View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Patroclus say ‘fell away’ to allow his friendship with Achilles to blossom?

2. What does Odysseus promise Achilles, if he comes to Troy?

3. What does Achilles say has been prophesied about his martial skills?

4. What is Patroclus afraid of when Achilles’ father’s messengers come with trunks full of supplies?

5. Why does Achilles stop doing his drills when Patroclus enters?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conundrum is Patroclus caught in, now that the army will be going to Troy?

2. What prophecy does Odysseus tell Achilles about the conditions under which he will die?

3. What is Patroclus’ status at the opening of the novel?

4. What is Patroclus’ first impression of Achilles at his home?

5. Describe Achilles’ relationship with Deidameia.

6. How is Achilles’ identity unmasked?

7. Why does Deidameia accuse Achilles of being ‘apathos,’ or heartless?

8. What does Peleus tell his people about the news from Mycenae?

9. Where does Achilles get abducted to, after the news comes from Mycenae, and how does Patroclus find him?

10. What is Chiron’s role in Achilles and Patroclus’ lives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Use this book to evaluate the five-star rating system typically used for books. Is a five-star system sufficient to a book like this? Would you need to have sub-topics for the rating system, for plot, characterization, language, etc? What other sub-topics would you need? What value or importance gets lost in a five-star scale? Design a scale that would be better for this book.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is The Song of Achilles relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are at play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book, that describe its contemporary relevance.

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of the author based on her style and content. What values does she hold dear? What are her hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think she is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 909 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample