After leaving the cyclops, the men travel to the islands of aeolus, the god of winds, who gives odysseus a bag containing all of the bad winds so that his journey will send him directly to ithaca. The odyssey study guide contains a biography of homer, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. One thing i did not enjoy was the disgustingly graphic description of just what it was that happened to the cyclops eye when it was stabbed with the redhot spear. The next four books books 9 12 deal with the heros wanderings and are the most widely known in the epic. The odyssey is homers epic of odysseus 10year struggle to return home after the trojan war. Circe is helpful once more, providing supplies and warnings about the journey to begin the next dawn. Granted, its likely not every contemporary readers favorite work although you probably would have felt differently 2,000 years. We learn that poseidon, god of the sea, holds a grudge though we dont know exactly why against odysseus and is making the guys voyage home a pretty difficult one.
Literary works dont come much more venerable or influential than the odyssey, a 12,000line poem written in ancient greek and composed sometime in the eighth century b. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Circe advised that odysseus sail his ship past scylla and sacrifice six men rather than risk getting sucked down into the whirlpool and sinking. None of the phaiakians stirred or sighed in the shadowy hall, spellbound as they all were by odysseuss tale at the beginning of book in homers the odyssey. Odysseus sees that the spoils are divided equally among his men and then tells them to sail away as quickly as possible. Book i athena inspires the prince sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. Here at the halfway point of the odyssey, odysseus is still in the palace of king alcinous, telling his enthralled audience of his life and sufferings. As promised, the ithakans return to aiaia because that worked out so well the first time, recover elpenors body, and go through the proper funeral rites.
He told them to because they had been sleeping with the suitors, and acting completely inappropriately even as traitors, as told to him by the housekeeper eurykleia. As late afternoon turns to evening, another vagabond, named irus, arrives. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war. Book 12 odysseus returns to aeaea, where he buries elpenor and spends one last night with circe. My men were thrown in the water, and bobbing like sea crows they were washed away on the running waves all around the black ship, and. Odysseus follows circes instructions, digging a trench at the site prescribed and pouring libations of milk, honey, mellow wine, and pure water.
Before odysseus and his men depart, circe told odysseus that he must pass the island of the sirens, who will try to lure the men to their deaths with their songs. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Summary and analysis book 11 the visit to the dead. The odyssey at a glance cliffsnotes study guides book. Home english literature classic books the odyssey book ix navigate here introduction book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi book xii book xiii book xiv book xv book xvi book xvii book xviii book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv. Book 1 the first book informs the reader of the imprisonment of odysseus on calypsos island, ogygia, in the tenth year after the trojan war.
Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey. Geared to what todays students need to know, sparknotes provides chapterbychapter analysis. By the time homers audience encounters odyssey 23, odysseus has revealed his identity to his son. Having escaped the cyclops, odysseus and his men arrive at the home of aeolus, master of the winds, where they are greeted warmly and hosted for a month. The odyssey books 1617 summary the odyssey by homer books 1617 summary and analysis. Overall, books 7 12 were nearly reminiscencefree, with all the storytelling compacted into book 11, in the land of the dead. Summary and analysis book 12 the cattle of the sun. After his crew plundered ismaros, a coastal town of the kikones, they fought the army of the kikones. The cattle of the sun back at circes island, odysseus and his men feasted with the goddess. In it are captured all the winds that might drive the ships off. Homer uses epithets constantly throughout the odyssey both because they fit the meter of the poem and because they act as mnemonic devices for both orator and audience. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor.
The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. In book 10 and elsewhere, hermes is given the epithet slayer of argus, which alludes to a. Summary true to his word, odysseus returns to aeaea for elpenors funeral rites. This is a video summary of book 12 in the odyssey school project. Scylla and charybdis this is circes advice as to which path odysseus and his crew should take. While odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife penelope and his son telemachus stave off suitors vying for penelopes hand and ithacas throne long enough for odysseus to return. Eager to move on, odysseus receives an oxskin pouch from aeolus. Be sure you recall the details of these challenges and more by taking this quiz over book 12 of the odyssey. Circe took odysseus aside and warned him of the perils that awaited him. As is the case throughout homers work, the epic poet.
In the morning, alcinous and the other men shower odysseus with gifts and prepare a ship to take him home. The new odyssey brings to mind the original epic with which this book has many parallels. Odysseus reveals his name and homeland to alcinous, and says calypso held him against his will prior to his arrival. The odyssey books 16 summary and analysis gradesaver. The odyssey ends as odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity. Only the ship argo has passed between these monsters with no lives lost. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 12 summary. At the urging of antinous, irus picks a fight with beggarodysseus, which he soon regrets. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. The odyssey book 12 quiz 10 questions by dereklee18 last updated. Summary and analysis book 18 the beggarking at ithaca. Literature network homer the odyssey book xi book xi then, when we had got down to the sea shore we drew our ship into the water and got her mast and sails into her. Nov 23, 2010 after nine days at sea, odysseus had washed up on calypsos island.
