LITERATURE CIRCLES

Discussion Director
Name: Bernell Go________________________
Text: The Odyssey______________________
Date: September 8, 2010_________________
Books: 20-24____________________________

Discussion Director: Reading Homer's epics alone can pose a challenge as one tries to
untangle all the details and allusions of the lines. Even in a group setting, one needs a guide to
facilitate the discussion. Your task is to develop a list of questions for your group to discuss about the
assigned text. Asking each member for his input based on his current role. Your task is to help
people talk about the "big ideas" in the reading and share their reactions. Usually, the best discussion
questions come from your own thoughts, feelings and concerns as you read, which you can list
below, during or after your reading. Think of THICK questions (as opposed to THIN ones) because
they generate deeper thought and discussion and do not have quick answers that can be found in
the text. Some words that can be used to start a “puzzler” or “open” questions are: “Why…?
How…? Have you wondered…? In what ways…? Can you think of an example of…? What if…?
Could/should/would…? If this story happened…? Does s/he mean that…?”

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. Why didn’t Penelope believe that her husband is alive despite Odysseus telling him_
while in his old man form that he was alive? ________________________________

2. Have you ever wondered why the chance of a suitor to win the girl is by having____
more gifts and presents?__________________________________________________

3. Why didn’t Odysseus and the suitors use swords for fighting? Why use only spears?
______________________________________________________________________

4. Why did Odysseus have to lie to his father? Why not tell him at once that he was__
Odysseus and instead, he had to prolong his father’s agony?_____________________

5. Why were Agamemnon and Achilles included in the last book? What was their_____
importance?____________________________________________________________