Essay - Liberal Arts

Reading and Thinking Guide for Assigned Books in The Odyssey

Part I. The Adventures of Odysseus

Book 1

Epics begin in medias res, “in the middle of things,” not from the beginning of the story. All other Greek heroes and men who survived the Trojan War arrived safely home except for Odysseus and his crew. Homer begins the epic with an Invocation to the Muse, to the goddess of poetry (a daughter of Zeus). He seeks divine inspiration in telling the story of Odysseus. During seven of Odysseus’ ten years on the Mediterranean Sea, the goddess Kalypso holds him captive. With Athena’s help, Odysseus finally persuades Kalypso to free him, and she helps him build a raft to leave her island. After Odysseus sails away, his raft is destroyed by storms.

Questions to consider: Throughout your own life’s journey have there been occasions, during which you felt trapped, stuck, sidetracked, derailed, or overwhelmed by a turbulent event? What obstacles or unexpected surprises kept your from moving forward? How did you handle or respond to such events?

Book 9

After enduring many turbulent years of trying to return home to Ithaka following the Trojan War, it is in Book 9 that Odysseus relates the story of his adventures to King Alkinoos, a noble figure who provides Odysseus a hospitable refuge from the sea. In this book, we learn about the past adventures – trials and tribulations Odysseus and his crew experienced on the island of the Kyklopes.

Questions to consider: Who in your life has provided a listening ear, a place of refuge? How does the story of Odysseus’s adventure with the Kyklopes reveal some of his personality traits? Why and how is story telling a valuable experience for both an individual and for a society at large? Do we need stories today? Why or why not?

Book 10

After Odysseus and some of his crew escape the island of the Kyklopes, they make landfall on Aiolia Island, domain of Aiolos Hippotades, the wind king, who plays host to Odysseus and his remaining crew. Despite the generous hospitality and gift of sailing wind that Aiolos gives to Odysseus to assist his return home to Ithaka, disasters strike again; Odysseus and his crew encounter a beguiling witch named Kirke.

Questions to consider: Just when you think you might be getting somewhere or arriving at your long-awaited goal, life sometimes forces you backwards. Why do bad things happen to good people? How much control do we have over the course of our journeys? How much depends upon our choices along the way, upon fate or upon some divine force?

Book 12

After having survived the beguiling witch Kirke, surviving a journey to Hades (underworld of dead spirits), Odysseus and his men face further sea perils and defeat. They return to Kirke’s island to recover the body of a lost comrade to memorialize his life. Kirke takes Odysseus aside and warns him of future sea perils, the Sirenes, Skylla and Kharbydis. Following the harrowing experiences with these terrors, and a stormy maelstrom at sea, Odysseus washes ashore (once more) on Ogygia Isle, home of the dangerous sea nymph Kalypso.

Questions to consider: Why and how does memorializing someone we lose make a difference in our lives or to the lives of others? Are rituals or rites of passage important? If so, what purpose have rituals or rites of passage served in your own life? Describe such events and their impact upon your journey. When have your encountered moments of temptation and what have your discovered about yourself or others in the process? When have you found yourself caught between “a rock and a hard place?” What do your do when you face such a dilemma?

Part II. The Homecoming of Odysseus

Book 21

The test of the bow involves a contest amongst the suitors to determine who will assume the place of long lost Odysseus. Presumably, the winner will usurp Odysseus’s kingdom and take Penelope in marriage. The magnificent and mighty bow used in the contest is one that belongs to Odysseus; it is a bow that no other man possesses the strength to properly use.

Questions to consider: What do we learn in this book about the state of affairs in Ithaka? What are the positive and negative aspects of Greek society that we encounter in this book? What are the rules of the contest? Are they fair? Who are the contestants and what character traits do they exhibit? What is Penelope’s role in and response to the contest of the bow?

Book 22

Death and destruction breaks loose in the Great Hall of Odysseus’s home. The master returns home to Ithaka and punishes the scoundrels who have -- for many years -- defiled his home and pursued the hand of his faithful wife.

Questions to consider: Describe Odysseus’s homecoming – pros and cons. What is the nature of his homecoming after such a long absence? What does Odysseus find? How does he handle his return? What might he be thinking as he finally sets foot upon his homeland? What reception does he receive? Describe a homecoming that you have experienced in your life’s journey. Can you ever really “go home” again? What changed in you, your family or friends, or in your community at large? What is home to you? Is home a geographical setting, a state of mind or both? How does vengeance function in Odysseus’s homecoming?

Book 23

Penelope hears from her faithful servant, Eurykleia, that Odysseus has arrived home, but she cannot believe the news is true. Penelope thinks her senile nurse has gone mad, and it takes a while for Penelope to be convinced that her husband has actually returned. Only after a test -- concerning a marital secret that only she and Odysseus share -- does Penelope realize the truth of her noble lord’s return.

Questions to Consider: Was Penelope justified in questioning and testing the authenticity of Odysseus? What do you think about Telemakhos’s response to his mother’s reception of his father? Overall, what specific character traits does Odysseus possess? Would such traits be considered heroic today? Why/why not? What about Penelope’s character traits? How would you evaluate her personal qualities?

Additional Considerations Concerning The Odyssey:

What does the epic reveal about social values in Greek culture? Identify them with textual evidence. What similarities and differences do you find between ancient Greek society and our 21st Century society?

Explain the role of the supernatural in Greek culture. Describe the relationship between mortals and their gods. What role does the supernatural play in the 21st Century?

What role (if any) does choice or free will of the mortals play in Homer’s epic?

What might we learn from the epic about our own life’s journey? Have you discovered any resemblance between Joseph Campbell’s model of the hero’s journey and your own journey? What do any of the various poems (Ulysses, Ithaka and Penelope) reveal about the nature of life’s journey?