Question
As 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 Odyssey,
Homer
Based on the epic simile, how should the poem’s listener picture the Cyclops’s eye?
like a smithy’s shop full of interesting tools
like a soft, cold piece of iron
like a hissing piece of hot metal in cold water
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 Odyssey,
Homer
Based on the epic simile, how should the poem’s listener picture the Cyclops’s eye?
like a smithy’s shop full of interesting tools
like a soft, cold piece of iron
like a hissing piece of hot metal in cold water
Answers
Answer
1. 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 mystery
to the immortal gods, they neither plow
nor sow by hand, nor till the ground, though grain—
wild wheat and barley—grows untended, and
wine-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.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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 say
put 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.
5. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
'We are from Troy, Achaeans, blown off course
by shifting gales on the Great South Sea;
homeward bound, but taking routes and ways
uncommon; so the will of Zeus would have it.
We served under Agamemnon, son of Atreus—
the whole world knows what city
he laid waste, what armies he destroyed.
It was our luck to come here; here we stand,
beholden for your help, or any gifts
you give—as custom is to honor strangers.
We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care
for the gods' courtesy; Zeus will avenge
the unoffending guest.'
He answered this
from his brute chest, unmoved:
'You are a ninny,
or else you come from the other end of nowhere,
telling me, mind the gods! We Cyclopes
care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus
or all the gods in bliss; we have more force by far.
I would not let you go for fear of Zeus—
you or your friends—unless I had a whim to.
What can be inferred about the Cyclops?
He lives in fear of Zeus and all the rest of the Greek gods.
He sided and fought with the Trojans during the war.
He is eager to provide food and shelter to his guests.
He does not live by the same rules and customs as the Greeks.
6. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
My heart beat high now at the chance of action,
and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went
along his flank to stab him where the midriff
holds the liver. I had touched the spot
when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him
we perished there as well, for we could never
move his ponderous doorway slab aside.
So we were left to groan and wait for morning.
What prevents Odysseus from killing the sleeping Cyclops?
He thinks he can reason with the Cyclops in the morning.
He wants to make the Cyclops his ally and friend.
He knows that they cannot move the boulder blocking the doorway.
He feels sorry for the Cyclops who lives all by himself.
7. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
`Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!'
To this rough shout they made a sage reply:
'Ah well, if nobody has played you foul
there in your lonely bed, we are no use in pain
given by great Zeus. Let it be your father,
Poseidon Lord, to whom you pray.'
So saying
they trailed away. And I was filled with laughter
to see how like a charm the name deceived them.
In the excerpt, the word “charm” is being compared with
.
8. 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.
9. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
Here are the means I thought would serve my turn:
a club, or staff, lay there along the fold—
an olive tree, felled green and left to season
for Cyclops' hand. And it was like a mast
a lugger of twenty oars, broad in the beam—
a deep-sea-going craft—might carry:
so long, so big around, it seemed.
Based on the epic simile, how should the reader picture the beam of wood Odysseus found in the cave?
like a deep-sea-going ship or vessel
like an olive tree, just felled and still green
like the Cyclops, large and wide
like the mast of an enormously large ship
10. 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 guests
under 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.
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 mystery
to the immortal gods, they neither plow
nor sow by hand, nor till the ground, though grain—
wild wheat and barley—grows untended, and
wine-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.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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 say
put 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.
5. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
'We are from Troy, Achaeans, blown off course
by shifting gales on the Great South Sea;
homeward bound, but taking routes and ways
uncommon; so the will of Zeus would have it.
We served under Agamemnon, son of Atreus—
the whole world knows what city
he laid waste, what armies he destroyed.
It was our luck to come here; here we stand,
beholden for your help, or any gifts
you give—as custom is to honor strangers.
We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care
for the gods' courtesy; Zeus will avenge
the unoffending guest.'
He answered this
from his brute chest, unmoved:
'You are a ninny,
or else you come from the other end of nowhere,
telling me, mind the gods! We Cyclopes
care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus
or all the gods in bliss; we have more force by far.
I would not let you go for fear of Zeus—
you or your friends—unless I had a whim to.
What can be inferred about the Cyclops?
He lives in fear of Zeus and all the rest of the Greek gods.
He sided and fought with the Trojans during the war.
He is eager to provide food and shelter to his guests.
He does not live by the same rules and customs as the Greeks.
6. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
My heart beat high now at the chance of action,
and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went
along his flank to stab him where the midriff
holds the liver. I had touched the spot
when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him
we perished there as well, for we could never
move his ponderous doorway slab aside.
So we were left to groan and wait for morning.
What prevents Odysseus from killing the sleeping Cyclops?
He thinks he can reason with the Cyclops in the morning.
He wants to make the Cyclops his ally and friend.
He knows that they cannot move the boulder blocking the doorway.
He feels sorry for the Cyclops who lives all by himself.
7. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
`Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!'
To this rough shout they made a sage reply:
'Ah well, if nobody has played you foul
there in your lonely bed, we are no use in pain
given by great Zeus. Let it be your father,
Poseidon Lord, to whom you pray.'
So saying
they trailed away. And I was filled with laughter
to see how like a charm the name deceived them.
In the excerpt, the word “charm” is being compared with
.
8. 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.
9. Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
Here are the means I thought would serve my turn:
a club, or staff, lay there along the fold—
an olive tree, felled green and left to season
for Cyclops' hand. And it was like a mast
a lugger of twenty oars, broad in the beam—
a deep-sea-going craft—might carry:
so long, so big around, it seemed.
Based on the epic simile, how should the reader picture the beam of wood Odysseus found in the cave?
like a deep-sea-going ship or vessel
like an olive tree, just felled and still green
like the Cyclops, large and wide
like the mast of an enormously large ship
10. 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 guests
under 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.
Answer
80 percent
Based on what you know of Odysseus so far, what do you think are his most important traits? Check any that apply.
bravery
cleverness
confidence
determination
loyalty
strength
patience
Based on what you know of Odysseus so far, what do you think are his most important traits? Check any that apply.
bravery
cleverness
confidence
determination
loyalty
strength
patience
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Based on the epic simile, the poem’s listener should picture the Cyclops’s eye **like a hissing piece of hot metal in cold water**. The comparison to the smithy’s process of hardening metal emphasizes the dramatic and intense nature of the moment, highlighting the pain and the transformation occurring with the Cyclops's eye as it reacts to being stabbed.
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Here are the answers to your questions based on the excerpts from *The Odyssey*:
1. **What inference can be made about the Cyclopes?**
- **They are uncivilized creatures who are potentially dangerous.**
2. **What two things are being compared in this epic simile?**
- **the stone to a quiver**
3. **The use of the epic simile in this excerpt helps readers understand that**
- **the enormous stone is easily and routinely moved by the giant Cyclops.**
4. **How does Odysseus’s decision defy ancient Greek attitudes and values?**
- **A great leader takes risks in order to gain more treasure and learn about foreign lands.**
5. **What can be inferred about the Cyclops?**
- **He does not live by the same rules and customs as the Greeks.**
6. **What prevents Odysseus from killing the sleeping Cyclops?**
- **He knows that they cannot move the boulder blocking the doorway.**
7. **In the excerpt, the word “charm” is being compared with**
- (You didn't provide the completion for the question, but it seems to relate to the cleverness of the name "Nohbdy" and the way it deceived the Cyclops.)
8. **What motivates Odysseus to tell a lie to the Cyclops?**
- **Odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape.**
9. **Based on the epic simile, how should the reader picture the beam of wood Odysseus found in the cave?**
- **like the mast of an enormously large ship.**
10. **According to this excerpt, Odysseus**
- **is prideful and overly confident.**
Let me know if you need further clarification or assistance!
1. **What inference can be made about the Cyclopes?**
- **They are uncivilized creatures who are potentially dangerous.**
2. **What two things are being compared in this epic simile?**
- **the stone to a quiver**
3. **The use of the epic simile in this excerpt helps readers understand that**
- **the enormous stone is easily and routinely moved by the giant Cyclops.**
4. **How does Odysseus’s decision defy ancient Greek attitudes and values?**
- **A great leader takes risks in order to gain more treasure and learn about foreign lands.**
5. **What can be inferred about the Cyclops?**
- **He does not live by the same rules and customs as the Greeks.**
6. **What prevents Odysseus from killing the sleeping Cyclops?**
- **He knows that they cannot move the boulder blocking the doorway.**
7. **In the excerpt, the word “charm” is being compared with**
- (You didn't provide the completion for the question, but it seems to relate to the cleverness of the name "Nohbdy" and the way it deceived the Cyclops.)
8. **What motivates Odysseus to tell a lie to the Cyclops?**
- **Odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape.**
9. **Based on the epic simile, how should the reader picture the beam of wood Odysseus found in the cave?**
- **like the mast of an enormously large ship.**
10. **According to this excerpt, Odysseus**
- **is prideful and overly confident.**
Let me know if you need further clarification or assistance!
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Based on what we know of Odysseus from *The Odyssey*, the following traits can be considered his most important:
1. **Bravery** - He faces numerous dangers and challenges throughout his journey, including confrontations with monsters and unpredictable situations.
2. **Cleverness** - Odysseus is known for his intelligence and cunning, often using wit to escape difficult circumstances, such as outsmarting the Cyclops.
3. **Confidence** - His self-assured nature allows him to take risks and lead his men, though at times it can border on arrogance.
4. **Determination** - Odysseus is driven to return home to Ithaca and face the challenges that arise along the way.
5. **Loyalty** - He shows loyalty to his crew and family, often risking his safety for their sake.
Strength and patience are also present, but the first five traits are the most prominent in his character. If you had to choose among them, I would recommend focusing on the first five: **bravery, cleverness, confidence, determination, and loyalty**.
1. **Bravery** - He faces numerous dangers and challenges throughout his journey, including confrontations with monsters and unpredictable situations.
2. **Cleverness** - Odysseus is known for his intelligence and cunning, often using wit to escape difficult circumstances, such as outsmarting the Cyclops.
3. **Confidence** - His self-assured nature allows him to take risks and lead his men, though at times it can border on arrogance.
4. **Determination** - Odysseus is driven to return home to Ithaca and face the challenges that arise along the way.
5. **Loyalty** - He shows loyalty to his crew and family, often risking his safety for their sake.
Strength and patience are also present, but the first five traits are the most prominent in his character. If you had to choose among them, I would recommend focusing on the first five: **bravery, cleverness, confidence, determination, and loyalty**.
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