Characters and Motivations--Book Nine
As you read Book Nine, record the major descriptions, actions, motivations, and key quotations of Odysseus.
Description of Character Traits Key Quotations Actions and Motivations Episode that Reveal Character Traits
The Cicones impulsive Odysseus is the one “There I sacked the city, killed the who allows the men to men, but as for the wives and On the way home rash sack the city, yet he plunder, that rich haul we dragged from Troy, seems bewildered when away from the place--we shared it Odysseus and his prideful they won’t leave their round” (9.46-48). men stopped to feasting and partying raid Ismarus, the to head back to the “Then I urged them to cut and run, home of the ships. set sail, but would they listen?” Cicones. He allowed (9.50-51). his men to steal food, wine, and women, but when it was time to go, his men would not obey. Because they delayed, a strong ally of the Cicones came and slaughtered many of their men.
The Lotus-eaters resolved OdysseusI knows that if “But brought them back, back to his men remain with the hollow ships, and streaming After the storm, strong the Lotus-eaters, they tears--I forced them, hauled them Odysseus and his will never see home under the rowing benches, lashed men are driven to determined again; therefore, he them fast and shouted out the land of the forcibly puts the men commands…” (9.110-113). Lotus-eaters, men back in the ship. who eat flowers that make them lethargic.
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The Cyclops clever Odysseus does not “From the start my comrades have to go into the pressed me, pleading hard, ‘Let’s Odysseus and his strategic cyclops’s cave, and he make away with the cheeses, then men stop at the certainly doesn’t have come back--hurry, … to our swift land of the foolish to stay to meet the ship, put out to sea at once!’ But I Cyclopes, giant creature; however, he would not give way--and how much one-eyed creatures. prideful wants to see better it would have been--not til I After being trapped Polyphemus so that he saw him…” (9.253-257). in a cave with a will have bragging cannibal named rights. Additionally, “So they begged but they could not Polyphemus, Odysseus could have bring my fighting spirit round. I Odysseus concocts escaped scot-free but called back with another burst of an elaborate chose instead to yell his anger, ‘Cyclops--if any man on the scheme to blind the identity to the brute. face of the earth should ask you giant and then who blinded you, shamed you escape. Upon he so--say Odysseus, raider of cities, leaving the land, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son brags to the who makes his home in Ithaca!’” cyclops about who (9.257-262). gouged out his eye, thus bringing down the curses of Poseidon upon himself and his men.
In the space below, explain what Odysseus was like at the beginning of his journey home from Troy.
Odysseus seemed to be puffed up with pride after leaving the Trojan War victorious. He makes some terrible decisions as a leader, and those decisions cost men’s lives.
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Characters and Motivations--Book Ten
As you read Book Ten, record the major descriptions, actions, motivations, and key quotations of Odysseus.
Description of Character Traits Key Quotations Actions and Motivations Episode that Reveal Character Traits
Aeolian Island weary Perhaps Odysseus has “A mutinous crew undid me--that given his men reason and a cruel sleep” (10.74-75). After the untrustworthy not to trust him. encounter with Polyphemus, Odysseus and his men reach the Aeolian Island and are given a bag with wind to guide them home. Believing that Odysseus is deceiving them, some of Odysseus’s men think the bag actually contains treasure and open it. They are blow back to the island of Aeolus right as they spot Ithaca.
The Laestrygonians brave Odysseus thinks “I pulled the sword from beside my quickly and is able to hip and hacked away at the ropes Odysseus and his heroic rescue some of his that moored my blue-prowed ship men stop at the men. of war and shouted rapid orders at land of the quick-thinking my shipmates…” (10.138-140). Laestrygonians, giant cannibals. Many of his men die--there is only
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one ship left in his fleet.
Circe unfaithful Motivated by a desire “And there we sat at ease, day in, for an opulent life safe day out, till a year had run its In the last episode disloyal on land rather than a course, feasting on sides of meat of Book Ten, tumultuous existence and drafts of heady wine… But Odysseus and his on the sea, Odysseus then… my loyal comrades took me men stop at Aeaea, decides to live with aside and prodded, ‘Captain, this is where they Circe. His men have to madness! High time you thought of encounter a beg him to leave her. your own home at last, if it really is beautiful your fate to make it back alive and enchantress reach your well-built house and named Circe. Circe native land’” (10.513-523). and Odysseus live together as man and wife for one year.
