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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. To which goddess does Odysseus compare Nausicaa in Book 6?

2. How does Eurylochus react when Odysseus tells his crew to follow him to Circe's house?

3. Where does Telemachus stay when Nestor's feast is over?

4. Who helps Telemachus procure a ship and crew to begin his quest?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What relationship do the Phaecians have with the gods?

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

3. Describe Odysseus' bed.

4. Why doesn't Odysseus' journey end when he slays the suitors and gets his vengeance in Book 11?

5. In what ways was Odysseus' naming prophetic?

6. In Book 15, why does Peisistratus let Telemachus go without seeing Nestor again? Is this wise?

7. In Book 17, what more is discovered about Antinous through his actions towards the beggars?

8. What is interesting in Penelope's appearance to the suitors after the boxing match between Odysseus and Irus?

9. How is Odysseus discovered by the maids of Phaecia?

10. In Book 17, why does Telemachus sit amongst Odysseus' old friends when he returns home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most literary works have an antagonist. Is there one in The Odyssey? Explain your answer using the text.

Essay Topic 2

The poem ends abruptly because there needs to be an explanation for peace. How does the ending demonstrate this society's belief in the rule of law? Without the intervention of the immortals, would the conflict continue?

Essay Topic 3

Sociologists can glean quite a bit of information about a culture from surviving literature. Use The Odyssey to illuminate the values of this society. What ideals are valued? What are some distinguishing characteristic of the Ancient Achaeans?

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