The Odyssey
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Swineherd and friend to Odysseus.
Cyclops who devoured men.
A long narrative poem about a hero who represents a nation or race.
Goddess of war and wisdom.
Odysseus’ wife.
A larger than life figure who represents a nation or race.
Odysseus’ son.
He fooled the Cyclops with “Nohbody”.
King of the Gods.
God of the sea.
He told the story of Odysseus
A) Penelope
B) Telemachus
C) Homer
D) Eumaeus
AB) Odysseus
AC) Athena
AD) epic poem
AE) Poseidon
BC) epic hero
BD) Zeus
CD) Polyphemus
1. Who is the narrator of Odysseus' travels before reaching Ithaca?
a. Polyphemus
b. Zeus
c. an omniscient narrator
d. Odysseus
2. What is Odysseus' destination when he leaves home?
a. the land of the Cyclopes
b. home
c. Olympus, where the gods live
d. Troy, where the Trojan war is taking place
3. According to Odysseus, he is famous for being
a. witty.
b. cunning.
c. honest and straightforward.
d. kind and caring.
4. Odysseus' greatest fear is that the Lotus will make his men
a. moody and hard to get along with.
b. too sleepy to travel.
c. content to stay.
d. ill.
5. The effect of the Lotus plant on Odysseus' men is most similar to the effect of
a. medicine.
b. poison.
c. addictive drugs.
d. chocolate.
6. Why do Odysseus and his men enter Polyphemus' cave?
a. to kill Polyphemus
b. to find desperately needed food and shelter
c. to capture Polyphemus
d. to satisfy Odysseus' curiosity about Polyphemus
7. Which of the following best describes Polyphemus' attitude toward Zeus?
a. scornful
b. unconcerned
c. devoted
d. fearful
8. Polyphemus announces early on that he has no respect for Zeus. This immediately makes the situation less
a. complicated.
b. dangerous.
c. suspenseful.
d. predictable.
9. Which of the following helps Odysseus to defeat Polyphemus?
a. offering Polyphemus' prize ram as a sacrifice to Zeus
b. calling on the god Poseidon
c. telling Polyphemus that his name is Nohbdy
d. leaving men behind when he goes to Polyphemus' cave
10. In exchange for the wine, Polyphemus promises to
a. spare the rest of Odysseus' men.
b. let Odysseus go free.
c. eat Odysseus last.
d. sacrifice his prize ram to Zeus.
11. Why, despite the wizard's prediction, is Polyphemus surprised by Odysseus?
a. Odysseus is only a mortal man and Polyphemus expected something bigger.
b. Odysseus is far more powerful than he expected.
c. Odysseus arrived earlier than he expected.
d. Odysseus was supposed to have come alone.
12. Why does Odysseus reveal his true identity to Polyphemus?
a. His men urge him to.
b. He thinks Zeus is listening.
c. He is overcome by anger.
d. He thinks it will make Polyphemus less angry with his men.
13. By informing Polyphemus of his true name and the fact that he and his men have escaped, Odysseus clearly
a. pleases his men.
b. acts to shorten his journey home.
c. endangers his men.
d. impresses his men.
14. In Book 9, Odysseus' greatest weakness as a leader of men has to do with
a. having a negative outlook on life.
b. not wanting to stand out among his men.
c. being hot-headed.
d. being unwilling to risk lives.
15. Odysseus becomes angry with Eurylochus for
a. disobeying his orders.
b. expecting him to be perfect.
c. questioning his judgment.
d. wanting to go home.
16. Eurylochus believes that Odysseus' behavior in the land of the Cyclopes was
a. heroic.
b. irritating but understandable.
c. comical.
d. reckless.
17. What prevents Circe from turning Odysseus into a pig?
a. his reputation
b. her conscience
c. molly given by Hermes
d. his strength
18. Circe encourages Odysseus to forget about all of the following except his
a. goals.
b. pleasure.
c. values.
d. duty.
