The Odyssey: Brief Summary, Theme, and Resources

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The Odyssey is considered the sequel story to Homer’s Iliad and is quite possibly the 2nd best book of all time and spans 24 books. It revolves around three main characters: the brilliant king Odysseus; his wife Penelope; and his son Telemachus and their struggles in life, love, and power. There are also other characters, including various Gods and Odysseus’ soldiers.

Brief Summary of The Odyssey

Odyssey begins in the kingdom of Ithaca. The kingdom believes that their king, Odysseus, has died because it has been ten years since the end of the Trojan War which lasted ten years itself and he has not come home. Odyseeus’ son, Telemachus, was just a month old when his father left to fight the war but he is now 20. However, he is too weak to take his father’s place. Odyseeus’ wife Penelope has remained loyal to her husband but she has many suitors that wish to marry her, one of whom plans to assassinate Telemachus.

As you read deeper into this book you get to a plot twist, Odysseus is not dead. He has been imprisoned on the beautiful nymph Calypso’s island for seven years because she is in love with him and does not want him to return to his wife. Odysseus’ protector, Athena, goes in disguise to Telemachus and convinces him to seek news of his father, alerting him to the fact that his father is still alive. The god Zeus instructs Hermes to persuade Calypso to allow Odysseus to build a ship and depart from the island. When Odysseus goes to sea, Poseidon, the sea god, conjures a storm to destroy his ship. The Phaeacians promise to get him safely home after he tells them about the Trojan War.

Odysseus tells those stories all night long, and the next day he is returned to Ithaca. Athena has turned him into a beggar but he is warmly received by his friend Eumaeus. He soon comes into contact Telemachus as well and reveals himself. The pair makes plans to kill Penelope’s suitors and take back the kingdom.

The following day Odysseus arrives at the palace once again disguised. Penelope suspects who he is despite that fact that nobody else recognizes him except his nurse. To subdue the suitors, Penelope calls for an archery contest which is to be decided by a feat which was only achieved by Odysseus previously(this plot begins to sound very similar to Robin Hood). After Odysseus shoots his arrow through the row of twelve axes, he shoots the suitors with his bow and arrows, killing them all. Once they are all dead, he dramatically removes his disguise and reunites with his wife who is elated that he is in her arms once again. Then Odysseus goes to see his father, Laertes. The party comes under attack but Zeus sends Athena to proclaim peace. The story ends with Odysseus reclaiming his throne and family.

Themes of the Book The Odyssey

If there is one theme that runs all the way through the Odyssey it’s that wisdom, and knowledge will always win out over strength and brute force. Odysseus won the Trojan War not by killing all the Trojans, but by tricking them into letting in soldiers behind their walls. He knows that he cannot fight his way off Calypso’s island using force, so he’s patient and persuades her instead to let him free. He knows he cannot fight all of his wife’s suitors head-on, so he arranges it in a way that he ends up in a situation where he is the only one armed.

Trivia Questions About The Odyssey

Here’s some interesting trivia about Odyssey. The movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? was loosely based on Odyssey. The first line in the movie is the first line of Odyssey O Muse, Sing in me, and through me tell the story Of that man skilled in all the ways of contending A wanderer, harried for years on end… And True Story, written by Lucian of Samosata all the way back in 2nd century AD, is a parody. There was even a comic book version of the story printed in 1976!

Educational Resources about The Odyssey

The Odyssey Translated

MythWeb’s page on Odyssey

Literature Page’s Information Summary

Character Guide Homer’s Odyssey

Hidden Themes from Homer’s Odyssey

Enotes Page on Odyssey : Has a lot of useful information for both teachers and students.

Plot Overview of The Odyssey

Resource by L.Fuller

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