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The Odyssey
Final Exam
Question | Answer |
---|---|
The Odyssey serves as the basic model for which type of epic | long journey |
Odysseus is first seen looking out to sea and weeping. Why is this scene ironic | he should be enjoying his stay with Calypso |
What does Circe turn Odysseus’ men into | pigs |
What does Odysseus do when he meets the shade of his mother | cries |
Scylla and Charybdis are often referred to as a metaphor for any difficult choice. Why are the alternatives Odysseus faces difficult | necessity for great skill |
Why does Odysseus withhold his identity from Eumaeus | concern that Eumaeus, happy over his master's return, might reveal his identity |
Whom does Penelope expect to win the contest | no one |
Why does Odysseus question the swineherd and cowherd | determine their loyalty to him |
What does the clap of thunder when Odysseus strings the bow indicate | Zeus had helped Odysseus |
What quality does Penelope embody in the reunion scene? | faithfulness |
What is Penelope’s final test to prove her husband's identity? | order their bed moved |
Homer brings The Odyssey to an end by giving the final words to whom | the gods |
Calypso tells Odysseus he is free to leave her island because . . . | Zeus had ordered it |
What does Calypso indicate will happen if Odysseus stays on her island | he will become immortal |
Odysseus leaves Calypso’s island after she helps him to do what | build a raft |
What happens after Odysseus’s men eat the lotus plant | forget their homeland |
Why does Odysseus blind Cyclops rather than kill him | Only Cyclops can remove the boulder blocking the cave |
What trait of an epic hero does Odysseus show when he ties his men to the ram | cleverness |
Which detail about Circe is the most intriguing? | Her enchanting house |
What prophecy of Tiresias and Circe does Odysseus withhold from his men | Only Odysseus will survive and return home |
Odysseus does not warn his crew about Scylla because he thinks they will do what | panic and endanger the ship |
Odysseus saves his crew from the Sirens’ song by doing what | plugging the men's ears with beeswax |
What does Circe warn will happen to men who listen to the songs of the Sirens | eaten by the Sirens |
Who first gives food and shelter to Odysseus on Ithaca | Eumaeus, the swineherd |
Who joins Odysseus in his first fight against the suitors | Telemachus, swineherd, cowherd |
Eurymachus misjudges Odysseus’s character by thinking Odysseus . . . | fears fighting so many men |
What does Athena do during the battle with the suitors | locks the doors of the great hall |
Why does Odysseus believe no one but a god could move his bed | it is built from a tree still rooted to the ground |
In Part Two, how does Odysseus exhibit the traits of an epic | stringing the bow |
What is Part One of The Odyssey mainly about | heroic deeds |
What most accurately describes the role of Zeus in Odysseus’ adventures | Zeus controls the weather by which Odysseus sails |
What aspect of Odysseus’ character keeps him from giving his heart to Calypso or to Circe | eager to get back to Ithaca |
While Odysseus’s men want to steal the Cyclops’ cheeses and animals and depart immediately, Odysseus wishes to see what “the cave man . . had to offer.” Considering Odysseus’s character, what might he be hoping the Cyclops will offer | exciting challenge |
What trait does Odysseus demonstrate by lying about his name to the Cyclops | creativity |
Odysseus demonstrates the realistic, human side of his character when he does what | weeps upon meeting Elpenor's ghost in Hades |
Which character trait does Odysseus display when he listens to the Sirens’ song | self-sacrifice |
What is demonstrated by Odysseus’s failure to wake up and prevent his men from slaughtering the sun god’s cattle | power of the gods |
What does Odysseus’s comment to Telemachus, “This is note princely, to be sweapt / away by wonder at your father’s presence,” mean | showed little emotion |
The episode about Argus, Odysseus’s dog, is important to the overall plot of Part Two - because it emphasizes what | the dog, weak from neglect and abuse, wags his tail at the sound of Odysseus's voice then dies |
Which of Telemachus’ actions best demonstrates his obedience to his father | silence when Antinous confronts Odysseus |
What is one result of Odysseus’s initial exchange with the suitor Antinous | Penelope summons the "beggar" Odysseus and questions him |
Why is the episode in which Penelope invites the old beggar to her room important | allows suspense to build |
