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Worksheets

The Odyssey

Total questions: 55

Worksheet time: 55mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Who is credited with creating The Odyssey?

a)

Homer

b)

Sophocles

c)

Shakespeare

d)

Plato

2.

All of the following are true about Homer except:

a)

He is also credited with The Iliad

b)

He was a rhapsode

c)

He was blind

d)

He wrote between 1600 and 1700 A.D.

3.

What is a rhapsode?

a)

A traveling poet who would memorize and recite poems for entertainment

b)

A poet who primarily writes in lyrical verses

c)

A traveling performer who plays various instruments

d)

A comedian who tells jokes through epic poetry

4.

All of the following are elements of epic poetry EXCEPT

a)

Superhuman feats of strength

b)

Contains short speeches

c)

Elevated diction (fancy writing)

d)

Vast setting

5.

Which element of epic poetry is being represented in the opening lines of The Odyssey: “Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy”

a)

contains gods or supernatural beings

b)

asking for help from a muse

c)

epic simile

d)

including an unknown hero

6.

What does in media res mean?

a)

"multiple forms of media"

b)

"beginning at the end"

c)

"in the middle of things"

d)

"missing parts of the story"

7.

"gray-eyed Athena" is an example of a(n)

a)

epic simile

b)

epic hero

c)

epithet

d)

epitaph

8.

“I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home like a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright's drill that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl and the drill keeps twisting, never stopping --So we seized our stake with it fiery tip and bored it round and round in the giant's eye" is an example of a(n)

a)

epic simile

b)

epitaph

c)

epithet

d)

epic hero

9.
The Odyssey begins at the end of
a)
The Trojan War
b)
The Civil War
c)
The Greek War
10.
The Lotus Eaters enticed the men to
a)
fight
b)
stay in their land
c)
turn into pigs
d)
mutiny against Odysseus
11.

Odysseus tricked the cyclops by

a)

stealing his sheep

b)

drinking his wine

c)

telling him a false name

d)

hiding in his cave

12.

The cyclops was the son of

a)

Athena

b)

Circe

c)

Zeus

d)

Poseidon

13.

By bragging about his name, Odysseus displayed the fatal flaw of

a)

cowardice

b)

gluttony (greed)

c)

hubris (pride)

d)

envy

14.

Odysseus was trying to return to _______ and his journey last _____ years.

a)

Troy; 20 years

b)

Sparta; 20 years

c)

Ithaca: 10 years

d)

Athens; 10 years

15.

Who is Odysseus's son?

a)

Antinous

b)

Alcinous

c)

Telemachus

d)

Teletubby

16.

Who is Odysseus's wife?

a)

Penelope

b)

Patricia

c)

Calypso

d)

Persephone

17.

The woman who keeps Odysseus captive for 7 years is...

a)

Circe

b)

Calypso

c)

Aeolus

d)

Helen

18.

The woman who turns Odysseus's men into pigs is

a)

Calypso

b)

Circe

c)

Penelope

d)

Athena

19.

The most arrogant and outspoken of the suitors was

a)

Telemachus

b)

Euripodes

c)

Eurymachus

d)

Antinous

20.

The messenger god is

a)

Athena

b)

Aeolus

c)

Hermes

d)

Apollo

21.

How does Odysseus blind the cyclops?

a)

Gets him drunk and stabs him.

b)

Throws acid in his eye.

c)

Challenges him to battle and spears him with his sword.

d)

He doesn't blind him.

22.

How does Odysseus protect his men while passing the Sirens?

a)

He ties them to the ship

b)

He blindfolds them

c)

He places wax in their ears

d)

He doesn't reveal to them that they're about to pass the Sirens since there is nothing he can do.

23.

How many suitors must Odysseus kill?

a)

50

b)

2

c)

113

d)

500

24.

How does Penelope know Odysseus is truly her husband?

a)

He shaves his beard.

b)

He has a familiar scar.

c)

He knows about a secret door.

d)

He knows the bed cannot be moved.

25.

While Odysseus has been gone, the suitors have been

a)

Eating and drinking at his expense

b)

Trying to steal his wife

c)

Plotting to kill his son

d)

All of these are correct.

26.

If Odysseus and his men had killed Cyclops in the cave:

a)

A curse would have befallen them.

b)

They would have been trapped and would have died inside.

c)

Zeus would have intervened and gotten them home.

d)

He could have fallen on them, crushing them all.

27.

Why don't the other Cyclopes come to his rescue?

a)

Odysseus is too great.

b)

They don't like Polyphemus.

c)

The Cyclopes can only see well, not hear.

d)

They hear Polyphemus saying, "Nobody hurt me" so they assume he's fine.

28.

How do the men escape Polyphemus' cave?

a)

They sneak out at night, while he sleeps.

b)

They hide under his flock as they go out in the morning.

c)

They work together to move the slab.

d)

None of these.

29.

Who is Eumaeus?

a)

one of Penelope's suitors

b)

a minor god

c)

Odysseus' loyal swineherd

d)

Odysseus' faithful dog

30.

