The Odyssey by Homer

Discussion Questions for Paideia/Socratic Seminar

  1. Reminders
  2. Listen to others; You Don’t Need To Speak
  3. Use People’s Names
  4. Respect the Conversation
  5. You Don’t Need To Raise Your Hands
  6. Refer to the Text
  7. I’ll Keep Track of Comments / Rubric
  8. Be prepared. This means reading the "text" closely, taking notes, and forming questions. Outline each section and have the outline in front of you.
  9. Be courteous. There will be no put-downs and no sarcasm.
  10. Allow the speaker enough time to begin and finish his/her thoughts. (Do not be afraid of silence---this usually means thinking is occurring.)
  11. Bring others into the discussion and ask others to elaborate on their responses.
  12. Bring your completed seminar questions to class. These questions must be completed before class begins.
  13. Set a Personal Goal for the Seminar (Talk three times, allow others to speak, give someone praise for an insightful comment, etc.)
  14. Opening Questions
  15. What was your favorite adventure from the text? Why was this your favorite? Examples: Polyphemus the Cyclops, Charybdis the Whirlpool, The Bow Test, Circe and the pigs, etc.
  16. Core Questions (Analyze the text)
  17. Do you think Odysseus was a good leader? Why or why not?
  18. What kind of roles do women play in The Odyssey? Which females hold the most power? Why do you think this is?
  19. How does the Odyssey define love? Why are Odysseus’s affairs with Circe and Calypso not considered true love? Is he justified to have any of the affairs?
  20. Imagine that a messenger delivers a letter to Penelope detailing the affairs of Odysseus with other women. Should Penelope stay married to Odysseus? Why or why not? Would you wait for your loved one for twenty years?
  21. What do you think about the structure of the Odyssey? What is the effect of Homer starting in media res (in the middle of things)?
  22. Hubris (pride) is one of the major downfalls of most characters in Ancientmythology. Find some examples of this in The Odyssey. Make someconnections to examples today regarding people with too much pride.
  23. Choose eight new members for Odysseus’ crew using any heroic figures (fictional or historical). Why would you choose these individuals? How could they help Odysseus?
  24. Is it possible for a modern reader to accept Odysseus’s killing of the suitors? If not, how does this change in values affect our enjoyment of Homer’s poem?
  25. What movies or books follow the structure of The Odyssey (the main character’s quest to return home despite multiple obstacles)?
  26. What movies or books contain the characteristics of an epic in today’s society? Epics contain adventure, have a central heroic figure, the setting is vast (large), there are supernatural forces involved, and an elevated style (serious tone of voice) is often used.
  27. Explain how the struggles of Odysseus to reach Ithaca are a contest between Poseidon and Athena as well.
  28. In what ways does Odysseus develop as a character as the story progresses?
  29. One of the most important cultural values in the Odyssey is that of xenia, a Greek concept encompassing the generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home. Why might hospitality have held more significance in Homer’s time than it does in today’s world? How is hospitality established as a key value in the epic?
  30. Closing Questions
  31. Has your understanding of the novel matured or significantly changed through this discussion?
  32. What else did you learn during the course of the discussion?
  33. Debriefing
  34. Did you meet your personal goal during the seminar? / What will you work on next time?
  35. Was there anything about the seminar that bothered you?
  36. What could we do to improve the seminar?
  37. What will you remember about the seminar?