The Odyssey Test

Part I. Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answer.

1. An epic has _____ parts

A. 15 C. 24
B. 26 D. none of the above

2. In an epic, where does the action begin?

A. Beginning C. Middle
B. End D. Wherever the author chooses

3. What did Odysseus steal from the Trojans?

A. The Palladium C. A wooden horse
B. Helen D. Their king

4. Odysseus is from
A. Troy C. Sparta
B. Ilium D. Ithaca

5. The King of Aeolia gave what gift to Odysseus?

A. The best wine ever made C. Both A & B
B. A bag of winds D. Neither A nor B

6. Who is Antinous?
A. One of Penelope’s suitors C. The first suitor Odysseus kills
B. The man who threw a stool at Odysseus D. All of the above

7. How long did the war between the Greeks and Trojans last?
A. 15 years C. Six years
B. Twelve months D. Ten years

8. What did the Greeks hide in to enter Troy?

A. A wooden horse C. The city wall
B. The bushes D. All of the above

9. Why don’t Odysseus’ men return from the Land of the Lotus-Eaters?
A. Circe has captured them C. They’ve lost their hope of home
B. They’re being held captive by the lotus-eaters D. They’ve been eaten

10. What does Odysseus tell Cyclops happened to his ships?

A. They sank C. They crashed on the rocks
B. They’re anchored around the corner D. His men left him and went home

11. Telemachus wants to bring which items to his father to help him fight the suitors?
A. A shield and spears C. Both A & B
B. A helmet D. None of the above
12. Who does Cyclops pray to after Odysseus and his men escape?
A. Zeus C. Tiresias
B. Athena D. Poseidon

13. The name of the Cyclops whose cave Odysseus entered was
A. Perimedes C. Philoeteus
B. Polyphemus D. None of the above

14. What difficulty does Penelope say the gods gave to her and Odysseus?
A. They kept them from enjoying life together C. They caused Odysseus to become bitter
B. They kept them from having more children D. They caused Penelope to be unfaithful

15. After leaving the Cattle of the Sun Gods, how long does Odysseus drift in the open sea?
A. 1 month C. Twelve days
B. Ten years D. None of the above

Part II. True/False: Read each statement carefully and decide whether it is true or false.
Choose A for true and B for false.

True False
16. A B Homer is only given credit for The Odyssey

17. A B Odysseus sends twelve men to explore the Land of the Lotus-
Eaters

18. A B Odysseus takes food, wine and a spear when he goes to inspect the
Cyclops’ cave.

19. A B Upon entering the cave, Odysseus’ men beg him to take the cheese
and cattle and quickly return to the ships.

20. A B Odysseus’ mother welcomes him home with open arms.

21. A B Odysseus asks his men to tie him to the mast and to plug their ears
with beeswax in order to avoid the trap of Circe.

22. A B Odysseus returns home with one ship and only two men.

23. A B The Phaeacians help Odysseus finally reach his home.

24. A B Athena tells Odysseus that he will return home to find his wife
remarried.

25. A B When Penelope questions Odysseus about his past, he tells her it is
too painful to speak of.
Part III. Matching: Match the characters on the left to the descriptions on the right.

26. Posedion A. The faithful wife of Odyssues.

27. Argos B. Disguises Odysseus as a beggar when

he returns to Ithaca.

28. Penelope C. Large, has one eye and lives in a cave.

29. Telemachus D. Odysseus’ dog.

30. Athena E. Odysseus ventures to the Land of the

Dead to offer a blood sacrifice to this
god.

31. Cylcops ABC. He died when he fell off of Circe’s

roof.

32. Circe AB. The wife of Menalaus and the reason

the Greeks attacked Troy.

33. Tiresias AC. God of the sea. Hates Odysseus.

34. Helen AD. He is twenty when Odysseus finally

returns home.

35. Elpenor AE. A witch who tells Odysseus how to

get home.

Part IV. Short Answer: Answer the following questions in as much detail as possible.

36. What are two main themes in The Odyssey?

37. What is an epic?

38. Explain Odysseus’ entire plan to escape from the Cyclops. Make sure you give his reasoning
behind his actions.

39. What is the one thing Tiresias tells Odysseus not do, but his men do it anyway? Why do they
not follow Odysseus’ orders and how does this relate to one of the main themes of this epic?

40. How does Penelope test Odysseus to see if he is really her husband?
Part V. Essay: Answer the following question in at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph
should consist of 7-10 sentences. Support your opinions with details from the epic. Write in
complete sentences. You will be graded on content, effort, use of support, spelling,
grammar and mechanics.

41. Pick three traits of an epic hero and show how Odysseus exhibits these traits throughout the
epic. Be detailed and specific and give thorough examples!