Book XXI Practice Quiz — The Odyssey
by Homer — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book XXI
What contest does Penelope propose to the suitors in Book XXI?
She challenges them to string Odysseus's great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve aligned axe-heads. Whoever succeeds will win her hand in marriage.
Where was Odysseus's bow stored, and why was it left behind?
It was stored in a locked storeroom at the end of the house. Odysseus did not take it to Troy, keeping it at home as a keepsake from his friend Iphitus.
How does Telemachus perform in the bow contest?
He sets up the twelve axes skillfully and attempts to string the bow. He tries three times and nearly succeeds on the fourth, but Odysseus secretly signals him to stop.
What do the suitors try doing to make the bow easier to string?
They warm the bow by the fire and grease it with a large ball of lard, hoping to make it more pliable. Even so, none of them can bend it.
How does Odysseus reveal his identity to Eumaeus and Philoetius?
He first tests their loyalty with a hypothetical question about Odysseus returning. When they declare devotion, he announces himself and shows them the boar-tusk scar on his thigh.
What tactical instructions does Odysseus give Eumaeus and Philoetius?
Eumaeus must place the bow in Odysseus's hands and tell Euryclea to lock the women's quarters. Philoetius must bar and tie shut the gates of the outer court.
What excuse does Antinous give for postponing the bow contest?
He claims it is the feast day of Apollo and no one should string a bow on such a day. He suggests they try again the next morning after sacrificing goats to the archer god.
What happens when Odysseus strings the bow and fires?
He strings it effortlessly, plucks the string which sings like a swallow, then fires a single arrow cleanly through all twelve axe-heads. Zeus thunders in approval.
Who is Leiodes, and what is notable about his attempt with the bow?
He is the sacrificial priest among the suitors and the only one who hates their evil deeds. He is the first to try the bow but fails because his hands are soft and unused to hard work.
Who originally owned the bow before Odysseus?
The bow belonged to the great archer Eurytus, who passed it to his son Iphitus. Iphitus gave it to Odysseus as a gift when they met in Messene, beginning a friendship cut short by Heracles killing Iphitus.
How do Eurymachus and Antinous react to their failure with the bow?
Eurymachus grieves openly, lamenting that their inability will disgrace them in future generations. Antinous deflects by blaming the holy day of Apollo and postponing the contest.
What does Penelope say in defense of the disguised Odysseus trying the bow?
She tells Antinous it is wrong to mistreat any guest of Telemachus, and argues that even if the stranger strings it, no one seriously believes he would take her as his wife.
What promises does Odysseus make to Eumaeus and Philoetius for their loyalty?
He promises to find wives for both of them, give them houses and land close to his own estate, and treat them as brothers and friends of Telemachus.
How does the bow contest reinforce the theme of identity and recognition?
The bow serves as a test of identity: only its rightful owner can string it. The suitors' collective failure and Odysseus's effortless success prove his identity through action rather than words.
How does Book XXI develop the theme of xenia (hospitality)?
The suitors violate xenia by abusing Odysseus's home and threatening him as a guest-beggar. Antinous's threat to ship him to King Echetus deepens their transgression, morally justifying their coming punishment.
What role does divine intervention play in Book XXI?
Athena inspires Penelope to propose the contest, and Zeus thunders approval when Odysseus strings the bow. The feast of Apollo, god of archery, provides further divine framing for Odysseus's triumph.
How does Book XXI explore the theme of loyalty versus betrayal?
Eumaeus, Philoetius, and Euryclea demonstrate unwavering loyalty to Odysseus, while Melanthius the goatherd aids the suitors. The loyal servants are rewarded with trust and promises; the suitors face divine judgment.
What simile does Homer use for Odysseus stringing the bow?
Homer compares Odysseus stringing the bow to a skilled bard stringing a new peg on his lyre, connecting martial prowess with artistic mastery and making the heroic act seem graceful and natural.
Identify the dramatic irony in Antinous's boast about the bow.
Antinous claims he expects to string the bow himself, but the narrator reveals he will be "the first that should taste of the arrows from the hands of Ulysses." The audience knows his confidence is fatally misplaced.
What simile describes the opening of the storeroom doors?
The doors fly open "with a noise like a bull bellowing in a meadow," an unexpected pastoral comparison that injects vivid sensory detail into an otherwise quiet domestic moment.
How does Homer use foreshadowing in Book XXI?
Zeus's thunder signals divine sanction, the locked women's quarters and barred gates suggest a trap closing, and Leiodes's prophecy that the bow will "take the life and soul out of many a chief" directly foreshadows the slaughter.
What does "cloisters" refer to in the context of Odysseus's hall?
In this translation, "cloisters" refers to the covered colonnaded walkway or portico surrounding the central courtyard of the palace, where the suitors gather to feast.
What is a "cupbearer" in the context of an ancient Greek feast?
A cupbearer is a servant responsible for pouring and serving wine to the guests at a banquet. Antinous references the cupbearer's route to establish the order in which suitors will try the bow.
What does "drink-offering" mean in Homer's feasting scenes?
A drink-offering (libation) is a ritual pouring of wine onto the ground as a sacrifice to the gods before drinking. It was a standard religious observance at Greek meals.
Who says: "This bow shall take the life and soul out of many a chief among us, for it is better to die than to live after having missed the prize"?
Leiodes, the reluctant priestly suitor, says this after failing to string the bow. His words are ironically prophetic—the bow will indeed kill many chiefs, but through Odysseus's arrows, not from despair.
Who declares: "This bow is a man's matter, and mine above all others, for it is I who am master here"?
Telemachus says this to Penelope, asserting his authority as head of the household. He sends her to her chambers and takes control of the bow contest, a key moment in his coming of age.
Who says: "Your guest has not disgraced you, Telemachus. I did not miss what I aimed at, and I was not long in stringing my bow"?
Odysseus says this immediately after shooting through the twelve axes, still maintaining the fiction of being a guest while hinting at his true identity. It is his last words before the battle begins.