The Odyssey Book 9 Reading Guide 1. Who introduces himself in lines 1-7? 2. What does the following line mean, The gods have tried me in a thousand ways.? (line 3) 3. In line 9, Odysseus says his fame has gone abroad to the sky s rim. Who lives at the sky s rim? 4. What is the name of Odysseus homeland? (line 10) 5. Odysseus uses epithets to describe the two goddesses he meets on his journey. in line 19, Odysseus uses an epithet to describe the goddess Calypso as among in line 21, Odysseus uses an epithet to describe the goddess Circe (of Aeaea) as the 6. In line 23, Odysseus says he was intimate with Circe and Calypso, but in his heart, he never gave consent. What does he mean by that? Cicones (blue summary) 7. Soon after leaving Troy, Odysseus and his crew land near, the city of the Cicones. The Cicones are allies of the and enemies of Odysseus. Odysseus and his crew raid the Cicones, robbing and people, until the Ciconian army kills of Odysseus men and drives the rest out to sea. Delayed by a storm for days, Odysseus and his remaining companions continue their. Lotus Eaters 8. Odysseus and his crew drift at sea for nine days. On the tenth day, they land on the island of the Eaters. They stop there to get water. (ln35) 9. Odysseus sends three men to find out what type of men live on the island. The men soon meet the Lotus Eaters. They show no desire to Odysseus men. (line 42) 10. They offered Odysseus men the sweet lotus, a honeyed. (ln44) 11. People that eat the Lotus lose their desire to go. All they want to do is stay on the island and eat the Lotus. (lines 44 45) 12. Odysseus forcefully drags his men back to the ship while they cried. Odysseus then them down under their rowing. (lines 48-49)
13. With all of Odysseus men on the ship, they again out to sea. Cyclopes 14. After landing on the island where the Cyclopes live, Odysseus notices they are not a civilized race, but are primitive savages. Odysseus sees the Cyclopes: are louts (clumsy, stupid people) (line 57) have no to bless them (line 57) live on an island have in which the crops grow even though they do not plow, sow, or the ground. (lines 58 62) each live in their own mountain (line 65) deal roughly with their and child (line 66 67) Blue Summary 15. When Odysseus and his men are on the island across the bay from the Cyclopes island, they spend several days feasting (eating) wild and observing (watching) the mainland where the live. 16. On the third day, Odysseus and his men set out to explore the Cyclopes island to learn if the Cyclopes are or. 17. In line 68, Dawn is described using an epithet. It is described as the young Dawn with of rose. In lines 71 75, Odysseus does something heroic. He volunteers to go by himself and investigate the Cyclopes island. 18. In lines 87 92, a particular Cyclops is described. This Cyclops is a (large) man (line 87) lives in his cave (line 87) has no (friends) (line 88) is a brute, knowing only ways (line 89) Odysseus takes twelve men with him to explore the Cyclopes cave. He also takes sweet wine given to him by a man named Maron. Maron takes care of Apollo s holy gardens on the island of Ismarus. Homer stops his story to describe the wine in detail. He does this because this wine is going to play an important part later on in the story. 19. Odysseus explores the cave of the Cyclops, even though he knows some towering brute would be upon us soon all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. What poor personality traits does Odysseus show in this decision? 20. The Cyclops cave is described in detail in lines 119 124. He has: a drying rack with hanging from it
pens crowded with and kids (baby goats) vessels (containers) full of bowls of and pails for Homer again stops his story to describe the inside of the cave in detail because it is important to the story. 21. Odysseus men come up with a good suggestion in lines 125 129. They want to take the and from the Cyclops cave back to the ship and sail away. 22. Odysseus does not listen to his men s good advice. He wants to stay and to see the who lives there. (line 131) What personality trait does show by wanting to stay: While Odysseus and his men are waiting in the cave to see who lives there, they light a fire and burn an offering. This means they make a sacrifice to the gods. The following animals have been mentioned in lines 140-143 that you may not know: a. ewes: female sheep b. rams: male sheep c. he-goats: male goats 23. The Cyclops uses a slab of solid to close the entrance to his cave. This prevents any of his animals from getting out. (lines 143 144) 24. What other word for Greeks does Odysseus use? (line 163) 25. Who does Odysseus say is responsible for his journey home taking so long? (lines 163 166) Odysseus and his men have entered the Cyclop s cave uninvited and have eaten some of his food. Odysseus knows he is in the wrong, so, in line 172, he reminds the Cyclops of the custom of hospitality hoping it will lessen the Cyclop s anger. 26. Odysseus tells the Cyclops that if he does not show them hospitality, the god will punish him. (line 174) However, this threat does not scare the Cyclops because he and the other Cyclopes do not fear Zeus. They follow their own rules and not the rules of the gods. 27. What does the Cyclops call Odysseus in line 177? In line 183, the Cyclops asks Odysseus where he left his ship. Odysseus lies to the Cyclops and tells him that the god Poseidon destroyed his ship by crashing it against rocks. 28. Write down one reason Odysseus does not want the Cyclops to know where his ship is: 29. Write down a personality trait Odysseus shows by not telling the Cyclops where his
