Fact Questions for
The Odyssey
Please read about these questions here.
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Pages 6-31
Who wrote The Odyssey? (p. 6)
Why does Odysseus pretend to be "out of his wits"? (p. 10)
How does Menelaus prove Odysseus is sane? (p. 11)
How do the Greeks defeat the Trojans? (p. 11)
What happens to those who eat the lotus? (p. 13)
What is a Cyclops? (p. 15)
Why doesn't Odysseus kill the Cyclops when he has the chance? (p. 17)
What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his name is? (p. 18)
What does Odysseus do after they escape the Cyclops? (p. 20)
What does Odysseus do after the Cyclops throws the first rock? (p. 21)
What does Polyphemus do when he knows Odysseus and his men have escaped? (p. 21)
Who is Aeolus? (p. 22)
What does Aeolus do for Odysseus? (p. 22)
What happens when Odysseus and his men finally see Ithaca? (p. 23)
How many of his ships does Odysseus lose on Cannibal island? (p. 24)
What does Circe do to Odysseus' men who first visit her? (p. 27)
What does he give Odysseus to help him? (p. 28)
What does Penelope, Odysseus' wife, do to trick the suitors? (p. 29)
Who is Helios? (p. 30)
Who is Zeus? (p. 30)
Who is Athene? (p. 30)
Who is Poseidon? (p. 30)
Who is Aphrodite? (p. 30)
Who is Charon? (p. 30)
Who is Hades? (p. 30)
Where do the gods live? (p. 30)
Pages 32-63
After Odysseus leaves Circe where does he go? (p. 32)
What does Teiresias tell Odysseus? (p. 33)
After Teiresias whom does Odysseus meet? (p. 34)
How does Odysseus protect himself and his men from the Sirens? (p. 36)
What is Charybdis? (p. 38)
What is Scylla? (p. 38)
What do Odysseus' men do on the Sun God's island? (p. 39)
How long was Odysseus on the island of Calypso? (p. 42)
Who convinces Calypso that she should let Odysseus go? (p. 43)
How does Odysseus get back to Ithaca? (p. 47)
What does Athene tell Odysseus he must do after he arrives in Ithaca? (p. 49)
What disguise does Athene give to Odysseus? (p. 49)
Whom does Odysseus first reveal himself to? (p. 50)
What does Odysseus tell Telemachus to do with the suitor's weapons? (p. 51)
What is the contest that Penelope explains to the suitors? (p. 54)
Who helps Odysseus kill the suitors? (p. 56-57)
How does Penelope know that Odysseus is truly Odysseus? (p. 58)
Answers
Pages 6-31
Who wrote The Odyssey? Homer (p. 6)
Why does Odysseus pretend to be "out of his wits"? (p. 10) He doesn't want to go to war.
How does Menelaus prove Odysseus is sane? (p. 11) He throws Odysseus' son in front of the plow and Odysseus stops plowing to save his son.
How do the Greeks defeat the Trojans? (p. 11) They build a large wooden horse and hide men inside. When the Trojans take the horse into Troy the men inside wait until nightfall then climb out of the horse and open the city gates to let the other Greeks in.
What happens to those who eat the lotus? (p. 13) They forget the real world and have no desire to go home.
What is a Cyclops? (p. 15) A giant with only one eye.
Why doesn't Odysseus kill the Cyclops when he has the chance? (p. 17) He knows if he kills him he and his men won't be able to move the stone away from the entrance and they'll die.
What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his name is? (p. 18) Nobody
What does Odysseus do after they escape the Cyclops? (p. 21) He taunts the Cyclops
What does Odysseus do after the Cyclops throws the first rock? (p. 22) He taunts the Cyclops again and tells him his real name.
What does Polyphemus do when he knows Odysseus and his men have escaped? (p. 21) He prays to his father Poseidon to not let Odysseus ever reach his home in Ithaca, but if he does that all men will die and that he will have trouble at home.
Who is Aeolus? (p. 22) King of the winds.
What does Aeolus do for Odysseus? (p. 22) He stuffs all the winds into a bag, except a West Wind and this wind helps Odysseus sail to Ithaca.
What happens when Odysseus and his men finally see Ithaca? (p. 23) Odysseus falls asleep and the men release the winds. This blows them back to Aeolia.
How many of his ships does Odysseus lose on Cannibal island? (p. 24) 11, all but one, his.
What does Circe do to Odysseus' men who first visit her? (p. 27) She changes them into hogs.
Who helps Odysseus before he goes to see Circe? (p. 28) Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
What does he give Odysseus to help him? (p. 28) the herb, moly
What does Penelope, Odysseus' wife, do to trick the suitors? (p. 29) She tells them that after she finishes weaving the shroud for Laertes, the father of Odysseus, she will choose a husband from them, but every night she undoes the weaving she did that day.
Who is Helios? (p. 30) the god of the sun
Who is Zeus? (p. 30) the king the gods
Who is Athene? (p. 30) the goddess of wisdom
Who is Poseidon? (p. 30) the god of the sea
Who is Aphrodite? (p. 30) the goddess of love
Who is Hades? (p. 30) the king of the underworld
Where do the gods live? (p. 30) Mount Olympus
Pages 32-63
After Odysseus leaves Circe where does he go? (p. 32) The Land of the Dead
What does Teiresias tell Odysseus? (p. 33) That his journey home will be hard and dangerous, that they should avoid the island of the Sun God, that after he reaches home there will be one more journey he has to take.
After Teiresias whom does Odysseus meet? (p. 34) Anticleia, his mother
How does Odysseus protect himself and his men from the Sirens? (p. 36) He has the men put beeswax into their ears so they can't hear the Sirens and he has his men tie him to the mast. They promise to not let him go no matter what he says.
What is Charybdis? (p. 38) A terrible whirlpool
What is Scylla? (p. 38) A six-headed monster with snakelike heads.
What do Odysseus' men do on the Sun God's island? (p. 39) They kill and eat two of the sacred cattle.
How long was Odysseus on the island of Calypso? (p. 42) 7 years.
Who convinces Calypso that she should let Odysseus go? (p. 43) Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
How does Odysseus get back to Ithaca? (p. 47) The Phaeacians take him back in one of their ships.
What does Athene tell Odysseus he must do after he arrives in Ithaca? (p. 49) He must go home in disguise because his house full of villains.
What disguise does Athene give to Odysseus? (p. 49) That of an old man and a beggar
Whom does Odysseus first reveal himself to? (p. 50) His son Telemachus
What does Odysseus tell Telemachus to do with the suitor's weapons? (p. 51) To lock them up so the suitor can't use them.
What is the contest that Penelope explains to the suitors? (p. 54) She says she will marry the man that can string the bow of Odysseus and then shoot an arrow through twelve axheads.
Who helps Odysseus kill the suitors? (p. 56-57) Telemachus, Eumaeus, the cowherd and Athene the goddess.
How does Penelope know that Odysseus is truly Odysseus? (p. 58) She asks someone to fetch his bed, but Odysseus knows the bed can't be moved because he made it out of a living tree.
©2005-2009 Glen Draeger (all rights reserved)
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