By Homer
English 9 Semester Exam
Mr. Lore
GOOD LUCK!
 Section I ~ Who’s Who?
Directions: Match the descriptions with the appropriate characters.
1. _____ Faithful wife of Odysseus
2. _____ Greek King who helps Odysseus
3. _____ Recorded (wrote) The Odyssey
A. Agamemnon
B. Calypso
C. Charybdis
4. _____ Father of Odysseus
5. _____ The Killer Whirlpool
6. _____ Songsters known to lure sailors
7. _____ The Sun God
8. _____ Goddess of Defensive Warfare
9. _____ Son of Odysseus
10. ____ God of the Underworld
11. ____ Cyclops; son of Poseidon
12. ____ God of Gods; son of Cronus
13. ____ God of the Sea
D. Circe
E. The Sirens
F. Penelope
G. Hades
H. Helen
I. Telemachus
J. Odysseus
K. Laertes
L. Antinous
M. Helios
14. ____ Face that Launched a Thousand Ships
15. ____ One of Penelope’s Suitors
16. ____ King of Ithaca
17. ____ The Sorceress / Enchantress
18. ____ A Servant to Penelope
19. ____ Beautiful Goddess, holds Odysseus captive
20. ____ Six-Headed Grey Rock-Monster
N. Polyphemus
O. Zeus
P. Athena
Q Poseidon
R. Scylla
S. Homer
T. Eurycleia
 Section II ~ Multiple Choice
Directions: Select the letter of the answer that best completes each question.
21. ____ The Odyssey is based on
A. Stories collected by Greek philosophers to teach Greek values
B. Events, characters, and plot Homer created from imagination
C. Actual historical records found by Greek minstrels
D. Stories that had been told orally for many generations
22. ____ The Odyssey is based on events that happened
A. About 1200 B.C.
B. About 800 B. C.
C. About 400 B.C.
D. At some unknown time and place
23. ____ An Epic is
A. A song about Gods and Goddesses
B. A traveling poet
C. A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero
D. A long story that centers around the life of a minstrel
24. ____ In both the Iliad and the Odyssey
A. The mood is warlike and cruel
B. All of the action is set in Troy
C. The plot concerns a hero how longs to return home
D. Courage and cunning are valued
25. ____ Homer is believed to have been a (n)
A. Greek philosopher
B. Blind Minstrel
C. Soldier of the Trojan War
D. Illiterate musician
26. ____ At King Alcinous’s, Odysseus tells about events that happened
A. During the past ten years
B. During the past year
C. Before the Trojan War
D. During the Trojan War
27. ____ In the land of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus saves his men by
A. Using cunning and a skull
B. Using force
C. Battling the Lotus Eaters
D. Outwitting the Lotus Eaters
28. ____ As a direct result of the encounter with Polyphemus
A. Eight of Odysseus’ men are killed
B. He offers them his cheese and some milk
C. Poseidon becomes Odysseus’ enemy
D. The God of Earthquakes befriends Odysseus
29. ____ How does the Cyclops respond to Odysseus’ request for hospitality?
A. He scoffs at it and eats two of Odysseus’ men
B. He offers them his cheese and some milk
C. He yells for his brothers to help him
D. None of these are correct
30. ____ Odysseus is able to survive the encounter with the Sirens because he
A. Puts wax in his ears
B. Is strong enough to resist the singing
C. Ties up all his men
D. Orders his men to tie him to the mast
31. ____ Odysseus’ men fail to follow is orders in the episode
A. With the Sirens
B. In Charybdis
C. With Scylla
D. On the island of the Sun God
32. ____ Which of the following passages contains an epithet?
