Timed Writing Revision

The Odyssey is an epic about a hero, named Odysseus, written by Homer. Odysseus is a
Greek general during the Trojan War. He faces many challenges on his journey back to his
kingdom of Ithaca. Odysseus possesses many qualities of an epic hero, he has superior strength
and intelligence, he is continually put through tests, and he is assisted by many divine beings.
Odysseus shows superior strength and intelligence when he strings his bow, when he
resists the lotus, and when he stabs Polyphemus in the eye. Penelope puts Odysseus to a test of
stringing his bow to see if he was a worthy suitor. He strings the bow without haste, and no other
suitors could even come close to stringing the bow. On the island of the lotus eaters, Odysseus
faces the mental challenge to resist the lotus. He has to resist if he ever wants to leave the island.
He refuses to eat them, grabs his men, and sets sail for Ithaca. He is also faced with a challenge
of ingenuity when he comes up with the plan to stab Polyphemus in the eye. Polyphemus traps
Odysseus and his men in his cave, and to get out they have to move a giant boulder. Odysseus
and his men sharpen a stake and send it into Polyphemus eye so he will move the boulder and
free them.
Odysseus is put through challenge after challenge. He faces Scylla, a six-headed sea
monster that will devour his whole fleet if he doesnt do something fast. He feeds six of his men
to the beast and they ended up getting past. He also faces Calypso, a nymph goddess, which put
him under a spell to keep him attracted to her. The challenge can only be resolved through the
help of the gods. He faces the sirens, a group of mermaid-like creatures, who sang a song that
would attract any man that heard it to them and thy would die. Odysseus fills his mens ears with
beeswax and tells them to keep rowing. During that time, Odysseus gets tied to the mast so he
can hear the song without being able to go to the Sirens.
Odysseus is assisted by many divine beings. Athena helps him in many ways. She gave
him youth, knowledge, and helps to overcome challenges. Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag of winds
to help blow them to the kingdom of Ithaca. It is lost when Odysseus men open the bag and
release all the winds. Hermes helps Odysseus by giving him a potion to help release him from
the spell that Calypso put on him.
Odysseus is a strong, brave, intelligent man. He finds a solution to anything that comes
between him and Ithaca. Divine beings helped out along the way, giving Odysseus guidance
along his journey.