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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What form does Athena take to guide Odysseus to Alcinous' palace?

2. As a result of the meeting of the assembly in Book 2, what do the suitors decide to do?

3. According to Nausicaa, to whom should Odysseus first appeal when he gets to the court in Book 6?

4. Once Ino gives Odysseus help to survive Poseidon assault on the open sea, how many more days does Odysseus drift until he sees land?

5. What sign is witnessed by the entire assembly when Telemachus calls upon Zeus for justice in Book 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Book 20, what has happened to Telemachus now that Odysseus has returned?

2. Odysseus tells his men about the Sirens. Why doesn't he share Circe's information and advice about Scylla and Charybdis?

3. How does a naked Odysseus ask for help among Nausicaa and the maids?

4. Describe Nausicaa's character.

5. Why doesn't Odysseus' journey end when he slays the suitors and gets his vengeance in Book 11?

6. In Book 3, what can be learned from the story of Agamemnon's murder since the reader is seeing it a second time?

7. According to Nestor and Menelaus, was the war worth the cost?

8. What causes Odysseus' crew to open Aeolus' gift?

9. From Helen and Menelaus' stories, what can be said about Odysseus?

10. Why does Menelaus mourn so much for Odysseus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In order to be a leader, generally a person must exhibit certain qualities - nobility, honesty, and chivalry just to name a few. Having a good helping of charisma goes a long way as well. Antinous and Eurymachus are leaders among the suitors, a group of men who lack many positive qualities. Compare the two men. Evaluate which is the better man by determining who has more qualities that are positive and defining what those qualities are.

Essay Topic 2

Disguise is an important trick Athena uses to aid Odysseus.

1) Discuss the three different types of disguises she uses to hide Odysseus.

2) Discuss the kinds of disguises she uses for herself.

3) What is the significance of disguise to the entire poem?

Essay Topic 3

Even though women are afforded very little in terms of respect, if goddesses did not aid Odysseus, he would not have made it home. Reconcile the disparity between their importance to his survival and the view of women in Ancient Greece.

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