Homer’s Odyssey

Homer’s OdysseyPart III Vocabulary and IntroductionMs. Geller’s Fantastic FreshmenFall 2013

Cower (V)• To crouch and shrink back, as in fear or shame

Ex: Milhouse cowered in fear as Nelson pelted him with spitballs.

Impudence (N)• Speech or behavior

that is aggressively forward or rude; SYN: Rudeness, insolence, disrespect.

Ex. The teacher was infuriated by the bratty kid’s impudence.

Mortified (adj)• Deeply

embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated

Ex. Bob was mortified when the pictures from his catastrophic bachelor party were posted on Facebook.

Rebuke (v)• To scold sharply;

criticize

Ex. Mother rebuked me for refusing to clean the kitchen, although it was my little sister who made the mess.

Guise (N)• Outward

appearance; false appearance SYN: façade

Ex. If you look beyond her guise of fun-loving silliness, you will discover that Tina is actually very sensitive and wise.

Renowned (adj)• Famous, widely

known

Ex. Bobby is as renowned for his skills on the football field as he is for his musical ability.

Commandeer (v)• To seize by force or

threats, especially in time of need

Ex. The navy commandeered a fleet of merchant ships.

Justification (n)• A reason for an

action that shows it to be just, right, or reasonable; SYN: explanation, rationale

Ex. The thief was able to offer no justification for her petty crimes.

Omen (n)• A sign or event

thought to foretell good or bad fortune; forewarning

Ex. The optimistic bride interpreted the beautiful sunrise on her wedding day as a good omen.

Contemptible (adj)• Deserving of scorn,

contempt, disgust, etc.; disgraceful.

Ex. I find any form of prejudice to be absolutely contemptible.

Where we are and where we’re going…The Odyssey Part III

Where we left off…• Odysseus had just finished telling his story to King

Alcinous of Phaeacia.• He is alone with nothing but the scraps of clothes

on his back; his entire fleet of ships has been destroyed and all of his men are dead.

What’s next?• The Phaeacians load Odysseus with gifts and take

him home, leaving him fast asleep on the shores of Ithaca.

• As they return home, Poseidon turns their ship into a lump of stone for daring to assist Odysseus.

• Odysseus is disoriented after twenty years away from home, but the goddess Athena meets him and tells him what’s been going on:• A number of young men from Ithaca and the surrounding

islands have moved into Odysseus’s castle• Thinking that Odysseus is dead, the suitors, as they are

called, eat his food, drink his wine, and insist that Penelope choose one of them as her husband.

What’s next?• Penelope still loves Odysseus and has been

faithfully praying for his return every day.• Athena disguises Odysseus as an old beggar and

promises to help him• Odysseus seeks shelter with a faithful swineherd

named Eumaeus

What’s next?• Meanwhile, Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, who had

set out on a journey to discover what happened to his father, escapes an ambush by the suitors and secretly lands on Ithaca

• Following Athena’s instructions, Telemachus also goes to Eumaeus’s hut.

• While Eumaeus is informing Penelope of her son’s return, Athena appears to the disguised Odysseus.

Your Task• What’s in store for Odysseus now? Write a

paragraph describing what Odysseus must do now to restore peace to his household and reunite his family.