Book XXI Quiz — The Odyssey

Who originally gave Odysseus the bow that Penelope brings out for the contest?

• Telemachus
• Iphitus
• Eurytus
• Hercules

How many times does Telemachus attempt to string the bow before stopping?

• Once
• Twice
• Three times
• Four times

Who is the first suitor to attempt stringing the bow?

• Antinous
• Eurymachus
• Leiodes
• Melanthius

What does Antinous tell Melanthius to bring to help with the bow?

• Oil and hot water
• Fire, a sheepskin seat, and lard
• A new bowstring
• Wax and resin

What proof does Odysseus show Eumaeus and Philoetius to confirm his identity?

• His wedding ring
• The scar from a boar's tusk on his thigh
• A secret handshake
• His knowledge of the palace layout

What cautionary tale does Antinous tell to warn the disguised Odysseus against trying the bow?

• The fall of Troy
• The story of the centaur Eurytion among the Lapithae
• The blinding of the Cyclops
• The tale of Tantalus

What simile does Homer use to describe Odysseus stringing the bow?

• A warrior bending a sword
• A skilled bard stringing a new peg on his lyre
• A farmer bending a young sapling
• A blacksmith shaping hot iron

What divine sign appears when Odysseus successfully strings the bow?

• An eagle appears overhead
• Zeus thunders loudly
• A rainbow forms
• The fire goes out

Penelope is present in the hall when Odysseus strings the bow and shoots through the axes.

Philoetius bars the gates of the outer court with a ship's cable made of byblus fibre.

In Book XXI, what does the word "prowess" mean when Telemachus says he lacks it?

• Wealth and possessions
• Great skill or bravery, especially in combat
• Political authority
• Wisdom and cunning

What does "vouchsafes" mean when Penelope says "if Apollo vouchsafes him the glory"?

• Denies or withholds
• Grants or bestows graciously
• Demands in return
• Predicts or foretells

When suitors call Odysseus an "old vagabond," what does the term mean?

• A skilled craftsman
• A person of noble birth in disguise
• A wanderer without a fixed home; a tramp
• An elderly warrior