In book 12 of homers odyssey, the title character and his crew sail away from circes island and continue their efforts to return to ithaca. Circe is helpful once more, providing supplies and warnings about the journey. The land of the dead is near the homes of the cimmerians, who live shrouded in mist and cloud 11. Circe gave them food and addressed them hearts of oak, did you go down alive into the homes of death. Nestor knows that odysseus started out from troy with 12 ships and 720 men. The odyssey books 2124 summary and analysis gradesaver. The odyssey books 15 summary the odyssey by homer books 15 summary and analysis.
Although eumaeus doesnt recognize the withered traveler as his master, he invites him inside. In book ten odysseus is still recounting past adventures to the phaecians. Created by harvard students for students everywhere, sparknotes is a new breed of study guide. Book three dawn finds the travelers in the kingdom of pylos, who fought with odysseus in the trojan war. Home english literature classic books the odyssey book xi navigate here introduction book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi book xii book xiii book xiv book xv book xvi book xvii book xviii book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv. After we were clear of the river oceanus, and had got out into the open sea, we went on till we. He is a portly buffoon who is a comic favorite of the suitors. Odysseus asked if he can escape charybdis and fight off scylla. He returned to circe, pleased with his journey, who told odysseus what he would encounter next.
Because odysseus told him to, is the simple answer. She describes the obstacles that he will face on his voyage home and tells him how to negotiate them. I dont know if i will be able to finish it tonight. Terms in this set 22 what is the first thing that odysseus and his crew do after reaching aeaea once more. What is the importance of odysseuss bed in homers odyssey. The odyssey books 1720 summary and analysis gradesaver. As tensions increase, odysseus tries in vain to warn. Nov 07, 2010 i have a quiz on it tomorrow and it is hard to keep up with the reading.
After leaving troy, odysseus and his men sail to ismarus, which they attack and plunder. Nestor tells what he knows of the greeks return from troy. The odyssey book 12 study guide flashcards quizlet. Why does telemachus execute the maids in homers odyssey. True to his word, odysseus returns to aeaea for elpenors funeral rites. Books 10 12 of homers odyssey contain a number of allusions to other events in classical mythology. The odyssey study guide final exam gendron 38 terms. Find summaries for every chapter, including a the odyssey chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. Odysseuss narrative makes up books 9 through 12 of the odyssey. After identifying himself to the phaeacians at the feast, odysseus tells the story of his wanderings.
Book 12 builds up excitement through the tension between goals and obstacles. Odysseus returns to aeaea, where he buries elpenor and spends one last night with circe. Summary and analysis book 10 the bewitching queen of aeaea. In book twelve odysseus continues the tale of what happened after he left the underworld. These books thus give background not only to odysseus s audience but to homers as well. Books 9 through 12 are told as flashbacks, as odysseus sits in the palace of the phaeacians telling the story of his wanderings. One visit finishes all men but yourselves, twice mortal. Download the free study guide and infographic for homers. This page will chronologically list epithets in homers the odyssey without repeats as a resource for students studying the book. The sirens, scylla and charybdis, the cattle of the sun after we were clear of the river oceanus, and had got out into the open sea, we went on till we reached the. For a full summary of previous events, please see my weekly posts about books 16 and books 712. First the greeks must get past the sirens whose irresistible songs lure sailors into their islands coastal reefs. Book 12 as promised, the ithakans return to aiaia because that worked out so well the first time, recover elpenors body, and go through the proper funeral rites.
It also describes the insolence of the young nobles in ithaca led by antinous and eurymachus who, in the absence of odysseus, live off his wealth and woo his wife, penelope. Summary and analysis book 9 in the oneeyed giants cave summary. First, he passed the sirens, bird women who lure men to their deaths with their beautiful music. Summary and analysis of book 12 of homers odyssey themes. Phemius, the renowned ithacan bard, outlines the tale early. This video provides an indepth summary and analysis of the plot, characters and themes of book 12 of homers epic poem the odyssey. As he sets sail, odysseus passes circes counsel on to his men. Please dont give me a website to go to, if you think that there is something i need to know fro a site, than just copy and paste it please, i have locks on my computer. Odysseuss crew passes the sirens, but as instructed by circe, they filled their ears with beeswax, blocking out the sirens song, except odysseus, who was tied down, in order to listen to the sirens enchanting song. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 9 12 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. The odyssey books 912 summary and analysis gradesaver. The sirens, scylla and charybdis, the cattle of the sun.
980 1466 1530 225 1643 482 662 1315 773 630 153 1610 160 1351 1160 181 1608 790 1077 965 361 1267 592 1226 533 994 1078 864 132 861 10 556