The Odyssey

1. Suppose you were Telemachos and your father had never returned from a long war, and your mother was pestered by men who wanted to marry her and who were sponging off her. How would you handle your problems?

2. Is there anything that you really want that your parents don't want you to have or to do? Why won't they let you? Why do you think you should be allowed to have or do this? Write a letter to your parents explaining to them that you are enough of an adult to handle this situation. Be persuasive and convincing!

3. If someone claimed to be your long-lost relative, how would you test them to be sure of their identity? Explain your plan and your reasons for it.

Essay Topics

Students may discuss the following topics using information found solely in the book, or they may research to find information that supports evidence found in the book. Some of these topics are easily adaptable for complete projects with artwork, models, etc.

•the ritual of sacrificing animals to the gods
•the treatment of strangers visiting others' homes
•the difference in speech between the characters of different classes (example: Eurycleia vs. Penelopeia)
•the existence and use of fate in the story (gods' wills, prophecies, etc.)
•death rituals
•the role of women
•the attributes of an epic hero
•Biblical allusions
•omens and signs
•the daily life of the ancient Greeks
•a character analysis of Penelopeia
•a character analysis of Telemachos, including his journey from boyhood to manhood
•a description of the physical appearance of Ithaca or any of the other lands that Odysseus traveled through
•Suppose Shakespeare got the idea for his characters from Homer. Compare the following sets of characters:

- Eurycleia and Nurse (Romeo and Juliet)
- Anticleia and Lady Montague (Romeo and Juliet)
- Antinoos and Cassius (Julius Caesar)

Dramatic Activities

1. Choose a scene from the epic and reenact it for the class live or on video. Pay special attention to costume and language.

2. Convert a scene to a radio drama. Present a live or taped version to the class. Include an announcer and sound effects.

3. Convert a scene into a puppet show. Make simple puppets (from sticks, paper bags, or socks), and present the scene to the class.

4. Prepare a call-in radio show with a host accepting editorial comments from the listening audience. The callers should be members of the ancient Greek society of Odysseus.

5. Conduct a trial of one of the major characters to determine his guilt or innocence in the epic. Stage the trial in class with each student being assigned a role of judge, juror, attorney, stenographer, bailiff, observer, or some specific character. Some characters should serve as witnesses.

6. Dress and make up as a major character in the book. Prepare and present an original soliloquy that the character might have given.

Arts/Crafts Activities

1. Construct a board game that follows Odysseus's path from the beginning to the end of the epic. The object of the game is to get Odysseus home. Be sure to include all of Odysseus's obstacles. Directions for the game must be included.

2. Using a computer with graphic software, draw a map which illustrates a particular setting in The Odyssey or the entire journey of Odysseus. Label important places on the map.

3. Give a thematic pictorial presentation or a "roll-movie" (Put a series of pictures in sequence along a strip of paper. Attach ends to rollers and place in a cardboard box.) with musical accompaniment for the class. A written explanation of the presentation can be handed in to the teacher.

4. Make a new book jacket. It should include an attractive picture or cover design, a summary of The Odyssey, and information about the author and his times.

5. Draw a scale model of an item in the epic, such as Odysseus's bow, ship, or hand-crafted bed. An alternative may be to construct a replica of an item.

6. Dress a mannequin, doll, or yourself like one of the characters in The Odyssey.

7. Make a weaving or tapestry that portrays some scene or design in the epic.

8. Design and make your own t-shirt with an illustration about the epic. Create your design using colorfast marking pens or fabric paint.

9. Convert the events of the epic into a ballad or song. Write the lyrics and music or adapt words to someone else's melody.

Writing Activities

1. The class can become a newsroom in which each student is a reporter for the Ithaca Daily News. Each student should write one article for the paper. Students can date and chronologically arrange articles to be run off for a class collection. The class may also choose to post the articles around the room as the events occur.

2. Write a portion of the epic from one character's limited point of view. Include the character's thoughts, opinions, and motives.

3. Write an sequel to The Odyssey, presenting imagined subsequent events in the characters' lives, especially Odysseus, Penelopeia, and Telemachos.

Media Activity

Show Star Wars to your class. Create a unit of study on the hero based on the information given on page 5 of this guide. Analyze Luke Skywalker as a hero and compare him and his journey to Odysseus.

Suggested Titles

Homer's The Iliad, translated by W. H. D. Rouse
Vergil's The Aeneid, translated by Patric Dickinson
Gilgamesh, translated by Herbert Mason
Aristophanes' Lysistrata, translated by Douglass Parker
Euripides' The Bacchae, translated by Michael Cacoyannis
Petronius' The Satyricon, translated by William Arrowsmith
Ovid's The Metamorphoses, translated by Carroll Moulten