The Odyssey, Part I
  • 1. Which of the following do the men NOT do on the island of Ismarus?
A) forget about their home
B) slaughter the cattle
C) enslave the women
D) plunder their goods
  • 2. Why does Odysseus think that they were defeated by the Cicones?
A) they were not in Zeus' favor
B) the Cicones were angry at them for plundering their island
C) they weren't as strong
D) they were tired and hungry after traveling
  • 3. What is Odysseus feeling while being held captive by Calypso?
A) nothing
B) longings for home
C) relaxation from being worry-free
D) anger at his crew for wanting to stay
  • 4. In the beginning of "The Lotus Eaters," what keeps Odysseus from reaching home?
A) his crew
B) a sea monster
C) the current in the ocean
D) the East, North, and South winds
  • 5. What happens to the crew members who eat the lotus?
A) they turn into swine
B) they die
C) the forget about home
D) they kill themselves
  • 6. What type of figurative language is used in the description of dawn coming "with ringlets shining"?
A) imagery
B) personification
C) hyperbole
D) metaphor
  • 7. Why does Odysseus not kill Polyphemus when he first gets the opportunity to do so?
A) He knew he would feel guilty.
B) He was afraid of Polyphemus' power.
C) Polyphemus was sleeping.
D) They needed Polyphemus to move the boulder.
  • 8. What does Odysseus do to escape from Polyphemus?
A) He stabbed him in the eye.
B) He exited the cave with the rams.
C) He tied himself to the belly of a sheep.
D) All of these.
  • 9. What lessons could people today learn from the Cyclops episode?
A) Don't get trapped in a cave with a monster.
B) Take responsibility for your actions.
C) Think before you act.
D) Tell others about your accomplishments.
  • 10. Insidious means:
A) finished quickly
B) characterized by treachery
C) in a sad and lonely state
D) holds dear
  • 11. What does the ghost of Elpenor request of Odysseus?
A) that Odysseus bury him
B) that he leave the cattle alone
C) that he go home
D) that he pray to Zeus
  • 12. What does Tiresias foretell?
A) If the cattle are harmed, Odysseus' crew will be destroyed.
B) All of these
C) Poseidon will seek revenge for stabbing Polyphemus.
D) They will encounter the cattle of Helios.
  • 13. How did Odysseus react upon the sight of his mother?
A) He openly grieves.
B) He hugs her.
C) He shakes her hand.
D) He doesn't look at her.
  • 14. What does Odysseus' crew do to him so that he can resist the Sirens' song?
A) They send him under the deck.
B) They put beeswax over their ears.
C) They tie him up.
D) They send him to bed.
  • 15. A squall washed the ship ashore. What does squall mean?
A) a violent storm
B) enormous
C) goods taken by force
D) a strong wind
  • 16. What does Odysseus use to protect his crew from the Sirens' song?
A) rope
B) earplugs
C) prayer
D) beeswax
  • 17. Scylla is a:
A) monster made of gray rock
B) a powerful sorceress
C) a whirlpool in the ocean
D) a beautiful singing nymph
  • 18. How many of Odysseus' men does Scylla kill?
A) 6
B) all of them
C) none
D) 8
  • 19. Which saying best describes the episode of Scylla and Charybdis?
A) "Caught between a rock and a hard place."
B) "Don't put your foot in your mouth."
C) "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
D) "Don't let the cat out of the bag."
  • 20. Left in a sad and lonely state is:
A) dispatched
B) cherishes
C) bereft
D) mammoth
  • 21. According to Eurylochus, which type of death is the worst?
A) burning
B) starvation
C) drowning
D) being eaten alive
  • 22. Which god becomes angry at Odysseus and his crew for destroying his cattle?
A) Poseidon
B) Zeus
C) Polyphemus
D) Helios
  • 23. How does Odysseus manage to escape Charybdis?
A) none of these
B) by building a boat
C) by praying to Zeus
D) by clinging to a fig tree
  • 24. Who is the most powerful of the gods?
A) Agamemnon
B) Poseidon
C) Zeus
D) Athena
  • 25. Which of the following is an epithet in The Odyssey?
A) master of landways and seaways
B) All of these
C) monster of gray rock
D) dawn's rosy fingertips
  • 26. After turning Odysseus' men into swine, _______________ eventually gives Odysseus and his men valuable advice.
A) Siren
B) Calypso
C) Scylla
D) Circe
Students who took this test also took :

Created with That Quiz — where a math practice test is always one click away.