Your Results:

The correct answer for each question is indicated by a

1 CORRECT
The Hero Odysseus is considered unique among the ancient Greek Heroes
because he...
was a giant.
A)
was fashioned of thunderbolts.
B)
was very loud.
C)
used intelligence.
D)
used a magical sword and cape.
E)

2 CORRECT
What did Penelope, Odysseus' wife, do during his absence?
Weave a shroud.
A)
Unravel a shroud.
B)
Thwarted 100 suitors.
C)
Waited 19 years for her husband to come home.
D)
All of the above.
E)

3
INCORRECT

Differences between the Iliad and the Odyssey may be attributed to...
different cultures.
A)

an older author.
B)
typographical and translation errors.
C)
lack of divine inspiration.
D)
divine law.
E)

4
INCORRECT

Theories that attribute authorship of the Odyssey to a woman include...

the changed status of women in the Greek culture.
A)
the increased presence of women in the narrative.
B)
the advent of female warriors.
C)
the resurgence of matriarchal culture in the Mediterranean.
D)
the influence of the Gods and Goddesses.
E)

5 CORRECT
In the Iliad the action takes place...
in a castle.
A)
on a beach.
B)
on high seas.
C)
in a dream.
D)

all of the above.

E)

6 CORRECT
In the Odyssey the action takes place...
in India.
A)
all over Greece.
B)
all over Africa.
C)
all over the Mediterranean.
D)
all over Norway.
E)

7
INCORRECT

The journey of Odysseus takes him...

to the Underworld.
A)
to self-discovery.
B)
to internal truths.
C)
through the subconscious.
D)
all of the above.
E)

8 CORRECT
Compared to the Iliad, the Odyssey has...
more man-eating giants.
A)
more nymphs, sirens and women.
B)

more messages from the dead.

C)
more Gods and Goddesses.
D)
all of the above
E)

9 CORRECT
Compared to the Iliad, the Odyssey has...
more special, supernatural effects.
A)
bigger Heroes.
B)
only men.
C)
all of the above.
D)
none of the above.
E)

10
CORRECT

How long does it take Odysseus to return home?

15 years
A)
6 months
B)
10 months
C)
10 years
D)
2 years
E)

11
CORRECT

Where had Odysseus been at the start of the Odyssey?

On campaign in Egypt.
A)
Trojan War.
B)
Fighting the Mesopotamians.
C)
Fighting the Gauls and Brits.
D)
India.
E)

12
CORRECT

Along the way, Odysseus...

is shipwrecked.
A)
is turned into a woman and back again.
B)
is eaten by a cannibal.
C)
kills his wife.
D)
all of the above.
E)

13
INCORRECT

Along the way, Hermes rescues Odysseus twice. One theory for this is...
Zeus thinks Odysseus is about to be overwhelmed by female forces.
A)
Apollo is concerned for his son.
B)
Odysseus has learned his lessons.
C)

All the women were busy.

D)
All of the above.
E)

14
CORRECT

Who makes Odysseus her love slave?

Aphrodite
A)
Medusa
B)
The Queen of Sheba
C)
Calypso
D)
All of the above
E)

15
CORRECT

Who is the enchantress who turns men into swine?

Medusa
A)
the Goddess of the Moon
B)
Circe
C)
Medea
D)
Cassandra
E)

16
INCORRECT

In the opening words to the Odyssey, Odysseus blames people for...

not supporting their Heroes.

A)
causing their own suffering.
B)
allowing people to be poor.
C)
giving in to the Gods and Goddesses.
D)
their animal natures.
E)

17
INCORRECT

The blind seer, Tiresias, was...

in most myths of the royal family of Thebes.
A)
always ignored by the leaders.
B)
always right.
C)
in the Underworld in the Odyssey.
D)
all of the above.
E)

18
INCORRECT

The prophet, Tiresias, warns the Hero Odysseus to...

avoid women.
A)
use a disguise when leaving Hades.
B)
use a secret spell to leave Hades.
C)
adopt a more loving attitude.

