100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
The Odyssey book summary $20.08
Add to cart

Summary

The Odyssey book summary

 11 views  0 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution
  • Book

An in depth look at the Odyssey with summaries of each chapter, key themes and where they are shown in each book aswell as thinking questions to test yourself on what each book explores

Last document update: 1 year ago

Preview 3 out of 25  pages

  • Yes
  • May 8, 2023
  • May 8, 2023
  • 25
  • 2022/2023
  • Summary
avatar-seller
ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ


Odyssey – A note on this guide
The sections given to each book in this guide are taken from “Homer’s Odyssey: A Study
Guide” by P Kenney, which you encouraged to get. They are not exactly the same with the
online version by A. S. Kline, but the poem is still the same. The Kline version has more
detailed, broken-down sections.

The Books/Rhapsodies
1. Athene visits Telemachus
2. The debate in Ithaca
3. Telemachus with Nestor
4. Menelaus and Helen
5. Calypso
6. Nausicaa
7. The palace of Alcinous
8. The Phaeacian games
9. The Cyclops
10. Circe
11. The Book of the Dead
12. Scylla and Charybdis
13. Odysseus lands in Ithaca
14. In Eumaeus’ hut
15. Telemachus returns
16. Odysseus meets his son
17. Odysseus goes to the town
18. The beggar in the palace
19. Eurycleia recognises Odysseus
20. Prelude to the crisis
21. The Great Bow
22. The battle in the Hall
23. Odysseus and Penelope
24. The feud is ended

,ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ


Book 1 – Athene visits Telemachus
Sections:

 The proem (lines 1-11)
 Homer elaborates on the proem (lines 12-21)
 The Gods debate the fate of Odysseus (lines 22-96)
 Telemachus and Athena (lines 113-320)
 Telemachus, Penelope and the Suitors (lines 321-444)



Themes:

 The start of Telemachus’ character arc
- His coming of age and inheriting his father’s kingdom and position
in the household
 Intervention/action of the gods
 Disguise/cunning




Thinking:

 Structure of the book: descent from the gods, to a divine-human level
(Athene and Telemachus), to a human level (Telemachus)
 The beginning of the Telemachy
 The behaviour of the Suitors
 Odysseus’ absence and his ‘presence’ in Ithaca (through remembrance,
feelings, thoughts, sayings)

Noteworthy: “Argives” and “Achaeans” are other names for the Greeks.




Book 2 – The debate in Ithaca

, ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ




Sections:

 Homer sets the scene (lines 1-15)
 The debate at Ithaca (lines 16-260)
 Telemachus and Athena (lines 261-301)
 Telemachus returns to the palace (lines 302-377)
 Telemachus sets sail (lines 378-434)



Themes:

 Foreshadowing/prophecy (146-176)
 Cunning (93-110)
 Oath or promise: Eurycleia to Telemachus about his departure



Thinking:

 Polyphony – many characters involved in dialogue
 The development of Telemachus’ character




Book 3 – Telemachus with Nestor

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller djames2. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $20.08. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

52510 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
$20.08
  • (0)
Add to cart
Added