In the space below, explain how Odysseus is a complex character.
Odysseus is a man of contradictions. He claims to want to go home to Penelope, but he also has no moral qualms concerning living with another woman.
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Characters and Motivations--Book Twelve
As you read Book Twelve, record the major descriptions, actions, motivations, and key quotations of Odysseus.
Description of Character Traits Key Quotations Actions and Motivations Episode that Reveal Character Traits
The Sirens curious Odysseus plugs “So they sent their ravishing voices everyone else’s ears out across the air and the heart After receiving weak but he is bent on inside me throbbed to listen longer.” instructions from listening to the Siren’s (12..208-210) circe, Odysseus song. He is curious plugs the ears of about what they will his men with wax use to tempt him. As and tells them to their message tie him to the promises knowledge of mast of the ship the future, Odysseus is so he can hear the tempted because he song of the Sirens. wants to know the They promise him fate of his men as well knowledge of the as himself. future and Odysseus begs to be freed, but his men keep him restrained.
Scylla and Charybdis Inspiring Odysseus encourages “But even from there my courage, the men to row on so my presence of mind and tactics The men drop their tactful that they do not lose saved us all, and we will live to oars in fear as the ship, but he leaves remember this someday, I have no they approach defiant out the prediction that doubt. Up now, follow my orders, all Charybdis, then Scylla will take six of of us work as one! You men at the Odysseus gives a the men because he thwarts— lay on with your oars motivational doesn’t want them to and strike the heaving swells, speech encouraging stop rowing, He is trusting that Zeus will pull us them to row willing to lose six to through these straits alive. “ harder toward the save the rest. As they (12..229-235) crags and away pass, he acts against from the whirlpool Circe’s advice and
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as he turns to attempts to fight “No mention of Scylla—how to fight fight Scylla. She Scylla because that is that nightmare?— for fear the men grabs six of his his nature. would panic, desert their oars and best men before huddle down and stow themselves the ship gets away.” (12..241-244) through.. “But now I cleared my mind of Circe’s orders— cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all. I donned my heroic armor, seized long spears in both my hands and marched out on the half-deck, forward, hoping from there to catch the first glimpse of Scylla, ghoul of the cliffs, swooping to kill my men. “ (12..245-250)
The Cattle of the Naïve Odysseus is motivated “But then, when supplies aboard Sungod to skip the island had all run dry, when the men Determined because he has been turned to hunting, forced to range
The men vote to warned so many times. for quarry with twisted hooks: for stay one night on He naively leaves his fish, birds, anything they could lay the island, but a men with the cattle their hands on— hunger racked storm requires after they have already their bellies—I struck inland, up the themes to stay defied him. The lengths island, there to pray to the gods. If longer. Odysseus that he goes to for only one might show me some goes off to pray survival show his way home! Crossing into the and despite determination. heartland, clear of the crew, I rinsed numerous my hands in a sheltered spot, a warnings, windbreak, but soon as I’d prayed Eurylochus to all the gods who rule Olympus, encourages the down on my eyes they poured a men to slaughter sweet, sound sleep …” (12..254-264) the cattle there. The Sungod calls “But heaving myself aloft to clutch on Zeus to punish at the fig-tree’s height, like a bat I the men, and he clung to its trunk for dear life—not hits the ship with a chance for a good firm foothold lightning. All of the there, no clambering up it either, men die except the roots too far to reach, the
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Odysseus, who boughs too high overhead, huge floats back toward swaying branches that Scylla and overshadowed Charybdis. But I held Charybdis. He on, dead set … waiting for her to survives by holding vomit my mast and keel back up onto a fig tree, again— “ (12..266-272) drifts for nine days then ends up on Calypso’s island.
In the space below, explain how Odysseus is a complex character.
Odysseus seems tactful at times in dealing with his men as when he predicts their response and decides not to tell them about Scylla. At other times he is naive about their nature because he leaves them alone with the cattle despite numerous warnings and the fact that they were on the brink of starvation.
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