View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Book 7, why does Athena cloak Odysseus in clouds on his walk to the palace?
(a) She doesn't want her uncle, Poseidon, to see that Odysseus has landed safely.
(b) Phaecians don't like strangers.
(c) Phaecians are so friendly that he might be offered hospitality before he reaches Alcinous' palace.
(d) She doesn't want Odysseus to get distracted.

2. Why was Menelaus late returning from Troy?
(a) His pilot died.
(b) They endured rough seas and wind.
(c) All of the answers are correct.
(d) They were pirating.

3. Which word best describes Odysseus' initial reaction when Calypso offers to help him in Book 5?
(a) Angered.
(b) Excited.
(c) Bewildered.
(d) Skeptical.

4. Calypso gives Odysseus many things to help him on his way including supplies for making his ship, provisions for his journey, and a(n) _____________.
(a) Gentle breeze.
(b) Rudder.
(c) Oarsmen.
(d) Enchanted sail.

5. What does Menelaus first reveal regarding Odysseus when Telemachus tells Menelaus who he is and the purpose of his visit?
(a) Odysseus' problems are his own.
(b) Odysseus is not worth anyone's tears.
(c) Telemachus looks nothing like his father.
(d) He would have given Odysseus a city upon his return from Troy.

Short Answer Questions

1. With which hero did Odysseus first speak in Hades?

2. Having left Ogygia and survived Poseidon's attack, what is Odysseus' new problem, now that he spots land?

3. According to Halitherses in Book 2, how long will Odysseus be gone before he returns to his friends and family?

4. What does the first spirit to visit Odysseus in Hades ask him to do?

5. Odysseus and his men have just landed on an island after the lotus-eaters. Why does Odysseus leave this place the next morning?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Euryalus insult Odysseus when the Phaeacians are engaging in sport?

2. Why does Circe help Odysseus in Book 10?

3. Describe the behavior of the suitors at the assembly in Book 2.

4. Is the ending satisfying to readers? Why or why not?

5. What makes Eumaeus a loyal servant and friend?

6. Odysseus tells his men about the Sirens. Why doesn't he share Circe's information and advice about Scylla and Charybdis?

7. Why is Poseidon still upset with Odysseus in Book 13? Why does he now seek vengeance against the Phaecians? What can they do?

8. Does Nausicaa act properly towards Odysseus when giving aid in Book 6?

9. According to Nestor and Menelaus, was the war worth the cost?

10. In what ways does Odysseus reveal his crafty mind in his encounter with the cyclops?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,113 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample