Odyssey Common Assessment

Which quality of an epic hero does Odysseus display throughout his journey?

• honesty in the face of conflict

• dependence on the gods

• cunning in the face of danger

• strength in the pursuit of adventure

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Soon,

as we came smartly within hailing distance,

the two Sirens, noting our fast ship

off their point, made ready, and they sang.…

 

[15]  The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water

made me crave to listen, and I tried to say

'Untie me!' to the crew, jerking my brows;

but they bent steady to the oars. Then Perimedes

got to his feet, he and Eurylochus,

 

[20]  and passed more line about, to hold me still.

So all rowed on, until the Sirens

dropped under the sea rim, and their singing

dwindled away.

Which epic element is illustrated?

• divine intervention

• world-scale events

• strange creatures

• the underworld

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which of the following sentences best demonstrates rhetorical questioning in Odysseus’ speech to persuade his sailors to trust him for their battle against Charybdis and Scylla?

• “Heads up, lads!/ We must obey the orders as I give them./ Get the oarshafts in your hands, and lay back/ hard on your benches; hit these breaking seas./ Zeus help us pull away before we founder.”

• “Friends, have we never been in danger before this?/More fearsome, is it now, than when the Cyclops/ penned us in his cave? What power he had!/ Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits/ to find a way out for us?”

• “...deathly pity ran through/ at that sight—far the worst I ever suffered,/ questing the passes of the strange sea./ We rowed on./ The Rocks were now behind; Charybdis, too,/ and Scylla dropped astern.…"

• “But scarcely had that island faded in/ blue air than I saw smoke/ and white water, with sound of waves in tumult—/ a sound the men heard, and it terrified them.”

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

The resolution of the conflict between Odysseus and the monsters occurs when Odysseus

• listens to the shrieks of his men in Scylla's den.

• defeats Scylla with his spears and rescues his men.

• seals his men's ears with beeswax and is bound to the mast.

• sails away from the monsters after losing six men.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

the monster of the gray rock, harboring

torment for my friends. I strained my eyes

upon that cliffside veiled in cloud, but nowhere

could I catch sight of her.

In lines 61–64, the author creates a feeling of mystery by:

• making Odysseus successful.

• questioning where the crew has gone.

• eliminating the monster from the scene.

• hiding Scylla from view.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which BEST describes one technique the author uses to develop theme?

• The metaphor comparing Scylla to a fisher suggests that life is fragile.

• Similes describing Odysseus show that revenge is heroic.

• The personification of Charybdis shows that loyalty is a valuable trait.

• Imagery of the Sirens demonstrates that temptation is easy to resist.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which of the following elements of this epic is MOST  reflective of its specific cultural context of ancient Greece?

• the plot that centers on a journey

• the characters that display courage

• the gods that help the epic hero

• the setting of the sea

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Based on the character of Odysseus, which qualities did the ancient Greeks value?

• revenge and anger

• courage and loyalty

• kindness and gentleness

• obedience and faith

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which specific details from the text shape and refine the theme?

• The gods make puppets out of people so that their bidding can be done by others without the gods’ involvement.

• Odysseus is described as a wanderer who cannot find comfort anywhere, as he is continually persecuted by the gods.

• As the captain of his own ship, Odysseus should have been able to save his men from death or chosen to die with them.

• The gods are unjust in their choice to continue persecuting innocent people and keeping them from settling down at home.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

If a student wanted to use this source for a research paper on Greek Mythology, under which heading would the student categorize the information?

• Greek Mythology: Important Gods

• Greek Mythology: Religious & Social Background

• Greek Mythology: Life After Death

• Greek Mythology: Creation Myths

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5