Why does the disguised Odysseus make up a story and tell Penelope that her husband will be home soon | to prepare Penelope emotionally for recognizing and welcoming her husband |
Which character traits does Penelope reveal in Part Two | prudence, loyalty |
Which of Odysseus’s traits allows him triumph in the bow-and-arrow challenge that Penelope sets for her suitors | skill as a marksman |
Why does Calypso allow Odysseus to leave her island | Hermes told her Zeus ordered it |
Why does Odysseus tell Calypso that he wishes to return to Penelope | he longs to see his home again |
What does Odysseus’s encounter with the Cicones after the Greeks leave Troy indicate about the Greeks | they are violent warriors and plunderers |
Why does Odysseus blind Polyphemus rather than kill him | only Polyphemus can move the boulder |
From what we discover about Circe, what can we assume that her tame wolves and mountain lions are | men transformed into animals |
What does the shade of Tieiresias require in order to provide Odysseus with a prophecy | taste of blood |
How does Odysseus save his crew from the Sirens’ song | plugging their ears with beeswax |
In epic poetry, the poet often begins by asking for assistance in telling the story. What is this convention known as | invocation |
What did the Greeks regard as one of the actions most offensive to the gods | mistreat guests |
To Homer and his listeners, what did the stories we call myths primarily express | how men are influenced by the spiritual realm |
When Odysseus returns home, Athena advises him to disguise himself as a what | beggar |
What does Telemachus think when Odysseus reveals himself to him | only a god could make such a transformation |
How does the old hound Argos know that Odysseus has returned | recognizes Odysseus's voice |
What is the difficult task Penelope proposes that her suitors must perform | string Odysseus's bow |
What does Odysseus do to enlist the aid of the swineherd and cowherd in his battle with the suitors | offer them wives, cattle, houses |
Who joins Odysseus in the fight against the suitors | Telemachus, cowherd, swineherd |
Why does Telemachus execute the maids | they are associated with the suitors |
What does Eurymachus do to stop Odysseus from killing all the suitors | ask for a fair fight with Odysseus |
How does Odysseus prove his identity to Penelope | telling her how he built their marriage bed |
What themes did Homer include in The Odyssey | loyalty to family and friends, overcoming obstacles, relationship between humans and gods |
What function does Penelope’s test of Odysseus in Book 23 serve | prlongs the story's resolution |
Whom does Telemachus especially admire | Orestes |
Who seats Telemachus in Book 3 | Pisistratus, son of Nestor |
With what is Nestor closely associated | horses and chariots |
How does Pisistratus demonstrate courtesy initially | hands the wine cup to Athena first because Athena / Mentor is oldest |
Which character DID NOT enjoy a safe return from Troy | Agamemnon |
What animal is sacrificed in the morning in Book 3 | heifer |
Where does Telemachus land first | Pylos |
Why is Telemachus nervous about addressing Nestor | young and shy |
Who asks who the strangers are and when in Book 3 | Nestor, after they have eaten |
What does Telemachus tell Nestor is his mission | news of his father |
What is Nestor up to when Telemachus first sees him | at a banquet |
What did Alcinous have slaughtered to feed his guests | boars and sheep |
How are Demodocus and the proverbial Homer alike | they are both blind |
What does Odysseus give Demodocus | boar meat |
Which does Athena do to make Odysseus more appealing to the Phaeacians | makes him taller |
How does Odysseus handle his tears | covers his face with a cape |
In which sport does Odysseus demonstrate his skill in Book 8 | discus |
What prompts Odysseus to enter the contests in Book 8 | insults |
How many sailors does Alcinous ask for | 52 |
Whose form does Athena put on at the start of the eighth book | the herald's |
Which funny tale does the bard provide for the dancing in Book 8 | Ares and Aphrodite |
What does Odysseus do with the big ram in Book 8 | burns part of it, eats part of it, uses it for protection |
What was Ithaca good for raising | sons |
What would be found in the mixing bowl of an ancient Greek feast | water / wine |
Why don’t the other Cyclops help Polyphemus | they don't believe anyone is trying to kill him; they believe he is afflicted with a Zeus-sent plague, they believe he is alone |
