What is the timeline of The Odyssey?
| Timelines of Homer’s Odyssey | |
|---|---|
| Odysseus passes between Scylla and Charybdis. | They arrive at the Land of the Lotus Eaters. |
| The crew slaughters Helios’ cattle. | Odysseus blinds Polyphemus. |
| Zeus kills everyone but Odysseus. | Aiolos gives Odysseus the bag of winds. |
| Odysseus arrives on Calypso’s island. | Odysseus nearly reaches Ithaca. |
What are the three key elements of the plot of The Odyssey?
There are three significant elements of plot that affect the Odyssey. The three elements include the Trojan War, the heroic story of Odysseus, and the interference of the gods. The Odyssey is tied to Homer’s the Illiad, which prefaces the journey Odysseus travels on during the Odyssey.
What are symbols in The Odyssey?
Examples include the shroud that Penelope weaves for Laertes, the great bow of Odysseus, the sea itself, and the island of Ithaca. The shroud that Penelope weaves for her father-in-law, Laertes’, eventual funeral symbolizes the cunning with which she confronts the suitors.
When did The Odyssey take place?
The Odyssey takes place at the time of the mythical Trojan War, believed to have occurred about 3200 years ago (around 1200 BCE).
What is the plot structure of The Odyssey?
At a cursory glance, it would seem that The Odyssey has a totally traditional structure. The first four Books are largely expository and expound the themes of the poem. The rising action begins in Book 5 and continues until the climax in Book 22, when Odysseus slays the suitors.
What are the 24 books in The Odyssey?
THE ODYSSEY CONTENTS
- BOOK 1. Athena & Telemachus. Penelope & the Suitors.
- Departure of Telemachus.
- Nestor’s Tale: The Returns.
- Menelaus’ Tale: The Returns.
- Odysseus & Calypso. Raft of Odysseus.
- Odysseus & Naucicaa.
- Odysseus & Arete.
- Games & Feast of the Phaeacians.
What is Penelope a symbol of?
faithfulness and fidelity
Penelope has traditionally been viewed as a symbol of faithfulness and fidelity. The theme of fidelity is an important part of the myth of Penelope, and is shown in her refusal to entertain other suitors in the twenty years her husband is gone.
What do birds symbolize in The Odyssey?
Of the many symbols throughout The Odyssey, birds and food are the most frequent motifs. Birds symbolize both peace and bad omens. Birds are sent from the gods to foreshadow future events and to indicate good and bad characters.
What is the exposition of the story Odyssey?
The rising action of the poem concerns Odysseus, who, after being freed from Calypso’s island by Athena, sets out for home, but is shipwrecked by Poseidon, still angry that Odysseus blinded his son the Cyclops.
What is the climax of The Odyssey?
The Odyssey reaches its climax in the combination of two events – the stringing of the great bow by Odysseus and the slaughter of the suitors. At the end of Book 21, Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, lifts the heavy bow, bends it, picks up an arrow, and sends it effortlessly through a line of twelve axes.