The Odyssey…Pacemaker Series….by Homer
Questions for “The Story So Far” and Chapter 1
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1. The Odyssey is a sequel to the _____________________.
2. What is the The Illiad a story about?
3. When does the story take place?
4. The story is about myths and magic. Describe the characters in the story (from the prologue and Ch. 1)
5. Why is the book called The Odyssey?
6. During his travels, Odysseus made the Sea God, Poseidon angry. What did Odysseus do?
7. Odysseus is a prisoner by the nymph, _____________________.
8. _______________, the daughter of Zeus, felt sorry for Odysseus and asked her father for help.
9. Explain the plan Athena developed and to which Zeus, her father, agreed.
10. What is happening in Odysseus’ home land of Ithaca?
11. Why did Telemachus leave? Who is helping him?
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Questions for Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 of The Odyssey (Pacemaker version)
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1.
When Telemachus arrived in Pylos, the people were celebrating and honoring who?
2. What did Telemachus learn from Nestor?
3. What did Telemachus learn from Menelaus?
4. What are the suitors planning back in Ithaca?
5. Why is Odysseus leaving Calypso?
6. How did Poseidon interfere with Odysseus’ travels on the raft?
7. Where did Odysseus finally arrive?
8. How did the Phaeacian King, Alcinous, treat Odysseus? Name the most important gift.
9. Phaecian people are not known as fights, but as_____________________________________.
10. During the party, the bard sang about the War at Troy. Name at least 3 important events from the song.
11. After the song, Alcinous asked Odysseus to ________________________.
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Questions for Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of The Odyssey (Pacemaker version)
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1. Name two women who wanted Odysseus as their husband.
2. As Odysseus began to sail home from the war, Zeus interfered. What did he do, and where did the boat
land? What happened on the island?
3. After leaving the Circones’ land, Zeus hit the boat with another wind. This time the crew of Odysseus
landed on the land of the ___________________.
4. After eating the lotus, the people began to _________________________.
5. What did Odysseus do to the men?
6. After sailing from the Lotus-eaters, they landed where the ______________lived.
7. Odysseus wanted to learn more about the Cyclops; therefore, he and 12 of his best men climbed into the
cave. When the Cyclops arrived he closed the entrance with __________________.
8. Why did Odysseus and men try to kill the Cyclops after he ate two of the men?
9. What did Odysseus offer the Cyclops after he had eaten 6 of his men?
10. How did Odysseus and the rest of his men escape?
11. Once he and the men were aboard the ship, what does Odysseus cry out to Polyphemus, the Cyclops? In
return what does Polyphemus cry out to his father, Poseidon?
12. The next island is called ______________, named for the king of the winds.
13. The king gave Odysseus a bag. He released the West wind and was instructed not to ____________.
14. On the tenth day, the crew could see Ithaca in sight. As Odysseus fell asleep, the men thought the bag was
full of gold, so they __________________________. What happened?
15. After being rejected by Aeolus, the ships arrived to Laestrygonians’ land. What happened?
16. Sadly, the only ship to survive was Odysseus’. The next island they landed on was the home of Circe. The
men were terrified of the roaming animals, but the animals _________________________.
17. Circe turned the men into __________________.
18. How does Hermes help Odysseus?
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Questions for Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 of The Odyssey (Pacemaker version)
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1. After leaving Circe, the wind took the ship to the land of the Kimmerian people. Here the sun never shines and it
is always dark. What does Odyssesus witness?
2. What advice does Tiresias give Odysseus?
3. Describe the interaction with Odysseus and his mother.
4. Who else did Odysseus see in the House of Dead?
5. What advice did Circe give Odysseus regarding the Sirens?
6. Odysseus is not tempted by the song of the sirens because _____________________.
7. The next challenge is Scylla and Charybdis. They lost 6 men to ___________________.
8. Charybdis jeopardized Odysseus’ voyage by ___________________________.
9. Odysseus wanted to continue the journey, but his men insisted that they stop and rest on the Sun Island. Odysseus
reminded the men not to ______________________. The men were overcome by their own
__________________.
10. Helios asked Zeus to punish us for killing the cattle. Our punishment, Zeus sent a storm. The men all died and
Odysseus landed on the island of _______________.
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Questions for Chapter 9, Chapter 10, and Chapter 11 of The Odyssey (Pacemaker version)
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1. Odysseus is done telling his story and is leaving for ____________________.
2. The ship sailed without any problems. While Odysseus is asleep, his crew picked him up and placed him on the
sand with his treasure. When he awoke, _________________was waiting for him.
3. Athena helps disguise Odysseus as a _______________. She explains what is happening to Penelope and
Telemachus.
4. She encourages Odysseus to meet with __________________, servant of his pigs.
5. Telemachus arrives to Eumaeus’ home and is reunited with _________________.
6. Together with two Gods, ___________ and ______________, they plan to remove the suitors.
7. The suitors plan is to kill __________________.
8. What news did Telemachus tell her mother about Odysseus?
9. How did the suitors treat Odysseus when he was dressed like a beggar?
10. Why does Penelope want to meet the beggar?
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Questions for Chap 12, Chap 13, and Chap 14 of The Odyssey (Pacemaker version)
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN PAPER. Do NOT write on this packet!
NOTE: CLEARLY mark each section on your paper – if you do not mark each section clearly, your work will NOT be
graded!!!
1. Telemachus is responsible for removing all the _____________.
2. Name one of the ways Penelope tricked her suitors (think back to the beginning of the story.)
3. What contest does Penelope decide to announce to the suitors?
4. Who recognized Odysseus? Hint (she saw a scar)
5. What does this imply, “ A fine dinner was being prepared for the suitors. A goddess and a strong man, however,
were preparing a finer feast?”
6. Why did Telemachus not attempt to use the bow?
7. Which suitor was able to use the bow and shoot the arrow through the 12 axes?
8. Why was Eurymachus upset? Who did he compare himself to?
9. Why were the suitors scared when the beggar picked up the bow?
10. None of the suitors escaped Odysseus because:___________________
11. Soon they all lay dead on the floor, like a fisherman’s catch on the beach
a. personification
b. hyperbole
c. simile
d. metaphor
12. How did Penelope recognize Odysseus as her husband?
13. What does Odysseus fear now?
14. How does Athena solve the future of Ithaca?
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