Which female held the affection of Odysseus most deeply | Penelope |
What did the crew of Odysseus find first on the land of the Cyclops | goats |
Why does Odysseus not kill the Cyclops when he has a chance | he needs the Cyclops to move the boulder |
What harm comes from the Lotus Eaters | drug-induced indifference |
Upon leaving Troy, where di the men in Odysseus’s crew first encounter trouble | Land of the Cicones |
What is the unnecessary and foolish thing Odysseus says to the Cyclops | tells Cyclops his real name |
How does Odysseus outwit / get around Circe | applies god-given advice |
Who were the Laestrygonians | cannibals |
Who or what is Antiphates | Laestrygonian king's daughter |
What was the special gift Aeolus gave Odysseus | bag of wind |
After leaving the Cyclops where di the crew of Odysseus first land | home of Aeolus |
Why does Aeolus turn Odysseus away | he thinks Odysseus is cursed |
What is the closest description of the men’s reaction when Odysseus comes back from his reconnaissance mission to tell them he saw smoke | grief-striken |
How does Elpinor die | falls drunk from Circe's roof |
Why did Odysseus’s men open the bag holding Odysseus’s special gift | they thought Odysseus was hoarding gold |
Where does Circe tell Odysseus to go next | to consult a ghost |
Who judged the dead | Minos |
What was Siyphyus’s punishment | push a rock uphill that keeps rolling back down |
What did Odysseus’s men do to offend Helios | ate his cattle |
Which shade first conversed with Odysseus | Elpenor |
Who was punished with drawing water using a sieve | Danaids |
What were the names of the dangerous creatures on the two cliffs that faced each other | Scylla and Charybdis |
Who was the companion who stood up to Odysseus and gave bad advice that was followed | Eurylochus |
Who warned Odysseus against slaughtering the cattle of the sun god | Circe, Tiresias |
Why was Elpinor buried with an oar | the ghost of Elpinor asked Odysseus to do it |
After surviving most of the trial of Book 12, where did Odysseus wind up for the next several years | with Calypso |
What elements did the companions have to make substitutions for in the sacrifice of the cattle of the sun | barely meal and wine |
Which wind blew Odysseus back to Scylla and Charybdis | South |
When does Menelaus ask Telemachus the purpose of his visit | the morning after he arrives |
For whom does Menelaus grieve most | Odysseus |
Which forms did the Old Man of the Sea assume | lion, serpent, panther, boar |
Where does Telemachus find Menelaus | at a feast |
Why does Helen drug the wine | so they won't weep |
What is the color of Menelaus’s hair | red (or reddish blonde) |
While stuck in Egypt what must Menelaus do to get off the island | wrestle Proteus |
What are Telemachus and Pisistratus offered first | baths |
What will be the ultimate fate of Menelaus | Elysian Fields |
Who tells Menelaus to get moving | Eidothea |
What does Calypso tell the divine messenger she will give Odysseus | advice |
Which immortal helps Odysseus after Poseidon sends the raft-destroying storms | Leucothea |
What was Odysseus’ main activity on the island of Calypso | weeping |
Why is Odysseus suspicious of Calypso’s helping him get ready to leave | because she tells him to build a raft to go home |
On which day of his voyage from the island of Calypso does Odysseus first spot land | 18th |
Why does Odysseus say he wants to leave Calypso’s island | he wants to get home and can think of nothing else |
Whom does Zeus send to Calypso | Hermes |
Name the mortal lover of Eos (Dawn) whom Artemis killed. | Orion |
What does the sea nymph lend Odysseus | enchanted veil |
What is Calypso up to when the divine messenger arrives | weaving |
Whose daughter was Nausicaa | Alcinous |
What is the girls’ activity after they finish washing the clothing and spreading them out to dry | bathing |
Where had the Phaeacians lived before | Hyperia, Land near the Cyclops, Scheria |
Why does Nausicaa’s mother provide her with oil | to rub on after bathing |
What does Odysseus tell Nausicaa is the greatest gift | harmony in marriage |
What should Odysseus do once he enters the city where Nausicaa lives | go straight to the queen and grab her around the knees |
With whom does Odysseus compare Nausicaa | Artemis |
What was Odysseus wearing when Nausicaa first spotted him | naked, but shielding himself with a branch |
What does Athena tell Nausicaa to do to help prepare for marriage | wash fine clothing |
What interest of Odysseus does Nausicaa implicitly state the Phaeacians do not share | archery |
