©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
The Odyssey Exam Questions With Revised
Answers
What obstacles has Odysseus faced so far on his road of trials? Check all that apply.
Lord Helios, the sun god, has killed Odysseus's men for eating his cattle.
His boat has crashed, and the crew is shipwrecked on the Isle of Man.
The crew has been attacked by an army at Cicones.
Zeus has sent a huge sea storm.
Some of the men have eaten the lotus flower and had to be rescued. - answer✔✔- Lord Helios,
the sun god, has killed Odysseus's men for eating his cattle.
- The crew has been attacked by an army at Cicones.
- Zeus has sent a huge sea storm.
- Some of the men have eaten the lotus flower and had to be rescued.
Now Zeus the lord of cloud roused in the north
a storm against the ships, and driving veils
of squall moved down like night on land and sea.
The bows went plunging at the gust; sails
cracked and lashed out strips in the big wind.
We saw death in that fury, dropped the yards,
unshipped the oars, and pulled for the nearest lee:
then two long days and nights we lay offshore
worn out and sick at heart, tasting our grief,
until a third Dawn came with ringlets shining.
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
-The Odyssey,
Homer
Which stage of the hero's journey is represented in this passage?
- the call to adventure
- the return home
- the road of trials
- the transformation - answer✔✔the road of trials
What does Odysseus do when his men eat the lotus plant that shows the epic hero characteristic
of leadership?
- He forces his men to leave and continue the journey home.
- He sends his best men to investigate the island.
- He comes up with a plan to defeat the lotus-eaters.
- He instructs his men on how to avoid tasting the lotus. - answer✔✔He forces his men to leave
and continue the journey home.
So doom appeared to us,
dark word of Zeus for us, our evil days.
My men stood up and made a fight of it -
backed on the ships, with lances kept in play,
from bright morning through the blaze of noon
so holding our beach, although so far outnumbered
-The Odyssey,
Homer
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
Which elements of epic poetry are demonstrated in this passage? Check all that apply.
- repetition
- an epic hero showing bravery in battle
- an invocation of the muse
- a difficult journey with trials
- supernatural elements - answer✔✔- an epic hero showing bravery in battle
- a difficult journey with trials
- supernatural elements
Six benches were left empty in every ship
that evening when we pulled away from death.
And this new grief we bore with us to sea:
our precious lives we had, but not our friends.
-The Odyssey,
Homer
Which is the most effective paraphrase of the passage?
- Six men from every ship were killed, leaving six empty benches.
- We escaped with our lives, but many of our friends did not, which made us very sad.
- There was no point grieving for our lost friends, so we pulled away from shore.
- We had the additional burden of our grief when we sailed away. - answer✔✔We escaped with
our lives, but many of our friends did not, which made us very sad.
But those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus,
never cared to report, nor to return:
they longed to stay forever, browsing on
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.
-The Odyssey,
Homer
Read the passage. Identify the central idea and key details. Then, paraphrase the passage. -
answer✔✔The flower if drank, made those not want to go home to their families, but they want
to. The flower make them do things they don't want to, this is like alcohol or drugs. People take
them and they may do things they don't want to, they have to control.
I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships,
tied them down under their rowing benches,
and called the rest: 'All hands aboard;
come, clear the beach and no one taste
the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home.'
-The Odyssey,
Homer
What does this passage suggest about the beliefs and values of ancient Greeks?
- They valued home.
- They valued democracy.
- They valued relaxation.
- They valued hospitality. - answer✔✔They valued home.
But on the spot I told them: 'Back, and quickly!
Out to sea again!' My men were mutinous,
fools, on stores of wine. Sheep after sheep
they butchered by the surf, and shambling cattle,
