Homer’s 8th century BCE oral narrative of a warrior’s decades-long quest to return home defines epic poetry. Together with its companion poem The Iliad, The Odyssey describes the action and aftermath of the Trojan Wars, and is the model for the heroic quest. Read a character analysis of Odysseus, the plot summary, and important quotes.

Summary

Read one-minute Sparklet summaries, the detailed book-by-book Summary & Analysis, the Full Poem Summary, or the Full Poem Analysis of The Odyssey.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in The Odyssey and in-depth analyses of Odysseus, Telemachus, Penelope, Athena, Calypso, and Circe.

Literary Devices

Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in The Odyssey, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.

Quick Quizzes

Test your knowledge of The Odyssey with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more.

Further Study

Go further in your study of The Odyssey with background information about Homer and the poem, movie adaptations, and links to  resources around the web.

Purchase

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