The Odyssey Quiz

Why does Odysseus travel to the Land of the Dead? Choose the best answer.

• To find a way home

• To ask Tiresias for guidance

• To meet with the god Hades

• To escape the wrath of Poseidon

Which character does Odysseus encounter first in the Land of the Dead? Choose the best answer.

• His mother, Anticlea

• Tiresias, the prophet

• His fallen comrade, Elpenor

• Agamemnon, a fallen Greek king

What message does Tiresias give Odysseus regarding Helios’ cattle? Choose the best answer.

• To avoid eating them to ensure his crew’s survival

• To sacrifice the cattle to appease the gods

• To use them as provisions for the journey

• To offer them as a tribute to the dead

How does Odysseus feel when he sees his mother, Anticlea, in the Land of the Dead?

• Joyful and relieved

• Indifferent and unemotional

• Sorrowful and heartbroken

• Angry and resentful

What does Odysseus learn from the spirit of Elpenor?

• That his journey will end in tragedy

• That he must give Elpenor a proper burial

• That Poseidon has forgiven him

• That Elpenor has cursed him

Which of the following themes is emphasized by Odysseus’ interaction with the dead?

• The power of revenge

• The importance of loyalty and respect for the dead

• The pursuit of glory

• The inevitability of suffering

How does Tiresias describe the fate awaiting Odysseus if he fails to heed his warnings?

• He will be trapped in the underworld forever

• He will lose his entire crew and return home alone

• He will live eternally cursed by the gods

• He will forget his family and never return home

What does Odysseus’ decision to seek the advice of Tiresias suggest about his character? Analyze how characters’ decisions reveal their motivations and complexity.

• He is a fearful and indecisive leader

• He is a wise and cautious leader

• He doubts his own abilities and lacks confidence

• He is overly concerned with his own glory

What effect does the blood sacrifice have on the spirits in the Land of the Dead? Analyze how details reveal meaning, character motivation, and progression.

• It allows them to move freely among the living

• It grants them the ability to see into the future

• It enables them to speak and interact with Odysseus

• It causes them to remember their lives vividly

Why does Tiresias advise Odysseus to make offerings to Poseidon once he returns home? Cite textual evidence to support analysis of the text’s explicit meaning.

• To regain his lost strength

• To ensure his family’s prosperity

• To make amends for blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son

• To gain safe passage for future voyages