The Odyssey: Book 10

Question 1

Themes:

Answer 1

• cunningness
• hospitality
• temptation
• naivety
• caution

Question 2

Summary:

Answer 2

Odysseus lands next to the island of aiolia and they are welcomed and aiolos listens to their stories. Aiolos then gives Odysseus a magical bag of wind.

Odysseus doesn’t tell his men what’s in the bag and sets sail and while he’s asleep they open the bag thinking it’s gold but it lets out a gust of wind sending them back 9 days instead to which Odysseus despairs.

Odysseus begs aiolos for help and aiolos refuses thinking he’s cursed. They sail and read aiaia - home to goddess Circe who greets them and invited them in offering food which they accept and eat turning into pigs.

Odysseus goes to save his men and Hermes gives him a herb called moly which stops him turning into a pig and Circe offers Odysseus sex which he accepts. They stay on the island for a year before Circe prophets they can’t go home until they have visited the Lang of the dead and leaves them a sacrifice so they can get there.

Elpenor, one of the crew members, goes to the rooftop only to fall to his death while drunk and no one noticed