Please read and take notes on the

following graphic novel excerpts from

The Odyssey by Homer

Table of Contents
Note: Odysseus is the narrator of this excerpt - when there is
voiceover it is his voice

Opening Context

Book 9: Land of the Lotus Eaters & In The One-Eyed

Giant’s Cave

Book 10: Aeolus, The Laestrygonians, and Circe

Book 12: The Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and The Cattle
of the Sun

Book 16 & 21: Father and Son & Odysseus Strings His Bow

Book 22: Slaughter in the Hall

 Where We Are Starting Our Reading:

Our story begins…

IN THE MIDDLE
 Where We Are Starting Our Reading:

Our story begins…

IN THE MIDDLE
This is called STORY STRUCTURE:
“in medias res”
which is Latin for
“in the middle”
 Where We Are Starting Our Reading:

Odysseus is already several years into his 10 year journey home

(in Books 1-8, which we are not reading for this class)

After a bard sings a song about

his exploits (dangerous and heroic experiences) in the Trojan War,
Odysseus takes over as narrator and explains how he came to
be stranded so far from his kingdom, Ithaca.

*Cue the flashback!*

 Where We Are Starting Our Reading:

Book 8:
[The bard] sang about how... Odysseus fought the
grimmest fight he had ever braved but he won through
at last, thanks to Athena’s superhuman power.
That was the song the famous harper sang but great
Odysseus melted into tears, running down from his It’s been a rough
eyes to wet his cheeks … as a woman weeps, her few years, y’all, let
arms flung round her darling husband, a man who me tell you...
fell in battle, fighting for town and townsmen, trying
to beat the day of doom from home and children.
Seeing the man go down, dying, gasping for breath,
she clings for dear life, screams and shrills— but the
victors, just behind her, digging spear-butts into her
back and shoulders, drag her off in bondage, yoked
to hard labor, pain, and the most heartbreaking
torment wastes her cheeks. So from Odysseus’ eyes
ran tears of heartbreak now… (end of Book 8)

[Then] Odysseus, the great teller of tales, launched out

on his story… (start of Book 9)
 Book 9:
Land of the Lotus
Eaters &
The Cyclops’ Cave
 Here
Odysseus
begins to
tell his
story...
Polyphemus, the Cyclops
 Book 10:
Aeolus, The
Laestrygonians,
and Circe
Hermes, God of Travellers
Summary Spoiler Alert: Odysseus and his
men survive The Land of the Dead
 Book 12:
The Sirens,
Scylla and Charybdis,
and
The Cattle of the Sun
Sirens, creatures who are half bird
and half woman, who lured sailors to
destruction by the sweetness of
their song
 Athena ,
goddess of
war
 Meanwhile,
back at home in the
kingdom of Ithaca...
 Odysseus’s Wife and Son Have Been Struggling!
Odysseus’s Wife, Queen Penelope:
● Odysseus’ wife Penelope has been
swarmed with suitors looking to take
Odysseus’ spot as king
● She can’t turn them away (that would
violate xenia), but the suitors are What will I do if they
refuse to leave?
greedily eating all their food and Will I be forced to
drinking all their wine remarry?
Will they kill my son?

● Penelope uses cunning tricks to fool the

suitors, saying she needs more time to
decide which suitor she will marry
○ Secretly, she doesn’t want to marry
any of them → she is stalling until
Odysseus (hopefully) comes home
 Odysseus’s Son and Wife Have Been Struggling!
Odysseus’s Son, Prince Telemachus:
● Odysseus’ son Telemachus sailed out
looking for his father

● Athena, seeing a lot of similarities

between Telemachus and his father,
decides to intervene
● She warns him that several of the
suitors courting his mother have laid an
Well look who thinks he’s the
Insolent suitors!
man of the house now.
You continue to disrespect me
and my mother in my father’s
If you’re so tough - why don’t
you make us go home?
house! Why don’t you drain
your cups and go home.

ambush for him (hoping to kill him and

take the throne)

● Telemachus makes it past the assassins

but once he gets home he remains quiet
about the assassination attempt
(following Athena’s advice)
 Book 16 & 21:
Father and Son
&
Odysseus Strings His Bow
Telemachus, Odysseus’s son and
heir to the throne of Ithaca

Athena, goddess of war

Queen Penelope,
Odysseus wife and
Telemachus’s mom
 Suitors, men who live in
Ithaca who have been
pressuring Penelope to
marry one of them so
they can become the new
king by refusing to leave
her home and demanding
xenia
 Queen Penelope,
Odysseus wife and
Telemachus’s mom

Telemachus
Odysseus in disguise
 Odysseus shows various servants in his
household a battle scar on his leg to prove his
identity - this results in them showing loyalty in
the upcoming battle

While the suitors are busy

trying to string the bow,
his servants are closing the
palace gates so no suitors
can escape
Queen Penelope,
Odysseus wife and
Telemachus’s mom

Athena

More loyal servants secretly preparing the

home for the upcoming battle
 Book 22:
Slaughter in the Hall
 Odysseus
explains his
reaction
 Note how
Odysseus speaks
about the maids
who were slaves
in the household
and forced to
serve the suitors
 Note: The maids who
were slaves in the
household and forced
to serve the suitors
are also considered
traitors and killed by
Odysseus