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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 distinction does Peleus offer Achilles?

2. Who does Thetis say must die before Achilles can be killed?

3. What color is the cloak Achilles receives for his birthday?

4. What privilege does Achilles extend to Patroclus in the dining hall after their return?

5. Who does Tyndareus’ daughter choose as a husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. What prophecy does Odysseus tell Achilles about the conditions under which he will die?

2. How does Patroclus come to kill the boy whose death gets him exiled?

3. What does Chiron offer to teach Patroclus and Achilles, and what is Patroclus most interested in learning from him?

4. What is the important question Chiron asks Achilles, and what is Achilles’ response?

5. What leverage do Odysseus and Diomedes use to get Achilles to go to Troy?

6. How is Achilles’ identity unmasked?

7. Describe Patroclus’ interaction with Achilles’ mother Thetis.

8. What gift does Chiron send Achilles to Troy with?

9. What is Chiron’s role in Achilles and Patroclus’ lives?

10. Describe Achilles’ relationship with Deidameia.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the difference between Achilles and Agamemnon’s characters. How are they similar, how are they different? What are the essential differences between them? Are these two characters who ultimately need each other, or are they the type of people who need to be kept apart for danger of conflict and potential tragedy?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the role of women in The Song of Achilles. How are they portrayed? What traits distinguish them from the men? What flexibility do the female characters have, to change how they are perceived, or to exceed the rules for women?

Essay Topic 3

Evaluate your own reading of The Song of Achilles—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

(see the answer keys)

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