Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 12 summary. The odyssey study guide literature guide litcharts. Get a detailed summary and analysis of every chapter in the book from. Book one the poem begins with an invocation, or prayer, to the muse. In the middle of it there is a large cavern, looking west and turned towards erebus. It fits a genre, found in many cultures, in which a beautiful, innocent young girl, often a princess, is attracted to a rugged, handsome stranger who usually is older and always.
Years after the end of the trojan war, the greek hero odysseus still hasnt come home to ithaka. The odyssey opens with the narrator invoking the muse, asking her to sing of odysseuss long journey home to ithaca after the end of the trojan war. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and. Athena shrouds him in a protective fog, then appears to him in the form of a small. 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. The story begins twenty years after odysseus left to fight in the trojan war, and ten years after he began his journey home to ithaca. Though the hero himself is still offstage in book one, we find out about his situation by listening in on a conversation that takes place on mount olympus. 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. This includes athena, who is presumably helping telemachus while odysseus stays with the phaeacians. The odyssey books 46 quiz the odyssey books 79 summary the odyssey books 1012 summary the odyssey summary the odyssey quotes the odyssey important characters the odyssey quiz literature literature summaries homer facts. A summary of part x section7 in homers the odyssey. Given the epic nature of the poem, very little is understated. We enter the story in medias res in the middle of things.
In book 11 of homers the odyssey, odysseus continues to share the story of his difficult journey with alkinoos and the phaiakians. The odyssey is an epic journey, but the word journey must be broadly understood. Summary plot overview ten years have passed since the fall of troy, and the greek hero odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in ithaca. The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted. For a full summary of previous events, please see last weeks post on books 16. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. The odyssey by homer books 34 summary and analysis. If there is one stable moral criterion in the world of the odyssey, it is the care taken by the powerful and welltodo of strangers, wanderers and beggars.
She lures nausicaa and her maids near the shore where odysseus has been sleeping, and he is roused by the sound of them playing nearby. Nausicaa heads into town with her maids and laundry, and odysseus follows shortly after. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 8 summary. 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. The odyssey books 46 summary the odyssey by homer books 46 summary and analysis. He commands his citizens to find a ship and crew to help take odysseus home to ithaca, promising that once a crew is found they will hold a celebratory feast. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and important facts you need to know. Find out what happens in our book 12 summary for the odyssey by homer. Musemyooz any one of the nine goddesses of the arts. A large and rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun odysseuss palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife, penelope. In book ten odysseus is still recounting past adventures to the phaecians.
Nausicaa is a classic nubile beauty and seems somewhat attracted to the wayfaring stranger. Athena pleads to the gods and zeus at mount olympus on behalf of the imprisoned odysseus and telemachus, who is in danger of being ambushed. A summary of part x section8 in homers the odyssey. The gods in councilminervas visit to ithacathe challange from telemachus to the suitors. The main characters in book 9 are odysseus, cyclops. A summary of part x section1 in homers the odyssey. The odyssey by homer book 1 summary and analysis youtube. Summary and analysis books 68 odysseus among the phaeacians.
Homer lets us know right away that odysseus is being held as a willing sex captive on the island of the goddess kalypso. The clever greek odysseus had tricked the enemy into bringing a colossal wooden horse within the walls of troy. The odyssey books 16 summary and analysis gradesaver. He is being held captive on the island ogygia by the. First the greeks must get past the sirens whose irresistible songs lure sailors into their islands coastal reefs. Circe is helpful once more, providing supplies and warnings about the journey to begin the next dawn. This is an edit of the hallmark channels made for tv movie, the odyssey. Watch our helpful video summary of the odyssey here, then check out our study guide for more. Helped by athena, who has applied her powers to make him appear intimidating and confident, telemachus. Achilles bemoans his state, saying that he would rather. Rather than seeking permission from her father to marry penelope, they stay at odysseuss home, consuming his wine, sheep, and goats. Next section books 1720 summary and analysis previous section books 912 summary and analysis buy study. The epic focuses, of course, on odysseuss nostos return home or homeward. The morning after odysseus rugged landing, athena disguised as a friend sends their daughter, nausicaa, and some of her handmaidens to wash clothes near the spot where the beleaguered hero has collapsed.
Description of the narrator or homer attitude toward the odyssey. The book begins in a depressive tone, as telemachus and penelope despair of ever. True to his word, odysseus returns to aeaea for elpenors funeral rites. The basic form of narrative in the odyssey is very strongly oriented towards imagery. See a complete list of the characters in the odyssey and indepth analyses of odysseus, telemachus, penelope, athena, calypso, and circe. Homer opens the odyssey with an invocation to the muse of epic poetry and asks for her guidance in telling the story of a man who has experienced many twists and turns of fate and has suffered many hardships. Penelope retrieves odysseus great bow from the storeroom and her maids bear axe heads into the main hall.
