Name:___________________
Mallory
The Odyssey
Book 9 Discussion Guide
Essential Questions:
1) What are the characteristics of an epic hero?
2) What can we learn about a culture through its mythology?
Part I – Vocabulary: Use context clues to determine the meaning of each highlighted word.
Write your definition in the space provided.
1) Now the Cyclopes neither plant nor plow, but trust in providence, and live on such wheat,
barley, and grapes as grow wild without any kind of tillage.
Providence:___________________________________________________________________
2) He drove all the ewes inside, as well as the she-goats he was going to milk, leaving the males,
both rams and he-goats, outside in the yard.
Ewes:_________________________________________________________________________
3) When I had done this I hit it…and told the men to cast lots which of them should venture
along with myself to lift it and bore it into the monster’s eye.
Cast Lots:_____________________________________________________________________
4) When the wine had got to his head, I said to him as plausibly as I could: ‘Cyclopes, you ask
my name and I will tell it to you.’
Plausibly:_____________________________________________________________________
5) They went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem.
Stratagem:____________________________________________________________________
Part II – Short Answer: Answer the following questions in complete sentences as you read the
text.
6) What are Odysseus’ criticisms of Cyclopes culture?
7) What does Odysseus ask of the Cyclopes?
8) What are the 3 ways that Odysseus outsmarts the Cyclopes?
9) What is Odysseus’ tragic flaw?
10) In which episode did the gods fight against Odysseus? In which did they assist Odysseus?
Constructed Response: Respond to one of the following prompts in Constructed Response
format:
Which epic hero trait(s) does Odysseus display in the episode of the Cyclopes?
or
What can we learn about Greek Culture through the episode of the Cyclopes?
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