D)
adopt a more prudent attitude.
E)

19
CORRECT

Who sentenced Odysseus "to wander" on his journey home for blinding his son
Polythemus?
Zeus
A)
Poseidon
B)
Hades
C)
Apollo
D)
Tiresias
E)

20
CORRECT

Polythemus was a...

giant cannibal.
A)
dolphin.
B)
King of Ithaca.
C)
dragon/man.
D)
giant whirlpool.
E)

21
INCORRECT

The Goddess Athene helps Odysseus by...

warning him of his temper.

A)
warning his of his divine birth.
B)
warning him of Zeus' revenge.
C)
women in disguise.
D)
all of the above.
E)

22
INCORRECT

In Hades, the spirit of Agamemnon warns Odysseus of...

magic spells that Circe will use against him.
A)
even the closest of friends.
B)
even the most loving of fathers.
C)
even the best of wives.
D)
all of the above.
E)

23
INCORRECT

In the Odyssey, Circe and Calypso share narrative elements that DO NOT
include...
reducing men to their common denominator.
A)
feminine power linked to magic and mystery.
B)
representative of matriarchal islands in the sea of patriarchy.
C)
loving Odysseus.
D)

being half-serpent half-human.

E)

24
CORRECT

Most of the women Odysseus encounters...

first challenge and then aid him.
A)
first love and then leave him.
B)
first seduce and then torture him.
C)
offer him their children.
D)
return with him to his home.
E)

25
CORRECT

Odysseus' son, Telemachus, would be doomed to repeat the fate of Orestes, who
had to slay the seducer of his mother and killer of his father, if Odysseus did
not...
kill his mother.
A)
kill the 100 suitors.
B)
offer himself up for justice.
C)
marry Athene.
D)
kill Poseidon.
E)

26
INCORRECT

The concept of "divine law" refers to...

the rules of the Gods and Goddesses.

A)
the reward of the good and punishment of the bad.
B)
unavoidable and unpredictable change.
C)
all of the above.
D)

27
INCORRECT

Athene is said to appear in the narrative of the Odyssey as the...

representative of women everywhere.
A)
symbolic messenger of the Underworld.
B)
unexpected occurrence of rational thought.
C)
unexpected occurrence of joy.
D)

E)

28
INCORRECT

unexpected arrival of encounters with mythical beasts representing the

subconscious.

Calypso is said to represent...

unchecked curiosity.
A)
female rights.
B)
unchecked female sexuality.
C)
rampant romanticism.
D)
female fertility.
E)

29
CORRECT

Penelope is said to be...

the fullness of Odysseus' female counterpart.
A)
the lovely evil of Zeus.
B)
the enchantress of Odysseus.
C)
the leader of Thebes while Odysseus was gone.
D)
the link between the realms of the Underworld and the world of men.
E)

30
CORRECT

Among the qualities Penelope has in common with Odysseus is NOT...

weaving.
A)
cunning.
B)
endurance.
C)
immortality.
D)
resourcefulness.
E)

31
CORRECT

Odysseus ends the tale of the Odyssey by confiding to Penelope that he...
seduced Circe.
A)
was seduced by Calypso.
B)
must kill their son.

C)
must leave again.
D)
no longer loves her.
E)

32
INCORRECT

Zeus and Athene bring the Troy Saga to an end by...

causing everyone to forget the war ever happened.
A)
reconciling relatives of the suitors.
B)
causing the 100 suitors to be transported to Egypt.
C)
a plague.
D)
causing the invasion by the Dorians.
E)

Essay Topics
Essay Topic 1
If you had to identify the moral of The Iliad, what would it be and why? Please explain using
specific examples of characters and lessons they went through and learned.

Essay Topic 2
The gods play an important role in The Iliad. What is the one thing that the gods do which
most influences the story, and why is it the most influential action of the gods?

Essay Topic 3
The symbols in The Iliad are numerous. Pick a symbol and discuss its importance to the
characters in the book.

Essay Topic 4
In the beginning of The Iliad, Homer tells us that the story is about the anger of Achilles.
What is one part of the story that do not involve Achilles, but is a result of his anger? Why is
this part important if the story is about the anger of Achilles.