An indepth examination of the events in the odyssey and what they mean. Top100 audiobooks free channel the odyssey by homer chapters 112. The odyssey is an ancient greek epic telling the story of the hero odysseus journey home from the trojan war. The odyssey books 2124 summary and analysis gradesaver. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Odysseus returns to aeaea, where he buries elpenor and spends one last night with circe. Hermes on circes island, zeus off the island of the cattle of the sun, helios to whine about his cattle. Themes and colors key litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Telemachus gathers an assembly of achaeans to make his case for removing the suitors from his home. Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns. Most of the characters we met in books 16 dont appear much, if at all, in books 712. King alcinous and queen arete rule the seafaring phaeacians on the island of scheria. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 9 summary. Find summaries for every chapter, including a the odyssey chapter summary chart to help you understand the book.
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. Zeus tells her to protect telemachus, and sends hermes to order calypso to release her prisoner although odysseus must first sail alone on a raft to skheria, where he will receive lavish gifts from the phaeacians before returning home in. The poem is the story of odysseus, king of ithaca, who wanders for 10 years although the action of the poem covers only the final six weeks trying to get home after the trojan war. The land of the dead is near the homes of the cimmerians, who live shrouded in mist and cloud 11. Odysseus fought among the other greek heroes at troy and now struggles to return to his kingdom in ithaca. Odysseus is trapped on an island with the lovesick goddess calypso, while his wife and son suffer the transgressions of the suitors, noble young men who vie for queen penelope s hand.
Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. Homers simile in describing the tearful reunion of odysseus and telemachus cries burst from both as keen and fluttering as those of the great taloned hawk 2578 recalls the symbolic association odysseus had with a hawk in book xv. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. While he expresses regret over the crew he lost in the cyclops cave and leaving. Odysseus character analysis in the odyssey sparknotes. Alcinous calls his people to the meeting grounds, unknowingly aided by athena, who helps rouse interest. He lingers in the cyclops cave out of curiosity, and makes his men tie h. Consider a representative example, from when odysseus praises alcinous bard.
Find out what happens in our book 11 summary for the odyssey by homer. The odyssey books 58 summary and analysis gradesaver. The phaeacian section of the odyssey seems most likely influenced by fairy tales or folk legends. Troycity in northwest asia minor, site of the trojan war. Find out what happens in our book 1 summary for the odyssey by homer. The odyssey books 14 summary and analysis gradesaver.
Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war, and his adventures a. Ithacaihth uh kuh island off the west coast of greece. Odysseuss quick thinking helps him out of some very tough situations, as when he escapes from the cave of the cyclops in book 9, or when he hides his. The narrator of the odyssey invokes the muse, asking for inspiration as he prepares to tell the story of odysseus. Theres nothing better than when deep joy holds sway throughout the realm and banqueters up and down the palace sit in ranks, enthralled to hear the bard, and before them all, the tables heaped with bread and meats, and drawing wine. Odysseus is the husband of queen penelope and the father of prince telemachus. This study guide consists of approximately 76 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the odyssey. Odysseus follows circes instructions, digging a trench at the site prescribed and pouring libations of milk, honey, mellow wine, and pure water. During the celebration a bard named demodocus tells the legend of a verbal battle between agamemnon and odysseus during the. The odyssey books 15 summary the odyssey by homer books 15 summary and analysis. Here begins the tale of the odyssey, as sung by the blind minstrel homer. Summary book 6 athena schemes to introduce odysseus to the daughter of the phaeacian king alcinous, nausicaa. In the proem of book 1, homer describes odysseus as the man of twists and turns. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey.
He lingers in the cyclops cave out of curiosity, and makes his men tie him to his. While he expresses regret over the crew he lost in the cyclops cave and leavin. Summary and analysis book 10 the bewitching queen of aeaea summary 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. 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.
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. When morning comes, odysseus and his men escape from the cave, unseen by the blind polyphemus, by clinging to the bellies of the monsters sheep as they go. After athena disguises him as an old man, odysseus visits his loyal swineherd, eumaios in book 14 of homers the odyssey. 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. Despite having hardships, eumaios welcomes odysseus into his home and. Odyssey, epic poem in 24 books traditionally attributed to the ancient greek poet homer. One notable exception is achilles, particularly in relation to how he was depicted in the iliad, the immediate predecessor to the odyssey.
Odysseus, the reader is told, is the only greek survivor of the trojan war who has not yet returned home or died trying. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea. The next several books detail telemachus learning that his father is being held. Tell me, o muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of troy.
823 1158 1617 541 981 1180 1440 212 288 948 1657 1141 392 1241 1623 972 1380 1046 843 357 1113 1315 1716 394 1771 743 455 1701 866 1697 325 864 736 1405 1663