The Odyssey: Central Ideas And Character Motivation, Part 2 (Quiz)

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. Then, his chores being all dispatched, he caught another brace of men to make his breakfast, and whisked away his great door slab to let his sheep go through—but he, behind,reset the stone as one would cap a quiver. The use of the epic simile in this excerpt helps readers understand that: the Cyclops has eaten another bunch of Odysseus's men. Odysseus and his men are still trapped inside the cave. the enormous stone is easily and routinely moved by the giant Cyclops. the Cyclops takes his sheep out to pasture with him in the mornings.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. Then, his chores being all dispatched, he caught another brace of men to make his breakfast, and whisked away his great door slab to let his sheep go through—but he, behind,reset the stone as one would cap a quiver. What two things are being compared in this epic simile? the door slab to the Cyclops' sheep the stone to a quiver a brace of men to breakfast the Cyclops' chores to the men

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. In the next land we found were Cyclopes, giants, louts, without a law to bless them.In ignorance leaving the fruitage of the earth in mysteryto the immortal gods, they neither plownor sow by hand, nor till the ground, though grain— wild wheat and barley—grows untended, andwine-grapes, in clusters, ripen in heaven's rain.Cyclopes have no muster and no meeting,no consultation or old tribal ways,but each one dwells in his own mountain cave dealing out rough justice to wife and child,indifferent to what the others do. What inference can be made about the Cyclopes? They are hospitable and welcoming to visitors of their homes. They are uncivilized creatures who are potentially dangerous. They will band together against common enemies, if needed. They value education and sophistication above everything else.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. Why not take these cheeses, get them stowed, come back,throw open all the pens, and make a run for it?We'll drive the kids and lambs aboard. We sayput out again on good salt water!' Ah, how sound that was! Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer—no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends. Odysseus ignores his men's pleas to return to the ship. As a result, they face terrible consequences. How does Odysseus's decision defy ancient Greek attitudes and values? A great leader makes decisions that are good for him, no matter how they affect his men. A great leader listens to his men and considers their thoughts and opinions. A great leader has great self-control and makes sound decisions. A great leader takes risks in order to gain more treasure and learn about foreign lands.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. 'Aye He'll smash our timbers and our heads together!' I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, but let my anger flare and yelled: 'Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquirehow you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son, whose home's on Ithaca!' What motivates Odysseus to reveal his name and put his men in more danger? anger and pride gratitude and relief weakness and fear joy and excitement

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. 'My ship? Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth a-tremble, broke it up on the rocks at your land's end. A wind from seaward served him, drove us there. We are survivors, these good men and I.' What motivates Odysseus to tell a lie to the Cyclops? Odysseus knows that Poseidon is the Cyclops' father. Odysseus is afraid the Cyclops will steal their ship. Odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape. Odysseus does not know what has happened to his ship.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. In a smithy one sees a white-hot axehead or an adze plunged and wrung in a cold tub, screeching steam- the way they make soft iron hale and hard—: just so that eyeball hissed around the spike. The use of the epic simile in this excerpt helps the reader understand: that the Cyclops only has one eye. how brutal Odysseus and his men are. the size of the wooden spear. how hot the spear actually is.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey. 'O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions? Puny, am I, in a Caveman's hands?How do you like the beating that we gave you,you damned cannibal? Eater of guestsunder your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!' According to this excerpt, Odysseus: is fearful of the Cyclops. is prideful and overly confident. has been weakened by the Cyclops. has regrets about staying on the island.