Odysseus was a price of the island of Ithaca, in the Ionian sea. He was the son of Laertes and Anticleia, whose father was the thief Autolycus, the son of Hermes and Chione. Little is known about his childhood, though much is known about his adult life. (CALL TO ADVENTURE) True to Homeric tradition, Odysseus was one of the most influential men in the Trojan war, although he was loath to go. He tried to feign madness in order to get out of going to war, as an oracle had told him that if he went to Troy, he would have a long journey home. Yet he was tricked into going, and so fought the Trojan war, which lasted for 10 years. It was he who suggested the sacking of Troy as well as building the Trojan horse.
The journey home would last 10 years...
OBSTACLES
1. As he was cursed by the god Poseidon for blinding his son, the cyclops Polyphemus.

2. He had been given a bag from Aeolus, the keeper of wind, which had the west wind inside it, so that he could be blown home. Just when Odysseus could see his home, three of his men opened the bag at night, thinking it was treasure. As a result, Odysseus and his crew had been blown way farther off-course.

3. From there, Odysseus has reached Laestrygonia, the home of giant cannibals, who tried to destroy his ship. Athene protected him, and so he traveled on in search of home.

4.Unfortunately, he reached the island of Circe, the sorceress offspring of Helios. Upon landing there, she turned his men into pigs. Zeus had sent Hermes to warn Odysseus of the danger, and gave him a flower to eat with the food Circe gave him. Lo, her magic was powerless! He then threatened her to turn his men back into men, and impressed by his cunning, she did.

5.(MEETING THE MENTOR) He went to the Underworld to consult the oracle Teiresias, who told him the way home, and also not to eat any of the Sun God's cattle on the island of Hyperion. As soon as the oracle disappeared, Anticleia and Odysseus's war buddies began to come to him, and overwhelmed with pain, Odysseus quickly sailed away from the underworld.

6.He had to pass through the Sirens, half-women half-bird ladies with sharp talons, who sang more beautifully than anything alive. They lived above sharp rocks, and distracted sailors with their song so that the sailors would crash into those rocks, and then eat the sailors. Odysseus forced his men to tie him tightly to the mast of the ship, and ordered not to let him go, no matter what. He also ordered them to put wax in their ears, so that they would not be effected by the song. And they were not, and the crew of Odysseus sailed onward. The Sirens were so upset that they flung themselves into the ocean and turned into rocks.

7.They then sailed down a narrow pass, guarded by the six headed monster, Scylla, who had three dogs around her waist, and had Charybdis, the whirlpool, on the other side. Six of his men were killed, but other than that the crew sailed on...

8.To the island of Hyperion, where some of Odysseus's stupid crew members ate the cattle of Helios, who sent a terrible storm that sunk Odysseus's ship and killed all of his crew, while he remained alive.

9.He lived for the next seven years on Ortygia, the island of Calypso, who was in love with Odysseus and kept him prisoner because of it. Athene persuaded Zeus to take pity on Odysseus, and so he sent Hermes to order Calypso to release him, which she had no choice to do.

10. He finally returns home, being helped by the Phaecians, who gave him a full ship and crew.
FULFILLING THE QUEST


11.(RETURN OF THE HERO) When he got there, (TRANSFORMATION OF THE HERO) Athene gave him a mask that made him appear as an old man, in order to kill all the men that had been courting Penelope. He revealed himself only to his son, Telemachus, and together they wanted to take back his kingdom.

                 1.Penelope proclaimed that anyone who could string Odysseus's bow could marry her, knowing that no one but Odysseus could. When Odysseus as an old man came forward to try, the suitors scoffed at him. But when he strung the bow and knocked his arrow, he was revealed as himself, Odysseus, the strongest warrior of all!
                                  1.He proceeded to slaughter all of the suitors.