Chapter 82 - The Honor and Glory of Whaling Practice Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 82 - The Honor and Glory of Whaling
Who does Ishmael name as "the first whaleman"?
Perseus, a son of Jupiter.
What was the noble purpose of Perseus's whaling exploit?
He harpooned a Leviathan to rescue Andromeda, who was tied to a rock on the sea-coast. It was to succor the distressed, not for sordid commercial intent.
What remarkable feat did Perseus accomplish as a harpooner?
He slew the Leviathan at the very first dart, a feat rarely achieved by the best harpooneers of the present day.
What evidence from Joppa does Ishmael cite to support the Perseus story?
A vast whale skeleton stood for many ages in a pagan temple at Joppa (now Jaffa), which the inhabitants claimed belonged to the monster Perseus slew. The Romans later carried it to Italy in triumph.
What is "singular and suggestively important" about Joppa according to Ishmael?
It was from Joppa that Jonah set sail, connecting the Perseus and Jonah whale stories through the same location.
What creature does Ishmael claim St. George's dragon actually was?
A whale. He argues that in old chronicles whales and dragons are strangely jumbled together and often stand for each other.
What Bible verse does Ishmael use to equate dragons and whales?
Ezekiel's words: "Thou art as a lion of the waters, and as a dragon of the sea," which Ishmael says plainly means a whale.
Why would St. George's glory be diminished if his dragon were a land reptile?
Ishmael argues that "any man may kill a snake, but only a Perseus, a St. George, a Coffin, have the heart in them to march boldly up to a whale."
What does Ishmael suggest St. George's horse might have actually been?
A large seal or sea-horse.
What claim does Ishmael make about the knights of St. George?
That Nantucket harpooneers in their woollen frocks and tarred trousers are much better entitled to St. George's decoration than the actual knights of the order, none of whom have ever dealt with a real whale.
What is the Philistine idol Dagon used to illustrate?
Ishmael uses Dagon (whose horse's head and palms fell off before the Ark of Israel, leaving only the "fishy part") to illustrate how the St. George legend, under strict scrutiny, reveals its whale-related origins.
Why does Ishmael hesitate about including Hercules as a whaleman?
Because Hercules was swallowed and thrown up by a whale but never actually harpooned his fish. Ishmael calls him "a sort of involuntary whaleman."
How does Ishmael humorously justify including Hercules?
"The whale caught him, if he did not the whale."
To what American frontier figures does Ishmael compare Hercules?
Davy Crockett and Kit Carson—calling Hercules "that antique Crockett and Kit Carson."
How are the stories of Hercules and Jonah connected?
The Greek story of Hercules and the whale is considered derived from the Hebrew story of Jonah and the whale, and vice versa. Both involve being swallowed by a whale.
Who does Ishmael name as the "grand master" of the whaleman's fraternity?
Vishnoo (Vishnu), one of the three persons in the Hindu godhead.
How did Vishnoo become associated with whaling?
According to the Shaster, Vishnoo became incarnate in a whale and dove to the uttermost depths of the ocean to rescue the sacred Vedas, which were lying at the bottom of the waters.
What is the complete "member-roll" Ishmael lists at the chapter's end?
Perseus, St. George, Hercules, Jonah, and Vishnoo.
What ascending hierarchy do the five figures represent?
Hero (Perseus), Saint (St. George), Demigod (Hercules), Prophet (Jonah), and God (Vishnoo).
What is the opening line of the chapter?
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method."
What sacred texts did Vishnoo rescue from the ocean floor?
The Vedas, or mystical books, which were indispensable before beginning the creation of the world.
What is the Shaster?
A Hindu scripture that Ishmael references as the source for the story of Vishnoo's incarnation as a whale.