The Odyssey Question Preview (ID: 25461)


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Which of the following quotations describes an act typical of an epic hero?
a) Now I let go with hands and feet, plunging / straight into the foam beside the timbers, / pulled astride, and rowed hard with
b) “I rather dwelt on this part of the forecast, / while our good ship made time, bound outward down / the wind for the strange
c) “In the next land we found were Cyclopes, / giants, louts, without a law to bless them.”
d) “We beached her, grinding keel in the soft sand, / and waded in, ourselves on the sandy beach.”

Odysseus' slaughter of the suitors shows that ancient Greece held which of the following cultural values?
a) Violence is never justified.
b) Even heroes sometimes allow their emotions to get the better of them.
c) Intelligence is more highly prized than physical strength.
d) Revenge is sometimes justified, even if it involves killing.

Which of the following is an important theme in Part 2 of the Odyssey?
a) Good triumphs over evil.
b) Separation weakens relationships.
c) The quest for power never ends.
d) Old age triumphs over youth.

Choose the phrase that best defines an epic simile.
a) a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as if it were something else
b) a literary technique that involves differences between meaning and intention
c) a work created in imitation of another
d) a long, elaborate comparison between two dissimilar actions or objects

Why does the disguised Odysseus make up a story and tell Penelope that her husband will be home soon?
a) to give himself a few days to figure out what to do
b) to see whether her reaction to the news is one of joy or disappointment
c) to prepare Penelope emotionally for recognizing and welcoming her husband
d) to make the surprise of his true identity all the greater

Which word best completes the following sentence? Despite Calypso's ____ for him, Odysseus insists on returning to Ithaca.
a) ardor
b) bereft
c) assuage
d) mammoth

In Part 2 of the Odyssey, the hero appears disguised as which of the following?
a) a suitor
b) Eumaeus
c) a beggar
d) a priest of Zeus

Read the following lines from the Odyssey:            Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim. What quality of the epic hero does Odysseus emphasize in this passage?
a) arrogance
b) craftiness
c) compassion
d) modesty

Read the following lines from the Odyssey: In the next land we found were Cyclopes, giants, louts, without a law to bless them. By implication, what cultural value in ancient Greece is Odysseus emphasizing in this passage?
a) physical strength
b) mental intelligence
c) civilized life in a law-abiding society
d) the benefits of travel

Why does Odysseus blind the Cyclops rather than kill him when the giant is asleep?
a) His men convince him that they will all be cursed by the powerful god Poseidon if they kill the Cyclops.
b) Odysseus is moved by compassion for the Cyclops.
c) Odysseus realizes that he and his men need the Cyclops to roll aside the huge stone that blocks the cave's entrance.
d) Odysseus and his men lack the physical strength to kill the giant.

Although Odysseus' men want to steal the Cyclops' cheese and animals and depart immediately, Odysseus wishes “to see the cave man, what he had to offer.” Considering Odysseus' character, what might he be hoping the Cyclops will offer?
a) an exciting challenge
b) a faster ship
c) a place to stay
d) a good meal

Which is the best rephrasing of the following lines? When the young Dawn with fingertips of rose lit up the world, the Cyclops built a fire….
a) When young Dawn's fingertips turned rosy and lit up the world, the Cyclops built a fire.
b) At daybreak, the Cyclops built a fire.
c) The Cyclops built a fire whenever he saw a pinkish or rosy-colored sky.
d) The sun rises. The Cyclops builds a fire.

What is the meaning of Polyphemus' words in the following lines? “Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to bitter days at home.”
a) Let Odysseus return home without his companions.
b) Odysseus and some of his crew will sail home in a strange type of sailing vessel.
c) Let Odysseus return home in a stranger's boat, alone and troubled.
d) Curse Odysseus with a difficult journey home.

What is meant by the expression in medias res?
a) on the Mediterranean Sea
b) according to law
c) in the middle of things
d) in conformity with fate

To understand the historical and cultural context of a literary work, which of the following is most helpful?
a) Skim the work first, and then read it slowly and carefully.
b) Consider how the work has affected subsequent poems, novels, or essays.
c) Read the author biography, footnotes, and other textual aids.
d) Consider how you would set the work to music.

You will have to answer one essay question. You can choose between the two.
a) Choose an adventure from the Odyssey, and retell the story in your own words. Reread the passage carefully in order to be cle
b) An epic hero possesses the character traits most valued by the society in which the epic originated. Based on this portion of
c) the essay is worth 20 points.
d) Choose this to get it right.

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