As we are able to understand where Odysseus is coming from, we can also spot those actions of his that have less than virtuous motives. A prime example is his stay with Circe: basking in luxury with a beautiful mistress, he whiles away an entire year feasting and drinking, unfaithful to a wife and son who, at great danger and in much unhappiness, are trying to hold his house together. Likewise, Odysseus wishes to hear the Sirens’ song out of curiosity but also out of a desire for pleasure; to attain this wish, he is willing to abandon prudence and to put himself above his fellow sailors. This aspect of Odysseus has led some of the epic’s interpreters to see him as thirsty for experience, regardless of the cost to himself or to those, like Penelope and Telemachus, to whom he owes allegiance.

The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton | Goodreads The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton | Goodreads

Odysseus, known for his intelligence and cunning, sets to thinking of a plan. Somehow they must make the Cyclops open up the cave...Travel brochure. Children choose an island from the story and create a travel brochure or poster for it. How will they ‘sell’ the island when they must reference the danger that lurks there? She put on a huge feast for them, but had drugged the food, so that half of the crew were turned into pigs. Odysseus had been warned what Circe might do and ate some special herbs that stopped her magic.

The 12 Adventures of Odysseus by Alyana Karla Raymundo - Prezi The 12 Adventures of Odysseus by Alyana Karla Raymundo - Prezi

Odysseus offered the Cyclops some delicious wine he had carried from the ship. The Cyclops drank it in one gulp…then collapsed to the floor, asleep. It was very, very strong wine. After ten long years fighting at Troy, and another ten years of extraordinary adventures, Odysseus finally made it home to Ithaca, disguised as a beggar…only to find that his wife and son had been fighting off other men who wanted to take his throne. The war and his troubles at sea keep Odysseus away from his home, Ithaca, for twenty years. In his absence, his son, Telemachus, has grown into a man, and his wife, Penelope, is besieged by suitors who assume Odysseus is dead. Penelope remains faithful to Odysseus, but the suitors feast at her house all day and live off her supplies. She holds them off by promising to marry after she finishes weaving a shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’s father. Every night she secretly undoes the day’s work, leaving the job perpetually unfinished. One day, near the end of Odysseus’s voyage, the suitors discover Penelope’s ruse and become more dangerously insistent. If the Iliad has given Western culture a model of heroic warfare, with mores of bravery, strength, and honor, the Odyssey has provided something else entirely. It isnot an epicof social and political communities and relationships, but an epic portrayal of one man over the course of many years. As such, it is a closer ancestor to artistic forms more familiar to us, such as the novel or film. Even the word odyssey itself has entered the language, meaning a long wandering, voyage, or quest. While the Iliad is often characterized in terms of its grandeur and stately glory, the Odyssey, a far more seductive tale, has drawn readers by virtue of its sheer, engaging delight.

Look at a map of Greece and the surrounding islands and sea. Explain that pupils will learn about a famous journey from Troy (believed to have been on the north west coast of Turkey) to Ithaca, a Greek Island. Ask children to locate both on a map and to consider the route Odysseus may have taken. After watching the video Unfortunately for Odysseus, Polyphemus was actually the son of Poseidon, God of the sea. When Poseidon found out what had happened, he vowed to prevent Odysseus from getting home to Ithaca for another ten years.