ship is: 30. A simile is used in line 193. When the Cyclops grabs two of Odysseus men in his hands, they are compared to squirming as they struggle to break loose from the Cyclop s grip. 31. After picking up the two men, the Cyclops beats their out, them, and eats them. (lines 194-195) In lines 203 to 206, the Cyclops falls asleep after his meal. At this point, Odysseus takes out his sword and aims it at the Cyclops because he wants to kill the Cyclops. However, Odysseus stops himself from killing the Cyclops. He realizes the Cyclops is the only one that can move the heavy chunk of rock that blocks the entrance to the cave. If Odysseus kills the Cyclops, him and his men will never get out of the cave alive. 32. What good personality trait does Odysseus show by realizing that it is not a good idea to kill the Cyclops: 33. What does the Cyclops eat for breakfast? (lines 215 216) The Cyclops leaves the cave for awhile. However, Odysseus and his men still cannot get out because the Cyclops put the stone chunk of rock back in front of the entrance. 34. Odysseus prays to the goddess for help. (line 223) Remember, when an epic hero is in, he receives help from forces (the gods). 35. Odysseus prepares his plan to help him and his men escape from the cave. He sees something on the ground he can use, a branch from an tree. (line 226) Which goddess is this tree a symbol of: 36. Odysseus and his men make a out of the branch. (line 234) Odysseus hides it in one of the many piles of dung in the cave. Dung is poop. 37. In lines 239 241, Odysseus tells his plan for escaping from the cave. Four of his men will help Odysseus thrust the spike they made into the Cyclops while he is. 38. For dinner, the Cyclops two more of Odysseus men. (line 252) Remember the wine Odysseus got from Maron? Odyseus offers the wine to the Cyclops in lines 253 256. He is trying to get the Cyclops drunk, so he will go to sleep and they can stab the Cyclops in the eye. 39. The Cyclops tries to get Odysseus to tell him his. (ln 265)
In total, the Cyclops drinks four bowls of wine. He begins to get confused and his face gets red, signs that he is drunk. Odysseus then begins to sing. 40. Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is. (ln 274) 41. The Cyclops has fallen asleep. Odysseus gets his men hyped (excited) by them on to keep their up. (284-285) 42. Odysseus puts his plan into action by stabbing the Cyclops in the one eye he has. A simile compares the sound of the spike going into the Cyclops eye to the sound of a shipwright turning a in planking. (lines 293 294) A shipwright is someone who builds or repairs ships. 43. After being stabbed, the Cyclops and lashes are seared (burned) and the roots of his eye. (line 298) 44. In lines 299 303, a metaphor compares the sound of the eyeball being stabbed to a hot being plunged into a cold. The Cyclopes that lived in the caves nearby heard the Cyclops howling. Some of them ran to his cave to find out what was wrong. They asked the Cyclops, named Polyphemus, who was bothering him. Polyphemus replied that nohbdy (nobody) was bothering him. 45. Why does Polyphemus tells the other Cyclopes that Nohbdy s is bothering him? (go back to #40 if you need help) 46. The Polyphemus father is the god. (line 322) 47. Odysseus lie about his name has worked. The other Cyclopes think the god is causing Polyphemus pain. (lines 321) Odysseus realizes he needs another plan to escape from the cave. He ties Polyphemus sheep together in groups of three. Odysseus ties each one of his men and himself under the middle sheep in each group of three sheep. They wait until morning. Morning arrives and Polyphemus slides the slab of rock blocking the entrance to the cave and lets the sheep out. Odysseus and his men, who are tied to the bellies of the sheep, are now free. When Odysseus and his men reach their ship, he unties his men and they round up the sheep to take aboard the ship. 48. Line 368 is ironic because it means something different from how it sounds. When Polyphemus says, Nohbody will not get out alive, he means that. However, it sounds like he means that 49. List two good qualities Odysseus shows in winning over the Cyclops: 1. 2.
50. What epithet does Odysseus use in ln 393 to describe Polyphemus: 51. Odysseus taunts (teases) Polyphemus, who gets very angry. The Cyclops breaks off a and throws it at Odysseus ship. (lines 395-396) Odysseus and his men quickly row far away from the shore, but Odysseus again wants to tease Polyphemus. He cups his mouth, preparing to yell, but his men beg him not To. Odysseus men are afraid that Polyphemus will again throw a huge piece of rock at their ship and destroy it, then kill them. (lines 409-413) 52. Odysseus does not listen to his men. He lets his anger get the best of him. What tragic flaw does Odysseus show by doing this? 53. Odysseus makes the largest mistake of the entire story in lines 415 419. He yells to Polyphemus, telling him his real and the name of his. 54. What poor personality trait does Odysseus show by his actions in #53: 55. What epithet does Odysseus use in line 418 to describe himself: 56. Telemus, a wizard who can predict the future, told Polyphemus something a long time ago. Telemus predicted Polyphemus would lose his at hands. (lines 421-426) 57. What epithet does Polyphemus use in line 443 to describe his father, Poseidon: 58. Polyphemus is so angry at Odysseus for taking his eye out, he places a curse on him. Polyphemus asks his father, Poseidon, to make sure that: a. Odysseus never sees his again (line 446) b. if it is destined for Odysseus to make it home, it will take him many dark of suffering and tragedy (line450) c. Odysseus loses all of his before returning (line 451) d. Odysseus returns to days at home (line 452) 59. Odysseus eats the meat of the sheep. He then burns the bones and fat as a sacrifice to a god named. (line 470) 60. Odysseus mentions his fate in lines 471 473. He says his future holds: destruction for his for his companions who are sailing with him