Study notes: The Odyssey
After the Trojan War, Odysseus spends ten years trying to sail home to Ithaca, facing the Cyclops, the witch Circe, the Sirens, and angry gods. Meanwhile his son Telemachus searches for him and his wife Penelope holds off a crowd of greedy suitors. This is Samuel Butler's clear prose translation.
Themes
Home and loyalty. Cleverness. Hospitality.
People to follow
Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, Athene, and the Cyclops.
Talk about
- How does Odysseus use cleverness?
- Why is Penelope important?
- Which adventure would you pick?
Public-domain text. First published in 1900; Samuel Butler died in 1902, so this text is in the public domain in the US, Canada, the EU and India. Summary and notes written by ViralScopeHub.