After she drops Odysseus off at the palace, where does Athena go in Book 7 | Athens |
What are the Phaeacian women famed for | weaving |
What is the name of the Phaeacian queen | Arete |
Who is Eurymedusa | Nausicaa's chambermaid |
What does Odysseus ask of Arete | help (getting home) |
What were the men of Phaeacia famed as | sailors |
Who does Athena say she is to Odysseus in Book 7 | neighbor of Alcinous |
What is the blood relationship between Arete and Alcinous | niece, uncle |
What does Alcinous want of Odysseus | to marry his daughter |
Who dismantles Nausicaa’s wagons and puts away the clothing | Nausicaa's brothers |
What was Odysseus doing while his companions sacrificed the cattle | sleeping |
Who is Idomeneus | Cretan king |
Which additional items does Alcinous tell all the Phaeacian noblemen to give Odysseus in Book 13 | Cauldron and tripod |
Who will replace the goods Alcinous asks his nobles to give Odysseus | Common people |
Who does Odysseus tell Athena he is | Murderer of the Cretin king’s son |
What does Athena do to disguise Odysseus in Book 13 | Turns him into an old man |
Where does Odysseus stow his loot | Cave |
How would you characterize the Phaeacian noblemen | Interested mostly in feasting |
How would you characterize Odysseus’s reaction to the Phaeacian’s generosity | He accepted it as his due |
Why is Ithaca probably not a place for horses | Too rugged and rocky |
From what you know about Idomeneus or the other Greek leaders, how was his return from the Trojan War unusual | He reached home quickly and safely |
Where does Eumaeus say beggars come from | Zeus |
Who is tricked into leaving a cloak behind | Thoas |
How many pig sties has Eumaeus built | 12 |
To which god(s) does Eumaeus provide a seventh portion of the meat at the feast | Hermes and the Nymphs |
After feasting with Eumaeus, where does Odysseus sleep | On top of goat and sheep skins |
Who was the father of Eumaeus the swineherd | Ctesius |
Which position does Odysseus propose to seek | Servant of the suitors |
Why does Eumaeus think Odysseus is unsuited to this position | He isn’t attractive and well-dressed |
Who made the silver mixing vessel Menelaus gave Telemachus | Hephaestus |
Which of Telemachus’s hosts described the duty of the host in terms of what we’d call the “golden mean” | Menelaus |
Which type of ship did Odysseus arrive in Ithaca | Phaeacian |
Before he learns the beggar at Eumaeus’ lodge is really his father, Telemachus tells him not to go to the palace. Why | Because the suitors will abuse him |
Which suitor tells Penelope they will not kill her son | Eurymachus |
Whose father came as a fugitive to Ithaca | Antinous |
Of which group of suitors is Amphinomus the leader | Those from Dulichium |
How did Odysseus and his men escape from the Cyclops | They tied themselves to the bellies of sheep |
What do the Sirens use to lure sailors to their deaths | Their voices |
Whom does Odysseus kill near the end of the story | All the suitors |
Who said, “Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods” | Zeus |
Who said, “The Olympian has given me sorrows beyond all others who were born and brought up together with me” | Zeus |
Who said, “This plan was not made without a god’s will” | Odysseus |
Who said, “I know well how to handle the polished bow, and would be first to strike any man with an arrow aimed at a company of hostile men” | Telemachus |
Who said, “Leave blows alone, do not press me too hard, or you may make me angry so that, old as I am, I may give you a bloody chest and mouth” | Odysseus |
What does deference to the gods show | Piety |
What is Odysseus’s flaw | Pride |
Odysseus carved his bed from the roots of which tree | Olive |
What does the bed represent | Penelope’s loyalty |
What is a measure of hospitality | Festivals |
What is Argos to Odysseus | His dog |
Of what is the bow a symbol | Strength |
At the beginning of the story, why has Odysseus not come home from the war | He is being held captive |
Who tells Telemachus to go out in search of his father | Athena |
What are Penelope’s suitors planning to do | Kill Telemachus |
What did Odysseus tell Polyphemus his name was | Nobody |
In Book 1 who is blamed for killing Agamemnon | Aegisthus |
Who does the disguised Athena appear to be in Book 1 | Mentes |
Upon receiving a guest in his home, How does Telemachus demonstrate his understanding of hospitality | By giving his guest food and drink before asking his name |
Who is the most impertinent of the suitors | Antinous |