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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What announcement does Telemachus make to the suitors of his hall in Book 1?

2. In addition to offering advice, what else does Mentes from Taphos give to Telemachus?

3. Who went disguised as a page in Book 8 throughout the town, encouraging people to hear about the stranger?

4. In what state do the Nausicaa's women, who are playing a game while waiting for the clothes to dry, find the sheltering Odysseus?

5. Where is Odysseus at the beginning of the poem?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Telemachus lie to Antinous and Eurymachus, telling them Odysseus is dead?

2. Why does Athene reveal her presence to Telemachus and Nestor in Book 3?

3. How does Telemachus assert himself to his mother during the trial of the bow?

4. In Book 3, what can be learned from the story of Agamemnon's murder since the reader is seeing it a second time?

5. Why does Athene want to cause Odysseus suffering and pain when she prods the suitors to abuse him in his own house in Book 18?

6. Describe Poseidon's attack on Odysseus in Book 5.

7. Is the punishment of the slave maids in Book 22 just and reasonable?

8. Describe Eurylochus' actions in Book 12. What kind of man is he?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In order to be a leader, generally a person must exhibit certain qualities - nobility, honesty, and chivalry just to name a few. Having a good helping of charisma goes a long way as well. Antinous and Eurymachus are leaders among the suitors, a group of men who lack many positive qualities. Compare the two men. Evaluate which is the better man by determining who has more qualities that are positive and defining what those qualities are.

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate Odysseus as hero. Is he a worthy hero or is he too selfish? Use evidence from the text to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Odysseus is gone from home for a long time. He experiences more than most men. Dissect his journey and analyze its parts. Which part of his journey could he have changed easily and, thereby, returned home sooner? Why?

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