Part 2: Questions to Answer The Odyssey Part 2: Questions to Answer

Penelope **minimum – 4 questions** What two things are being compared lines 1290-1297? **Remember Epic Simile – an extended simile** Think about the ways people honor the dead. How could weaving a shroud honor the person who died? How do ancient Greek ideas in Penelope’s speech about honoring the dead compare to modern ideas? Reading Check: How was Penelope able to delay marriage for three years Emotions make it difficult to carry out responsibilities or to face a challenge. Do you think heroes have a responsibility to control their emotions? Explain. Why do you think Odysseus decides to hide his identity from Penelope even though he probably wants to reveal it?

THE BIG QUESTION (Do heroes have responsibilities?) The Challenge **ALL questions** Reading Check: What means does Penelope decide she will use to choose a husband? Imagery How does the author use imagery in his description of the arrow being shot? **Hint: think about the 5 senses** THE BIG QUESTION (Do heroes have responsibilities?) Which of Odysseus’ responsibilities are revealed in this section?

Odysseus’ Revenge **minimum – 4 questions** List the different cultural responses to insults or anger that we have encountered in our readings. (Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey, etc.) Does the manner in which Odysseus kills Antinous agree with your idea of a “fair fight”? Explain. Reading Check: Whom does Odysseus kills first? Remember the Greek’s beliefs about hospitality and courtesy. What cultural values are revealed by Odysseus’ explanation for his anger in lines 1441-1443? Not all Simile’s are epic simile’s. Why is the comparison of Eurymachus’ sharp sword to a razor only a simile and not an epic simile? What cultural values are reflected in Telemachus’ behavior toward his father?

Penelope’s Test **ALL questions** Which details in the epic simile in lines 1547-1551 compare Odysseus’ hair to a work of art? Reading Check: Who helps Odysseus defeat the suitors? Explain why the simile comparing the olive trunk to a pillar is not an epic simile. Reading Check: How does Odysseus react to Penelope’s attitude toward him?