Odyssey

Question 1

Who wrote The Odyssey

Answer 1

Homer

Question 2

What is the literary genre of The Odyssey

Answer 2

Epic poem

Question 3

What is the name of Homer’s other famous epic

Answer 3

The Iliad

Question 4

What war serves as the background for The Odyssey

Answer 4

The Trojan War

Question 5

Approximately when was The Odyssey composed

Answer 5

Around the 8th century BCE

Question 6

Which of the following is a major theme in The Odyssey a) The importance of wealth b) The power of fate and the gods c) The role of technology in warfare d) The beauty of nature Answer

Answer 6

b) The power of fate and the gods

Question 7

What meter is The Odyssey written in a) Iambic pentameter b) Free verse c) Dactylic hexameter d) Prose Answer

Answer 7

c) Dactylic hexameter

Question 8

Who is the protagonist of The Odyssey

Answer 8

Odysseus

Question 9

Who is Odysseus’ wife

Answer 9

Penelope

Question 10

Who is Odysseus’ son

Answer 10

Telemachus

Question 11

What is the name of Odysseus’ home island

Answer 11

Ithaca

Question 12

Which goddess helps Odysseus the most throughout his journey

Answer 12

Athena

Question 13

Which god is Odysseus’ primary divine antagonist

Answer 13

Poseidon

Question 14

What is the name of the Cyclops that Odysseus blinds

Answer 14

Polyphemus

Question 15

Why does Poseidon curse Odysseus a) He disrespected Athena b) He killed a Trojan prince c) He blinded Poseidon’s son Polyphemus d) He stole gold from Olympus Answer

Answer 15

c) He blinded Poseidon’s son Polyphemus

Question 16

Which enchantress turns Odysseus’ men into pigs a) Calypso b) Circe c) Sirens d) Charybdis Answer

Answer 16

b) Circe

Question 17

How does Odysseus avoid the Sirens’ song a) He kills them before they can sing b) He plugs his crew’s ears with beeswax and ties himself to the mast c) He sails in the opposite direction d) He fights them with his sword Answer

Answer 17

b) He plugs his crew’s ears with beeswax and ties himself to the mast

Question 18

What challenge does Penelope give to the suitors a) To sail to Troy and bring back proof of Odysseus’ survival b) To wrestle Telemachus and prove their strength c) To string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads d) To recite The Iliad from memory Answer

Answer 18

c) To string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads

Question 19

Who is the leader of the suitors trying to marry Penelope a) Antinous b) Eumaeus c) Eurymachus d) Menelaus Answer

Answer 19

a) Antinous

Question 20

What happens to the suitors in the end a) Odysseus forgives them b) They escape and take over Ithaca c) They are killed by Odysseus and Telemachus d) Athena turns them into animals Answer

Answer 20

c) They are killed by Odysseus and Telemachus

Question 21

Which character warns Odysseus about the dangers of Scylla and Charybdis

Answer 21

Circe

Question 22

How does Odysseus’ crew anger Helios the sun god

Answer 22

They kill and eat his sacred cattle on the island of Thrinacia

Question 23

How does Zeus punish Odysseus’ men for eating the cattle of Helios

Answer 23

He destroys their ship with a thunderbolt drowning them all except Odysseus

Question 24

Who keeps Odysseus captive on her island for several years offering him immortality

Answer 24

Calypso

Question 25

What does Hermes give Odysseus to protect him from Circe’s magic

Answer 25

A magical herb called moly

Question 26

Why does Odysseus visit the land of the dead (Underworld) a) To retrieve a sacred weapon b) To ask Tiresias the blind prophet for guidance on returning home c) To bring a fallen comrade back to life d) To challenge Hades for his soul Answer

Answer 26

b) To ask Tiresias the blind prophet for guidance on returning home

Question 27

What does Tiresias warn Odysseus about in the Underworld a) That his wife is unfaithful b) That Poseidon will never forgive him c) That his journey home will be difficult and he must not harm Helios’ cattle d) That the suitors will kill him when he returns to Ithaca Answer

Answer 27

c) That his journey home will be difficult and he must not harm Helios’ cattle

Question 28

Why does Odysseus initially hide his identity when he returns to Ithaca a) He fears the wrath of the gods b) He wants to test who remains loyal to him c) He has forgotten who he is d) He no longer wants to rule Ithaca Answer

Answer 28

b) He wants to test who remains loyal to him

Question 29

Who is the first person in Ithaca to recognize Odysseus despite his disguise a) Penelope b) Telemachus c) His old nurse Eurycleia d) Antinous Answer

Answer 29

c) His old nurse Eurycleia

Question 30

What final test does Penelope give Odysseus before accepting his identity a) She asks him to describe their wedding day b) She tells him to move their bed knowing it is immovable c) She asks him to string his bow once again d) She challenges him to solve a riddle only they know Answer

Answer 30

b) She tells him to move their bed knowing it is immovable