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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. Poseidon appears to whom in order to inspire him to lead his men onto the battlefield, but stay out of range of arrows so as not to be wounded further?

2. What weapon does Ajax carry?

3. Who does Apollo disguise himself as in order to delay Achilles from fighting Hector?

4. Who does Poseidon appear to?

5. After Patroclus is sent to the fighting by Achilles, Achilles asks what of Zeus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Achilles refuse to do until he has properly buried Patroclus?

2. What is the goal of Zeus' plan, as he tells it to Hera?

3. What is Agamemnon's state of mind in Book 14, and what is his suggestion?

4. How is Patroclus killed?

5. After Patroclus' death, what does Zeus do when he sees Patroclus' horses mourning?

6. What are the gods doing in Book 21 while the mortals are fighting a battle?

7. What forces Hector to withdraw from the battle?

8. What does Hector tell Achilles with his last words?

9. What activities follow the burial of Patroclus?

10. Why does Zeus allow the gods back into the battle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the tests that characters have issued to other characters in The Iliad? What was the point of these tests? By providing these contrasts, does Homer think that human nature can change, or that it stays the same?

Essay Topic 2

In the beginning of The Iliad, Homer tells us that the story is about the anger of Achilles. What is one part of the story that do not involve Achilles, but is a result of his anger? Why is this part important if the story is about the anger of Achilles?

Essay Topic 3

There are many points during the story that the war between the Trojans and the Greeks comes to a halt, or has almost ended. Please pick two times during the story that this is true, and write about what has stopped the war from ending. Make sure to support your answer with examples from the book.

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