About
This sixth book of the series presents an excerpt from Homer's ODYSSEY where Odysseus returns to Ithaca and finds that he must fight to regain control from those who are plaguing his family.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Why did Athena give Penelope the gift of sleep?
Page 13 — She couldn’t sleep on her own; she was heartbroken for Odysseus and worried the gods would support the killing of Telemachus
13
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why was Odysseus broken hearted to see his dog?
No one has taken care of him since Odysseus leftp.21
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 23 — Athena told Odysseus to beg from each man to learn who was good and who was evil; Telemachus told the suitors to leave and they did; Athena guided the father and son as they moved the weapons to an upstairs room
23
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What contest was Penelope going to require of the suitors?
Page 39 — To string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through the rings of 12 ax handles
39
Why did Athena call Odysseus a faithless mortal?
Page 42 — He was beginning to doubt in her
42
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What were the gods trying to tell the men and Odysseus’s family in this chapter?
Page 44 — Odysseus would prevail and the suitors would die
44
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why was Penelope and the other women told to go to their rooms?
Page 56 — To protect them from seeing the battle that was about to ensue
56
Could Odysseus string the bow and shoot through the ax handles?
Page 57 — Yes
57
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
How did Athena help Odysseus in this battle?
Page 64 — She sent the enemies spears away from them; gave the enemies a cloud of her shield which meant certain death
64
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What convinced Penelope she had her husband home?
Page 74 — Odysseus’s upset reaction when she told her maid to carry out her bed
74
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Odysseus fight the suitors' kin?
Page 86 — Athena and Zeus told him not to seek their lives and that there was to be peace
86
Downloads
All the book’s resources, or just the ones you need, ready to read or print.
Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Download one reading section
A small printout with all the resources for the selected section.
