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CommonLit Theseus and the Minotaur

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

How did the princess help Theseus?

a)

by giving him rocks and stones to throw at the Minotaur

b)

by giving him money to help her escape

c)

by giving him a ball of string to find his way out of the maze

d)

She let him borrow a rope with a hook tied to the end.

2.

Where did the Minotaur live?

a)

in a tower

b)

in the labyrinth (maze)

c)

in the deep forest

d)

On the island near the top where the volcano was.

3.

Who killed the Minotaur?

a)

The princess

b)

Theseus

c)

The King

d)

The angry parents who lost their children

4.

After they all escaped Crete, what happened to the princess?

a)

she was abandoned on another island

b)

she became the queen

c)

she fell in love with Theseus

d)

She was doomed to a lifetime of weaving string.

5.

What was the theme for the readers of this story?

a)

you cannot trust a Minotaur

b)

keep your word once you give it

c)

be a actor or an actress

d)

always have your tools handy

6.

How did the King of Athens keep his word to King Minos?

a)

He sent 7 boys and 7 girls to be eaten by the Minotaur, year after year.

b)

He told the King of Crete to stop sending his ships to Athens

c)

He shared the secrets of the Minotaur

d)

He gave him all the silk fabrics he promised would

7.

Describe the Minotaur.

a)

hall bull and half lion

b)

half man and half bull

c)

half bull and half goat

d)

half goat and half slave

8.

What is the name of the island where Theseus to in order to kill the Minotaur?

a)
Athens
b)
Sparta
c)
Crete
d)
Sicily
9.

How many people were sent to feed the Minotaur each year?

a)
14
b)
2
c)
4
d)
7
10.
Theseus volunteered to go and defeat the Minotaur.
a)
True
b)
False
c)

Only partially true. His father was desperate for a solution.

11.
Why did Ariadne help Theseus defeat the Minotaur?
a)

She wanted to leave the island of Crete because she was likely afraid of her father.

b)
She hated her brother
c)
She wanted to make her father mad
d)

She was afraid of the bones in the labyrinth.

12.
The ancient Greeks believed this myth was true.
a)
True
b)
False
13.

Which of the following BEST describes the conflict that the story reveals between Theseus and his father, King Aegeus? CHOOSE TWO ANSWERS

a)

Theseus did not know about the fate of the young men and women and was shocked to find out.

b)

He was upset with his father for doing this to the citizens of his own country.

c)

He was angry because they had not yet found a Minotaur for their own labrynth.

d)

He was furious because his father sent so much of their food to the King of Crete.

14.

Which of the following reasons would explain the way that King Minos treated the new prisoners from Athens?

a)

He was not a friendly guy and really struggled to meet new people.

b)

He was a loss for a conversation starter.

c)

He was attempting to begin the process of bringing them into obedience by breaking their spirit.

d)

He was not expecting a load of slaves and was rather grumpy because he had to use his day off to deal with this unforeseen problem.

15.

How does Theseus show himself to be a true hero?

a)

By sailing to Crete disguised as a prisoner

b)

By volunteering to sail to Crete when others did not want to go

c)

By digging deep into himself to find the strength to fight off the Minotaur

d)

By enduring the stinking smell that must have come from the dead things left in the Minotaur's labyrinth.

16.

What was the reason that Ariadne wanted to leave her father behind in Crete?

a)

She did not like the smell of the city

b)

She was likely afraid of her cruel, murderous father

c)

She was stuck in the palace all the time and never got to go anywhere

d)

She though Theseus was really handsome and she wanted to hang out with him.

17.

When Ariadne introduced the idea that she

would soon be married to Theseus,

what was he likely thinking?

a)

Oh, wow! I love Spring weddings!

b)

Oh shoot! I am not ready to move to Crete. Her dad is hard to get along with.

c)

Oh no! I do not want to marry her...she is not really that pretty!

d)

I hope she is a good cook! I hate eating sandwiches.

18.

Where did Theseus get rid of Ariadne?

a)

In a city near Crete

b)

In a shallow river bed near a wooden area that she could easily find shelter in.

c)

In an open meadow filled with flowers, berries, and fresh air.

d)

on an island alone and probably scared when she realized they left her

19.

Why did the Greek gods decide to punish Theseus after he

defeated the Minotaur?

a)

Because he killed the Minotaur in such a brutal way

b)

Because he disobeyed his father by sailing away without his permission.

c)

Because he refused to marry the girl who was in love with him and gave him a string to save him from the Minotaur

d)

Because he mistreated the girl who saved his life by deserting her on an island all alone.

20.

Unfortunately for Theseus, he makes an error in his

attempt to get rid of Ariadne. Which of the following sentences show the consequences

of his poor planning?

a)

He sails home with the wrong colored sails which meant his ship looked a lot like an enemy ship.

b)

He forgot to call his men off the island and he accidentally left them behind too.

c)

He forgot to switch to the correct uniforms so that his father could tell it was him sailing into the port.

d)

He forgot to switch the sails to the correct color, and his father assumed that his son had failed to kill the Minotaur, and was so upset that he killed himself.