A. “Only Telemachus, uncomprehending, wild with incredulity…”
B. “…Antinous appears a blacker-hearted hound than any.”
C. “When the young Dawn with fingertips of rose”
D. “Telemachus, the stranger you welcomed in you hall…”
33. ____ Odysseus’ bow is unusual in that
A. None of the suitors can string it
B. It had been stung by a harper
C. It can be played just like a harp
D. Odysseus carved it from a single piece of oak
34. ____ After Antinous is dead, Eurymachus tries to persuade Odysseus to
A. Accept restitution and spare the lives of suitors
B. Give the suitors arms and a fair chance to defend themselves
C. Show mercy and compassion to the suitors
D. Take his rightful place as king of Ithaca
35. ____ Of all the gods and goddesses who figure in the Odyssey, the one who
most helps Odysseus is
A. Poseidon
B. Athena
C. Helios
D. Cronus
36. ____ Which statement best expresses the theme of The Odyssey?
A. A person must use cunning and deceit to avoid danger
B. A person must show courage and cleverness to overcome obstacles and
achieve personal goals
C. A person has no control over what happens in life; fate rules all events
D. Those that are strong need to follow no laws except their own desires
 Section III ~ Vocabulary
Directions: For the first section, match the word with its appropriate
definition. For the second section, you must completely define the word.
37. ____ Whim
A. Inspiring admiration, awe or fear
38. ____ Dithering
B. An opponent, enemy
39. ____ Stealth
C. To scold mildly
40. ____ Enticing
D. Luring, tempting
41. ____ Anguish
E. In a hateful way; horribly
42. ____ Disdain
F. Great physical or mental suffering; agony
43. ____ Questing
G. To rob of property by force; steal from
44. ____ Formidable
H. Acting in a nervous or uncertain way
45. ____ Plunder
I. To refuse or reject scornfully
46. ____ Adversary
J. A sudden impulse or notion; fancy
47. ____ Dwindle
K. Extremely sad
48. ____ Aloof
L. Quiet, secret, or sneaky behavior
49. ____ Disconsolate
M. To become gradually less; diminish
50. ____ Ponderous
N. To lie hidden, ready to ambush
51. ____ Omen
O. A large gathering; crowd
52. ____ Throng
P. A Sign
53. ____ Vile
Q. Distant, remote; standoffish
54. ____ Abominably
R. Heavy in a clumsy way; bulky
55. ____ Chide
S. Evil, disgusting
56. ____ Lurk
T. Journeying over; exploring
57. Restitution –
58. Avenge –
59. Succumb –
60. Peril –
61. Frenzy –
 Section IV ~ Short Answer
Directions: Answer the question as specifically as you possibly can.
62. What took Odysseus away from his home at Ithaca?
63. How does Odysseus defeat Polyphemus (The Cyclops)?
64. How will Penelope decide which suitor she will marry?
65. What was one of Odysseus’ Epithets?
66. Circe tells Odysseus that he must travel to the underworld before he can
return home; who does he see there?
67. How long does Odysseus stay with Circe?
68. How long does Odysseus stay with Calypso?
69. How is Odysseus disguised when he returns to Ithaca?
70. Who creates his disguise and assists him with his return to Ithaca?
 Section V ~ Long Answer
Directions: Answer the question as specifically as you possibly can, in
complete sentences. IF NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES, NO CREDIT!
71. Who was “Nohbdy” and explain in detail how “Nohbdy” helped Odysseus.
72. Discuss three specific heroic traits which Odysseus has, and give an example
from the story for each.
73. What did Odysseus do to reveal his true self and was no longer “the beggar”.
74. At first, why did Penelope not believe that he was truly Odysseus?
75. How did Odysseus defeat the Trojans?
 Section VI ~ Geography of “The Odyssey”
Directions: Place the correct number in the correct box located on the map of
“Real and Imaginary Places in “The Odyssey”.
1. Phaeacians’ Island
2. Cyclopes Island
3. Land of Lotus Eaters
4. Aeaea (Circe)
5. Ogygia (Calypso)
6. Troy
7. Thrinacia
8. Land of Laestrygones
9. Ithaca
10. Sirens Island
11. Sparta
12. Mt. Olympus
13. Ismarus (Cicones)
14. Aeolus’ Island
15. Scylla & Charybdis
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