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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. Who is the goddess of childbirth?

2. How does Circe keep Telemachus safe from Scylla?

3. What does Circe do to Telegonus in desperation in Chapter 19 so that she may work and cast her protective spells?

4. What does Telemachus do on his and Circe's travels in Chapter 26?

5. What monster had Odysseus and his men been ambushed by?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Odysseus learn through the prophecy about how he will die?

2. What is the real reason Penelope wanted to come to Aiaia with Telegonus and Telemachus?

3. How does Odysseus describe his wife Penelope to Circe?

4. Which god comes to Aiaia to give a prophecy about Odysseus to Circe, and what does she tell him?

5. What does Telemachus give to Telegonus as a parting gift?

6. What kinds of stories does Odysseus tell Circe about his life during Chapter 16?

7. What does Circe suspect the gods of doing to torment her during childbirth?

8. In Chapter 22, what does Telemachus tell Circe he and his mother, Penelope, had to endure while Odysseus was away at the wars?

9. Who is Odysseus's patron and why does she turn her back on him?

10. In Chapter 24, what does Telegonus tell Circe he is surprised about having to do with her protective spell on Aiaia that keeps the gods out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Circe has a special skill for spells that deal with transformations. Write an essay exploring the different ways and the various purposes for which Circe uses transformation spells throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing how both Aetees's and Helios's indifference to Circe contributes to her own expectations for how she deserves to be treated by other men she meets later in life.

Essay Topic 3

What lessons do Circe, other gods, and mortals learn about the role of prophecies and the fates during the course of the novel? Is there any instance in which a character or characters seem to have been able to change the outcome of a prophecy? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references from the text.

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