The Odyssey Part 2 Study Guide
Literary Terms:
1. Oral tradition
2. Narrative Poetry
Sea Perils and Defeat (page 981):
1. Why do Odysseus’ men open the bag of unfavorable winds?
2. Who refuses to help Odysseus and his men a second time?
3. After meeting with the Laestrygonians what is left of Odysseus and his men?
4. Circe then turns all but one of Odysseus’ men into what?
5. After visiting the land of the dead, Odysseus and his men leave Circe. How does Odysseus
plan to escape the Sirens?
6. The huge waves terrify Odysseus’ men, but why doesn’t Odysseus tell them about Scylla?
7. What does Circe tell Odysseus not to do that he does anyway?
8. Explain the epic simile Homer uses to describe Charybdis.
9. What does Scylla do while the men are staring at the horrifying Charybdis?
10. Explain the epic simile Home uses o describe how Scylla grabs the men.
11. What does Odysseus feel as he watches his men get eaten?
12. Why doe Eurylochus want to stop at Helios’ island?
13. What does Odysseus make his men swear?
14. Why do Odysseus and his men remain on the island for months?
15. Odysseus leaves his men to supplicate the gods, but ends up doing what instead?
16. How does Eurylochus convince the men to eat the cattle?
17. Explain hwy Eurylochus is a more persuasive leader on the island of Helios than Odysseus is.
18. How would you describe Odysseus’ relationship with his men? What if anything, might
Odysseus have done to improve it?
19. What does Lord Helios ask Zeus to do?
20. What does Lord Helios claim he will do if Zeus does not help him?
21. What does Zeus agree to do?
22. What queer signs do the gods then send?
23. Odysseus’ men east on the island for how many days?
24. Describe how Zeus destroys the ship.
25. Describe how Odysseus survives the ships destruction.
26. When Charybdis sucks Odysseus’ raft under the water, how does Odysseus survive?
27. Who enables Odysseus to escape Scylla a second time?
28. For how long does Odysseus float on his raft?
29. Who receives and loves Odysseus on the Ogygia Isle?