The Adventures of Ulysses

What does Ulysses do that incurs the wrath of Poseidon? What is the result of the sea god’s anger?

Ulysses uses five seagoing vessels during his travels, all of which suffer disasters. Describe each ship’s fate and what causes it.

The men on Ulysses’s first three ships sometimes get greedy, which causes deaths in their ranks. Briefly describe three of these incidents and how they change the course of Ulysses’s travels.

Throughout his adventures, Ulysses has an abiding purpose. What is this goal? What other goals does he pursue during his voyages?

During his visit to the underworld, Ulysses receives wisdom and warnings from the ghosts of prominent people in his past. One, Ajax, hates him and exults about something bad that awaits Ulysses. What is this future event, and how does Ulysses convert Ajax’s scornful announcement into useful advice?

During his travels, Ulysses meets three magnificent women. List them by name, describe briefly their good and bad points, and explain why Ulysses believes that one in particular is the finest of the three.

What are the qualities that make Ulysses a hero? What are his flaws? Name an incident where Ulysses makes a mistake, and describe how he fixes the resulting problem. (Don’t use his encounter with the Cyclops as your example.)

What has happened to Ulysses’s wife, son, and castle during the years he’s been away? How has his family tried to protect Ulysses’s honor?

Ulysses disguises himself as a beggar and tells Penelope of the ways in which the great warrior missed his wife during his voyages. Why does he disguise himself to tell her these things?