19. Where does Circe send Odysseus when he leaves her house?
a. to the land of Death
b. to Olympus, where the gods live
c. to his home
d. back to the land of the Cyclopes
20. Odysseus' men are afraid of the wolves and lions they meet outside Circe's house because the animals
a. are so ferocious.
b. can speak like people.
c. are so tame.
d. are so beautiful.
21. Why does Circe turn half of Odysseus' men into pigs?
a. She is a witch.
b. She wants to get Odysseus' attention.
c. They threatened her.
d. They attacked her animals.
22. Circe realizes who Odysseus is when
a. he asks to leave her house.
b. he goes to bed with her.
c. he resists her drug.
d. she first sees him.
23. After staying with Circe for a year, Odysseus is reminded of home by
a. his men.
b. his own heart.
c. Circe.
d. Eurylochus.
24. In Book 12, Circe
a. helps Odysseus.
b. both helps and hinders Odysseus.
c. neither helps nor hinders Odysseus.
d. hinders Odysseus.
25. Circe helps Odysseus by
a. changing the future.
b. warning him of Scylla and Charybdis.
c. protecting him against all dangers.
d. planning his future.
26. The danger of the Sirens is associated with their
a. beauty.
b. voices.
c. knowledge.
d. physical strength.
27. By not plugging his own ears with wax when Odysseus sails past the Sirens, Odysseus
a. brings doom and destruction on his men.
b. disobeys Circe.
c. takes the safest course of action.
d. has to be tied to the ship's mast.
28. What is Scylla?
a. a drifting rock
b. a slippery mountain that cannot be crossed
c. a whirlpool
d. a six-headed monster
29. What is Charybdis?
a. a drifting rock
b. a slippery mountain that cannot be crossed
c. a whirlpool
d. a six-headed monster
30. Odysseus is told to sail closer to Scylla than to Charybdis so that
a. Odysseus won't be tempted to fight against fate.
b. no harm will come to Odysseus' men.
c. harm will come to only six of Odysseus' men.
d. Odysseus will not be harmed.
31. As they approach Charybdis and Scylla, Odysseus keeps the terrified men going by
a. not revealing the danger of their situation.
b. threatening them.
c. making fun of them.
d. begging them.
32. Circe advises Odysseus to
a. avoid Scylla.
b. try to bargain with Scylla.
c. fight Scylla.
d. accept the idea of losing some of his men to Scylla.
33. The main reason that the suitors and servants don't recognize Odysseus when he first appears is that
a. he has disguised himself as a beggar.
b. he has aged twenty years.
c. Athena has made him beautiful and taller.
d. he is wearing armor and a helmet.
34. Suitors participating in the archery contest must first string the bow. Who succeeds in this first step?
a. Antinous, the ringleader of the suitors
b. Odysseus
c. Telemachus, Odysseus' son
d. Eurymachus, the suitor who pleads for the suitors' lives
35. In the struggle between Odysseus and the suitors, Odysseus refuses to do all of the following except
a. forgive.
b. show mercy.
c. strike a bargain.
d. take aid from his loyal servants.
36. All of the following characters aid Odysseus in his battle against the suitors except for
a. the servants, Eumaeus and Philoetius.
b. Odysseus' son, Telemachus.
c. Penelope.
d. Zeus.
37. In the struggle between Odysseus and the suitors, the gods appear to
a. swing their support back and forth between the two.
b. take the suitors' side.
c. remain neutral.
d. take Odysseus' side.
38. Penelope's initial reaction to Odysseus is one of
a. distrust.
b. joy.
c. anger.
d. shock.
39. What is different about Odysseus and Penelope's wedding bed?
a. It is made from the only remaining part of Odysseus' ship?
b. It is the trunk of an olive tree strung with oxhide.
c. It is made from stone carved from Mount Olympus.
d. Athena ordered it to be made by the Gods.
40. Which of the following causes Penelope to accept Odysseus as her true husband?
a. Zeus' thunderbolt
b. the goddess Athena's making Odysseus look like his younger self
c. Odysseus' stringing the bow
d. Odysseus' knowing that their bed cannot be moved