Download Semester 1 – Study Guide

Semester 1 – Study Guide
The Odyssey
1. Why is Odysseus considered such a great hero among the Greeks?
2. What significant things did Penelope do during Odysseus’s absence?
3. What is the setting for The Odyssey?
4. Where did Odysseus’s journey take him? What obstacles, temptations, hazards did he face (you don’t need to
know chronologically)
5. How long did it take Odysseus to return home?
6. Where had Odysseus been at the start of The Odyssey?
7. In the opening words to The Odyssey, Odysseus blames people for what?
8. What facts are true of Tiresias, the blind seer?
9. What warning does the prophet Tiresias give to Odysseus? (135)
10. Who sentenced Odysseus “to wander” on his journey home for blinding his son Polyphemos?
11. Who was Polyphemos?
12. How does Athena help Odysseus throughout The Odyssey?
13. In Hades, what is the warning given to Odysseus by the spirit (ghost) of Agamemnon? (143)
14. What is true of most of the women that Odysseus encounters on his journey?
15. In what ways can Penelope be considered a hero similar to Odysseus?
16. What does Odysseus confide in Penelope at the end The Odyssey?
17. Zeus and Athena bring the Troy Saga to an end by doing what?
18. In Book I (What Went on in the House of Odysseus?), what does Athena do in behalf of Odysseus?
19. The epithet “Laertes’ son,” shows the reader what truths about Odysseus?
20. What does Zeus do to aid Odysseus throughout his journey?
21. Why does Odysseus not give his heart to Calypso or Circe?
22. Why does Calypso allow Odysseus to leave her island?
23. How are Circe and Calypso similar?
24. Why does Odysseus ignore his men’s desire to depart immediately rather than enter the cave of the Cyclops?
25. Why does Odysseus blind the Cyclops rather than kill him?
26. Why does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is “No man?”
27. Odysseus offers the Cyclops wine in an effort to do what?
28. Even though the Cyclops had been warned about Odysseus, he did not expect him to be so what?
29. What does Odysseus do when he meets the ghost of Elpenor?
30. What does the story of the Siren’s teach us about the character of Odysseus?
31. Why did Odysseus fail to wake up and prevent his men from slaughtering the sun god’s cattle?
32. What is a Homeric simile?
33. What are the important facts and symbolism of the Argos (the dog) episode?
34. Telemachus’s silence when Antinoos confronts Odysseus tells us what about Telemachus?
35. What prompted Penelope to summon the “beggar” Odysseus and question him?
36. What are some character traits that Penelope exhibits in the last half of The Odyssey?
37. What are some major themes in the homecoming story of Odysseus?
38. What happens after Odysseus’s men eat the lotus plant?
39. Odysseus saves his crew from the Sirens’ song by doing what?
40. What decision does Odysseus have to make about Scylla and Charybdis?
41. What prophecy of Teiresias and Circe does Odysseus not tell his men?
42. Odysseus was away from home for how many years?
43. Odysseus is known for doing what in the Trojan War?
44. What is Telemachus’s reaction to Odysseus when he first reveals himself after Athena “empowered him?”
45. When he finally greets his master, the old dog Argos does what?
46. Penelope asks her suitors to perform what difficult task?
47. Who joins Odysseus in the fight against the suitors? (three humans – two gods)
48. To stop Odysseus from killing all the suitors, Eurymachus does what?
49. Odysseus proves his identity to Penelope by doing what?
50. On the island of the Sun-God, Odysseus’ men disobey his order when they are overcome by what?
Matching section: Identify the following
____________________A long poem that tells the story of a hero.
___________________The name of the Cyclops who imprisons Odysseus
___________________Whirlpool monster
___________________The sea—God who hates Odysseus
___________________The ghost who predict Odysseus’ future in Hades
___________________Another name for Hell or Hades
___________________Women who tempt men by singing
___________________Odysseus’s son
____________________Odysseus sleeps with her each night and regrets it each day
___________________Homer’s other famous epic
___________________Leader of the suitors who won’t take the blame
___________________Odysseus tells the Cyclops this is his name
___________________A sea monster who kills six of Odysseus’ men
___________________This is the name of Odysseus’ father
___________________The name of the sun-god
___________________Odysseus’ wife
___________________The place where Odysseus’ men eat forbidden cattle
___________________The goddess who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs
___________________Odysseus’ homeland
___________________They tempt men with drugged flowers
To Kill a Mockingbird
1. What is the setting of the novel? What state and what decade?
2. What are people like in Maycomb?
3. Two important significant facts regarding Harper Lee: 1) she won a Pulitzer Prize 2) she only wrote one book.
4. Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?
5. What do the gifts found in the Radley’s tree symbolize to Jem and Scout?
6. How did Jem lose his pants?
7. What is true of Miss Stephanie Crawford?
8. Which description best explains Miss Maudie?
9. Why does Jem destroy Mrs. Dubose’s camellias?
10. Why did Atticus really require Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose every day?
11. What does Atticus teach scout about another person’s skin?
12. Who said the following quote and to whom? “Well in the first place you never stopped to give me a chance to
tell you my side of it- you just lit right into me. Atticus never does that…”
13. What do Dill and Scout learn from Mr. Dolphus Raymond, the white man who has mixed children and a black
mistress?
14. Why did Tom Robinson go into Mayella Ewell’s house?
15. According to the testimony given by Tom Robinson, what happened with Mayella?
16. In his final argument before the jury, Atticus says that there is one human institution which makes us all equal
and that is what?
17. What was the verdict of the jury in the Tom Robinson case? Guilty or not guilty of rape, murder or assault?
18. Why does Jem cry after the trial?
19. Which literary techniques is used in the following statement? “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old
town when I first knew it.”
20. According to the beginning of the novel, why does Jem think Boo Radley stays inside?
21. How did Bob Ewell die?
22. Scout discovers that Boo Radley is what kind of a person?
23. Which two characters MOST represent “mockingbirds?”
24. Why is it ironic that Jem and Scout think that their father cannot do much of anything except read?
25. Aunt Alexandra does not want Scout to play with Walter Cunnigham. Why?
Greek Mythology
1. Which of the following are true of the ancient Greek myths?
2. How do we know that the myths were both familiar and popular?
3. How did the stories of The Illiad and The Odyssey come to Homer?
4. The Illiad and The Odyssey were written in what form?
5. Why were the myths created?
6. When did Homer pen The Odyssey?
7. What does Narcissus symbolize?
8. What does King Midas symbolize?
9. Which myth explained the seasons to the ancient Greek?