← Classical Studies syllabus

ScotlandClassical Studies

Classical Literature, Life and Myth

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Does the Odyssey suggest that human lives are fixed by fate, or shaped by free choices?

Fate and free will in the Odyssey: the idea of a destined homecoming, the warnings and prophecies that shape the story, and the way characters' own choices still decide their fortunes.
The theme of fate and free will in Homer's Odyssey: Odysseus's destined return home, the prophecies and warnings that guide the plot, and how characters' own choices, good and bad, still decide their fate, raising the question of how far human lives are fixed.
11 min answer →

What makes Odysseus a hero, and what does the poem show about the qualities the Greeks admired?

Odysseus as a hero: the heroic qualities he shows, especially cunning, courage and endurance, his flaws such as pride, and what this reveals about Greek ideas of heroism.
What makes Odysseus a hero in the Odyssey: his cunning and cleverness, his courage and endurance through years of hardship, his leadership, and his flaws such as pride and curiosity, and what this reveals about the Greek idea of heroism.
11 min answer →

How do the gods act in the Odyssey, and what is their relationship with mortals?

The gods and mortals in the Odyssey: how gods such as Athena and Poseidon intervene in human lives, the help and harm they bring, and what the poem shows about the proper relationship between gods and people.
How the gods act in Homer's Odyssey: Athena's help to Odysseus, Poseidon's anger and hindrance, the way gods reward respect and punish disrespect, and what the poem shows about the relationship between gods and mortals.
11 min answer →

What is the story of Homer's Odyssey, and what are its key episodes?

The story of the Odyssey: Odysseus's ten-year journey home from Troy, his key adventures such as the Cyclops, the Sirens and the underworld, and his return to Ithaca to defeat the suitors.
The story of Homer's Odyssey: Odysseus's long struggle to return home from the Trojan War, his key adventures including the Cyclops, the Lotus-Eaters, Circe, the Sirens and the underworld, and his secret return to Ithaca to defeat his wife's suitors.
12 min answer →

What values does the Odyssey promote, especially hospitality (xenia), loyalty and cunning?

Values in the Odyssey: the sacred duty of hospitality (xenia) and how good and bad hosts are judged, alongside the values of loyalty, cunning and respect for the gods.
The values promoted in Homer's Odyssey: the sacred guest-host duty of hospitality (xenia) and how good and bad hosts such as the Phaeacians and the Cyclops are judged, together with loyalty, cunning and respect for the gods.
11 min answer →