The Odyssey

Book  1 ~ Study Guide

from John McIlvain

An Overview for the Student Book-by-Book Study Guide Literary Responses to the Odyssey

Image source: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/main/courses/classics100/museum2/art_museum2.html

Note: This site is designed to be used with Robert Fagles' translation of the Odyssey, published by Penguin USA. It was prepared for a 9th grade English class.

Books:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

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ATHENA INSPIRES THE PRINCE

SCENE: Calypso's island (briefly), Olympus (briefly), Ithaca, (mainly)

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:

Gods: Poseidon, Hermes, Athena/Mentes, Zeus

Mortals: Telemachus, Mentes (Athena): King of the Taphians, friend of Odysseus, Penelope,Eurycleia (nurse) Phemias (the singer), the "suitors," especially Antinous and Eurymachus.

The Book begins with the invocation to the Muse followed by Athena's plea to Zeus to allow her favorite mortal Odysseus to travel home from Ogygia, where he has been held captive for seven years by the nymph Calypso. Zeus agrees but not without insisting the trip be arduous. He does not want to enrage the absent Poseidon, who is angry at Odysseus for having blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Athena goes to Ithaca to spur Telemachus, Odysseus' son, into action and start him toward manhood. There we met the suitors of Odysseus wife, Penelope, who are abusing the rules of hospitality. We also learn that Penelope has done whatever she could to keep them from taking her hand in marriage. Almost everyone on Ithaca believes Odysseus to be dead.

PAY ATTENTION TO:

• Invocation
• Story of Orestes (including Zeus' attitude toward of Aegisthus).
• The Gods' discussion of Odysseus. Who is on his side? Who is not? Why?
• What Zeus "rules."
• Problems of Odysseus: Where is he? Why? How long has he been away?
• Athena's disguise.
• Youth of Telemachus.
• The violation of hospitality
• Penelope's situation.
• Penelope's actions.

EPITHETS: Who is...

• "The bewitching nymph"
• "Son of Cronos"
• "Who marshals the thunderheads"
• "The clear eyed goddess"
• "Cool headed"

QUESTIONS:

1. What do you see as the attitude of the Gods' towards men?
2. What do you see as the attitude of the Greeks towards hospitality?
3. How would you characterize Telemachus at this point? What are his strengths?
4. What are his weaknesses?
5. How does Athena plan to affect Telemachus?
6. What tragic homecoming story do we hear of? How does it relate to the situation in Ithaca?
7. Who is Phemius?
8. How does Telemachus show strength with Penelope?
9. How does this relate to the visit of Athena?

QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.	(1)
But one man alone... his heart set on his wife and his return – Calypso the bewitching nymph, the lustrous goddess, held him back.	(15)
Recalling Aegisthus, Zeus harangued the immortal powers: "Ah how shameless – the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone, they say, come all their miseries..."	(36)
"Why, Zeus, why so dead set against Odysseus? "My child, what nonsense you let slip through your teeth. Now, how on earth could I forget Odysseus? Great Odysseus who excels all men in wisdom, excels in offerings, too..."	(76)
First by far to see her was Prince Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief.	(132)
And young Telemachus cautiously replied, "...Mother has always told me I'm his son, it's true, But I am not so certain."	(249)
"If only that Odysseus sported with these suitors, a blood wedding, a quick death, would take the lot."	(307)
"So Mother, go back to your quarters, tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for the bow now, men will see to that, but i most of all, I hold the reign of power in this house" Astonished, she took to her own room. She took to heart the clear good sense of what her son had said. Climbing up to the lofty chamber with her women she fell to weeping for Odysseus, her beloved husband till watchful Athena sealed her eyes with welcome sleep. (see Book 21, 389-399)	(409)
Now the suitors turned to dance and song, In the lovely beat and sway, waiting for dusk to come upon them there... and the dark night came upon them lost in pleasure.	(480)

Odyssey Guide