The Odyssey

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Adult

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Before You Read

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Books 1-4

Books 5-8

Books 9-12

Books 13-16

Books 17-20

Books 21-24

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Though the poem is called the Odyssey, Odysseus does not appear until the fifth book. Examine why, drawing on the function of storytelling within the narrative.

Discuss the function of hospitality rules and why they matter in the Odyssey. Draw on at least three specific examples of hospitality in your discussion.

Agamemnon’s soul appears twice in the Odyssey, in Books 11 and 24. What is his function in the narrative?