Name: ______
Period: _____
The Odyssey
“The Sirens” & “Scylla & Charybdis”
The Sirens: pg. 783-785
Literary Devices / Quote with Citation / Significance1.
2.
Theme: / Evidence:
3.
Scylla and Charybdis: pg. 785-788
Literary Devices / Quote with Citation / Significance4.
5.
Theme: / Evidence:
6.
What Inferences can you make about Greek culture based on these two excerpts? Provide a quotation for support. Don’t forget to cite your quote!
Inference: / Quote:Inference: / Quote:
Guided Reading Questions for “The Sirens” and “Scylla and Charybdis”
7. The witch Circe both helps and hinders Odysseus on his journey home. What can you tell about Circe based on Odysseus’ description of her and her actions?
8. What instructions does Odysseus give his shipmates as they prepare to deal with the Sirens?
9. What does Odysseus’ mention of Helios reveal about Ancient Greeks’ beliefs regarding nature?
10. How does Odysseus keep his men from hearing the Sirens’ song? What does this reveal about him?
11. Review lines 765-770. What quality of the epic hero does Odysseus demonstrate?
12. As the crew approaches Scylla, Odysseus tells his audience, “I told them nothing, as they could do nothing.” What does he mean by this? Do you agree with his decision to withhold the information? Also, what does this reveal about leadership?
13. Considering the depiction of female characters and monsters: the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis, what inferences can be made about Greek cultural views and women?
14. Just before reaching Scylla, Odysseus has to make a difficult decision: should he warn his men of the dangers that lie ahead? He decides to keep the information to himself, inevitably sacrificing 6 crew members to the sea monster. Do you think his actions are admirable? Why, or why not? Answer in a well-developed paragraph (at least 6 sentences) with a topic sentence, a concluding sentence, and one piece of textual evidence to support your reasoning.
______