Who is Argos and what happens to him?

a)

He's Eumaeus' herding dog and he guides Odysseus to Eumaeus' hut.

b)

He is Odysseus' dog, but they don't recognize each other since it's been 20 years.

c)

He is Odysseus' dog, and he dies after hearing Odysseus' voice after 20 years.

d)

He is Antinous' dog who is killed by Odysseus.

31.

What does Athena disguise Odysseus as?

a)

a suitor

b)

Eumaeus

c)

a beggar

d)

a priest of Zeus

32.

What gift does Aeolus give Odysseus?

a)

A bag of winds

b)

A map

c)

A sword

d)

A ram to sacrifice

33.
Who helps Odysseus avoid the sorcery of Circe?
a)
Hermes
b)
Eumaeus
c)
Athena
d)
Eurylochus
34.

How long do Odysseus and his men stay with Circe and her maids?

a)

1 year

b)

5 years

c)

7 years

d)

3 years

35.

Odysseus is sent from Circe's island to the Land of the Dead to speak with Tiresias who is a _______

a)

Odysseus' childhood friend

b)

deceased dog

c)

fallen solidier

d)

blind prophet

36.
Which of his own relatives does Odysseus see in the Underworld?
a)
Father
b)
Mother
c)
Wife
d)
Son
37.

These creatures look like beautiful women/birds, and their song can make ships crash.

a)

The Lotus-Eaters

b)

The Sirens

c)

Scylla

d)

The Laestrygonians

38.
Scylla was a ______, and Charybdis was a _____
a)
the devil; Medusa
b)
a one-eyed monster; a sinkhole in the ground
c)
a cannibalistic tribe; a giant king
d)
a 6-headed monster; vicious whirlpool
39.
Penelope fools the suitors by weaving a _____ and unweaving it every night.
a)
Scarf
b)
Sweater
c)
Shroud
d)
A baby blanket
40.

To win Penelope's hand, the suitors must string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through

a)

16 apples

b)

9 of her most valued rings

c)

5 cow hearts

d)

12 ax rings

41.

Which race of people live on Ismarus?

a)

The Lotus Eaters

b)

The Cicones

c)

The Laestrygonians

d)

The Sirens

42.

Why does the Cicones' army attack Odysseus and his crew?

a)

They were on the Trojan's side during the war and wanted revenge.

b)

Zeus and Poseidon ordered them to.

c)

Odysseus' crew was plundering their city, kidnapping their women, and killing their men.

d)

They were brute savages who attacked anyone who arrived on their island.

43.

True or False: Odysseus leaves his men behind when they become addicted to lotus.

a)

True

b)

False

44.

All of the following are part of Polyphemus's prayer to Poseidon EXCEPT

a)

May his journey be long

b)

May he lose all companions

c)

May he return to bitter days at home

d)

May he return under his own sail

45.

Out of the following locations, where does Odysseus lose the most men?

a)

The Island of the Laestrygonians

b)

The Sirens

c)

The Lotus Eaters

d)

Scylla

46.

Why do the men run out of food on the island of Thrinacia?

a)

There is a month-long storm that prevents them from obtaining more food.

b)

There are greedy men among the crew who eat more than everyone else.

c)

Zeus destroys their ship, thus destroying their food supply as well.

d)

Odysseus does not allow his crew to eat.

47.

Who rallies the crew and convinces them to eat Helios' cattle?

a)

Elpinor

b)

Eurylochus

c)

Eurymachus

d)

Odysseus

48.

Who tells Helios that his cattle have been killed?

a)

Circe

b)

Lampetia

c)

Zeus

d)

Poseidon

49.

Which crew member visits Odysseus in the Underworld and asks him to return to Aeaea and give him a proper burial?

a)

Achilles

b)

Elpinor

c)

Patrocles

d)

Eurylochus

50.

Where is Odysseus telling his story?

a)

Ogygia

b)

Phaeacia

c)

Thrinacia

d)

Ithaca

51.

How does Penelope test Odysseus?

a)

She tells him she moved their bed to the hallway

b)

She tells him she had another son.

c)

She tells him that he must repeat the challenge for her to see.

d)

She tells him to summon Athena to prove he's the real Odysseus.

52.

Why does Penelope have to test Odysseus?

a)

There have been imposters before him.

b)

He doesn't look the same as he did when he left.

c)

His voice has changed.

d)

He can't remember the name of their son so she's suspicious.

53.

Eurymachus tries to reason with Odysseus after Antinous is killed. What does he say?

a)

He offers to pay him in gold.

b)

He explains that Antinous is the one to blame and they were just following him.

c)

He offers to return all of the food, wine, and animals they used.

d)

All of the above.

54.

Who are Odysseus' parents?

a)

Anticlea & Laertes

b)

Athena & Zeus

c)

Elpinor & Helen

d)

Penelope & Telemachus

55.

How does Zeus punish Odysseus's crew for eating Helios' cattle?

a)

He makes them vomit the meat up.

b)

He strikes their ship with a lightning bolt and kills everyone except Odysseus.

c)

He sends their ship towards Charybdis where everyone is killed.

d)

He only punishes Odysseus by extending his journey by 5 more years.