English research help The Odyssey: Keep track of the Odyssey’s structure

Keep track of the Odyssey’s structure – make a diagram or chart of some kind that illustrates the main episodes and their relation to one another. To get you started, the epic is divided into three main parts or plot-complexes: 1) The maturation of the young prince Telemachus; 2) The wanderings of Odysseus – mostly recounted as past events; and 3) Odysseus’ return to Ithaca and re-establishment of his authority as king. Consider also that although the poem’s action takes place over the course of forty days, the text refers when necessary to events spanning twenty years – i.e. from the beginning of the Trojan War on through the ten-year wanderings of Odysseus after the ten-year war.