fell asleep on the roof, but fell over and died. Odysseus does not even know until he sees him in the underworld. Odysseus promises to setup a burial for him.

Question 27

Kalypso

Answer 27

She is a nymph that imprisoned Odysseus at her island in Ogygia for 7 years. She fell in love with him and has forced intercourse every day.

Question 28

Antikleia

Answer 28

She is Odysseus’s mother, whom he surprisingly meets in the underworld. She tells Odysseus the state of his family. She tells him that Penelope is still loyal to him and Tememakhos is growing older. His mother died of loneliness.

Question 29

Aias

Answer 29

He was the warrior that supposed to get Achilleus’s arms. However, Odysseus won it because he asked for it from Agamemnon and Menelaus. Odysseus sees him in the underworld and tries to apologize. The armor was supposed to be awarded to the braveness man, but the Greeks couldn’t make a decision. Aias kills himself because he did not get the armor.

Question 30

“Tortures” of Underworld

Answer 30

After Odysseus leaves his mother, he goes to talk to other famous people such as warriors from the Trojan War. However, everyone wanted some blood. Tantalus was tortured by standing in pool of water but he could not drink it. He also could not eat the fruits near him because the wind will sweep it away. Sisyphus is pushing a boulder up a steep hill but then the rock falls back down. He again tries with him sweating all over.

Question 31

Sirens

Answer 31

Kirke warns Odysseus about the sirens that will hypnotize his mind through their music. Therefore, Odysseus tells his men to put wax in their ears. Meanwhile, Odysseus is tied up in a chair.

Question 32

Kharybdis

Answer 32

This is a whirlpool sucks in the sea three times every day. This was one obstacle that Odysseus had to maneuver through.

Question 33

Skylla

Answer 33

This was one obstacle that Odysseus had to maneuver through. Skylla was a six headed monster that eats men. Kirke adviced to sacrifice six men to the cliff of Skylla than to lose his ship by Kharybdis.

Question 34

Cattle of Helios

Answer 34

Odysseus was warned by Tiresias and Krike to not eat the cattle because it is sin and offend Helios. However, the men eventually to eat the cattle and are killed by a massive storm.

Question 35

Eumaios

Answer 35

He is a loyal swineherd, who once was a ward to Laertes. He is actually from royalty because his father was a Syrian lord. Odysseus goes to him as a beggar for shelter and food. Eumaios also houses Telemakhos, where he figures out that the beggar is his father. Eumaios helps Odysseus in the battle against the suitors.

Question 36

Theoklymenos

Answer 36

He asks Telemakhos for a ride. He is a descendant of Melampous. He killed his cousin Agros to be ruler and now is being hunted for murder.

Question 37

Melanthios

Answer 37

During the takedown of the suitors, Melanthios sees Telemakhos go into the storage room to get the weapons and leaves the door unlocked. Seeing this opportunity, Melanthios gets the remaining weapons and arms the suitors. He is then captured and tied up in the storage room by Mentor and Eumaios. He throws a stool at Odysseus the beggar.

Question 38

Dog Argos

Answer 38

This was Odysseus’s loving dog, who grew very old. However, Argos was the only one who recognized Odysseus immediately.

Question 39

Iros

Answer 39

this is the real beggar that begs in front of the palace. He did not like another beggar at the same place. Iros throws insults at Odysseus the beggar. Then Antinoos incites a fight between the two. Iros wanted to back away when he saw how tough Odysseus really looked. Odysseus hits Iros only once in the jaw.

Question 40

Melantho

Answer 40

Sister of Metanthios, who is very disloyal and has an affair with Eurymakhos. She even abuses Odysseus the beggar

Question 41

Philoitios

Answer 41

He is a cowherd that also helps Odysseus battle against the suitors. When the beggar approaches the palace Philoitios greets him and expresses hate against the suitors.

Question 42

Amphimedon

Answer 42

He is a suitor, who explains his arrival at the underworld to Agamemnon. He recalls how Odysseus killed all the suitors to regain authority of his palace. Agamemnon was pleased to hear this.

Question 43

Laertes

Answer 43

He is the father of Odysseus. Odysseus tested his father’s loyalty by acting like a beggar. He then reveals himself to his father.