View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In whose grove of poplar trees is Odysseus told to wait before approaching the palace in Book 6?
(a) Athene.
(b) Aphrodite.
(c) Zeus.
(d) Poseidon.

2. In Book 7, why does Athena cloak Odysseus in clouds on his walk to the palace?
(a) Phaecians don't like strangers.
(b) Phaecians are so friendly that he might be offered hospitality before he reaches Alcinous' palace.
(c) She doesn't want Odysseus to get distracted.
(d) She doesn't want her uncle, Poseidon, to see that Odysseus has landed safely.

3. How long have the suitors been coming to Odysseus' home?
(a) Six years.
(b) Four years.
(c) More than three years.
(d) A couple of years.

4. Why does Athena speak to Nausicaa in her dreams?
(a) She wants others to know that Nausicaa has a connection with the immortals.
(b) She wants Nausicaa to discover Odysseus.
(c) She wants to tell Nausicaa that she hasn't been a good daughter or sister since she hasn't washed the clothes.
(d) She wants Nausicaa to prepare for her upcoming marriage.

5. While Telemachus is in Lycaedaemon, what plan do the suitors devise to punish Telemachus for leaving?
(a) To discredit him in Ithaca.
(b) To kill him on the open sea.
(c) To take Penelope away.
(d) To steal all his goods.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long do Odysseus and his men stay with Circe in Book 10?

2. In Book 4, Helen and Menelaus tell tales of Odysseus' exploits in Troy. What story does Helen tell?

3. Where does Calypso find Odysseus to tell him the news of his ordered release in Book 5?

4. Where does Telemachus stay when Nestor's feast is over?

5. Having left Ogygia and survived Poseidon's attack, what is Odysseus' new problem, now that he spots land?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Nestor, King of Pylos.

2. How does Euryalus insult Odysseus when the Phaeacians are engaging in sport?

3. In Book 23, Telemachus calls his mother's reaction to Odysseus cold and unfeeling. What does it reveal about her character?

4. How does Calypso feel about releasing Odysseus?

5. What are the suitors' fears now that Telemachus has escaped their plot in Book 16?

6. Explain Odysseus' reaction to Calypso and Ino's help in Book 5.

7. Recount the most recent part of Odysseus' story of woe, as told in Book 7.

8. Describe the behavior of the suitors at the assembly in Book 2.

9. Describe Nausicaa's character.

10. Why does Homer begin the last book in the halls of the dead?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,128 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample