Question

formation about Odysseus
He’s the king of Ithaca
On his way home from the Trojan War
Has been away from home for 20 years
Has a wife, Penelope, and a son, Telemachus (obviously, both waiting at home)
Penelope has had many suitors b/c hubby has been away for so long. She must show them hospitality b/c of the whole xenia thing. That's a whole other part of the story though; we’re not going to get into that. The story of how she tricks her suitors is actually pretty funny.
At the point that we begin reading, Odysseus is visiting with King Alcinous (he was shipwrecked and ended up here), and he is telling his story to the king (this is his last stop before finally making it home)
What we read is told in flashback
Information about Epic Heroes - use slides 6-12 on the link to fill in the list of characteristics:
______________ birth
Possibly a king or of high rank
______________ abilities
Has qualities of greatness; doesn’t have to be supernatural but are at least beyond the capacity of what a typical person has
Vast ______________
Has gone lots of places; hasn’t just stayed at home
______________ warrior
Great warrior in some capacity (not always necessarily strength)
______________ legend
Well known (in some way, not always in a great way) before leaving for the quest
______________
Completes heroic actions for their own sake; if they boast (show hubris), they’re often punished and humbled
Battles ______________ forces
Fights stuff, not necessarily supernatural, but still stuff that is a threat to people

Answer 1

Here are the filled blanks plus a very short note on how each applies to Odysseus:

- Noble birth (possibly a king or of high rank) — Odysseus is king of Ithaca.
- Superhuman/extraordinary abilities — his cleverness and endurance go beyond an average person.
- Vast travels — he travels widely (Trojan War, many islands, 20-year journey).
- Skilled/renowned warrior — fought at Troy and is known for his cunning in war.
- Renowned in legend — well known before and after the quest.
- Humility (or at least subject to punishment for hubris) — his pride sometimes brings consequences and he is humbled (e.g., troubles after offending gods).
- Battles supernatural forces — faces gods, monsters, and other supernatural threats (Poseidon, Cyclops, Circe, Sirens, etc.).

If you want, I can reformat this as fill-in-the-blank answers only (for a worksheet) or expand each trait with specific episodes from the Odyssey.