Using the Chapter in Edith Hamilton on the "Adventures of Odysseus," the section on the Odyssey in WM’s introduction to Homer, hopefully, the work itself*, and any other necessary source, answer the following questions:

(*If you can't read the entire Odyssey --for whatever reason it is much easier to read than The Iliad-- then read Books VI, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVIII,XIV, XV, XXIII, XXIV.)

1. How is the Odyssey the archetype of comedy? Please avoid over-simplified responses.
2. Comment of the portraits of women in the Odyssey, especially the following:

1. Penelope
2. Nausicaa
3. Calypso
4. Circe

      3.  In what sense does Penelope as well as Odysseus undergo a journey?

      4.  What are the significances of the themes of hiding and disquise in the Odyssey?

      5.  How can Odysseus’ adventures in Books 9-12 be interpreted as paradigms of life's experience for almost everyone? (Look up the meaning of "paradigm" if necessary.)

      6.  What motivates Penelope in Odyssey 19 to set up the archery contest?

      7.  What is the significance of the inverse parallel in the Odyssey of the fate of Agamemnon?

      8.  How is Odyssey 24 thematically relevant to both the Odyssey and the Iliad?

      9.  In what respects is the plot of the Odyssey more complex and sophisticated than that of the Iliad? 

     10.  Book XI of the Odyssey is thought to be the Magna Cum Laude of literature. In addition to telling an entertaining story, explain several reasons why this book is a exemplary piece of literature. (See attached page on Meaning of Myth).