What is The Odyssey about short summary?
It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. After the war itself, which lasted ten years, his journey lasted for ten additional years, during which time he encountered many perils and all his crew mates were killed.
Is The Odyssey based on a true story?
The obvious conclusion is that The Odyssey is an amalgam of real and fictional characters. As is often the case in fiction, it seems that Homer was not just telling stories but reflecting events and characters that existed in ancient Greece.
How does The Odyssey end?
A stalemate exists, and it is only resolved by a bow contest at the end of the poem, which then leads to a slaughter of all the suitors by Odysseus and his son Telemachus. Peace on the island is eventually restored through the intervention of Athena, goddess of wisdom, victory and war.
What can we learn from Odysseus journey?
If we were to take a positive read of Odysseus, I would say that he learns the value of family. Odysseus understands that the ending of the Trojan War means he is to go back home to his family. His trials and tribulations to that end prove his loyalty to his family.
Why is it called Odyssey?
Notes. The English word odyssey, meaning long journey, comes from this poem. The Roman name for Odysseus is Ulysses. James Joyce’s 1922 book Ulysses is based on the book by Homer, but it is very different.
What happens at the end of the Odyssey?
After a grueling twenty-year journey, Odysseus finds peace at the end of the epic poem. When he returns home to Ithaca, he finds one hundred suitors in his home, as Teiresias’s prophecy forewarned. With the help of Athena, his son, and a few servants, he kills all of the suitors and reclaims the home.
Which is the best summary of the Odyssey?
The Odyssey Summary. Only Odysseus can pull off the feat. Bow in hand, he shoots and kills the suitor Antinous and reveals his identity. With Telemachus, Eumaeus, and his goatherd Philoitios at his side, Odysseus leads the massacre of the suitors, aided only at the end by Athena. Odysseus lovingly reunites with Penelope,…
What happens to Odysseus ten years after the fall of Troy?
Ten years after the fall of Troy, the victorious Greek hero Odysseus has still not returned to his native Ithaca. A band of rowdy suitors, believing Odysseus to be dead, has overrun his palace, courting his faithful — though weakening — wife, Penelope, and going through his stock of food.
How did Odysseus kill all the suitors in the Odyssey?
Odysseus steps up to the bow and, with little effort, fires an arrow through all twelve axes. He then turns the bow on the suitors. He and Telemachus, assisted by a few faithful servants, kill every last suitor.
What did Tiresias tell Odysseus on his journey home?
Finally Tiresias appeared. Once he drank the blood of the slaughtered animals, he told Odysseus that his journey home would be full of trouble: Odysseus had angered Poseidon by blinding Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. The men will reach home, said Tiresias, if they leave the Cattle of the Sun unharmed.
The Odyssey is Homer’s epic of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne long enough for Odysseus to return.
What is Book 2 of The Odyssey about?
Book 2 finds Telemachus confronted with a growing fear that he is not as courageous and smart as his father, Odysseus. However, he comes from not one but two clever parents—Penelope’s shroud-weaving trick shows that she is every bit as shrewd as her husband.
What reasons does Odysseus give for killing them?
Odysseus, with the help of Telemachus, slays the suitors for two main reasons. First, they were disrespectful to him and his household, especially the first ones he and his son target with arrows and spear. Second, they were disloyal to Odysseus as ruler of Ithaca in their attempts to displace him by taking his wife.
What is Book 5 of The Odyssey about?
Summary: Book 5 All the gods except Poseidon gather again on Mount Olympus to discuss Odysseus’s fate. Athena’s speech in support of the hero prevails on Zeus to intervene. Hermes, messenger of the gods, is sent to Calypso’s island to tell her that Odysseus must at last be allowed to leave so he can return home.
What is the main message of The Odyssey?
In this epic poem, there are three major themes: hospitality, loyalty, and vengeance.
What is the story of Odysseus?
Odysseus was a Greek hero famed for his intellect and cunning. He created the plan to sack the city of Troy using a giant hollow horse. He is also famous for his long odyssey, or journey, trying to return home after the events of the Trojan War. Odysseus is one of the most well-known of the early Greek heroes.
How does book 21 end?
Volleys of spears are exchanged, and Odysseus and his men kill several suitors while receiving only superficial wounds themselves. Finally, Athena joins the battle, which then ends swiftly. Odysseus spares only the minstrel Phemius and the herald Medon, unwilling participants in the suitors’ profligacy.
What is Part One of the Odyssey mainly about?
Terms in this set (13) Part 1 of the Odyssey is mainly about Odysseus’… While Odysseus’ men want to steal the cave mans cheeses and animals and depart immediately, Odysseus wishes to see what the cave man has to offer.
Was Odysseus killing the suitors justified?
In addition to having the justification in order to kill the suitors he also was justified to kill the maids. All they did was aide the suitors. They made no effort to get the suitors out of the house. This is why Odysseus was justified to kill them.
What happens after Odysseus kills the suitors?
Lesson Summary After Odysseus and his crew kill many suitors, Athena joins in and ends the battle. Telemachus then kills the twelve female servants disloyal to Odysseus. Odysseus finally orders Eurycleia to bring him sulfur and fire so he can fumigate the palace. And that is where Book 22 ends.
What did Odysseus say to Calypso?
Odysseus responds by telling Calypso that he realizes that her beauty surpasses every mortal’s appearance and that life on the island would be fulfilling but he cannot bring himself to stay.
What happens to Odysseus at the end of Book 5?
What happens to Odysseus at the end of Book 5? The ocean current takes him up a river where he reaches a shore. He tosses Ino’s veil back into the ocean and makes a bed of leaves and sleeps.