The Penelopiad Quizzes

The Penelopiad Quiz 1

By Alessandra Allen · Edited by James Cooper · Last reviewed January 15, 2022

1 How long was Odysseus away from Ithaca?

20 years

2 and a half years

25 years

2 years
2 Where does the story of Odysseus and Penelope come from?

The Trojan War by Homer

Odyssey by Homer

Aneid by Vergil

Iliad by Homer
3 Who is Odysseus's divine helper?

Venus

Zeus

Artemis

Athena
4 Who is Penelope's father?

Melenaus

Telemachus

Icarius

Odysseus
5 What has Penelope been most famous for throughout Western history?

being physically strong

being the quintessential faithful wife

being emotionally strong

being beautiful but cruel
6 How does Penelope describe being dead?

she describes how she knows everything

she says that it is a lot like the court when she was young

she emphasizes that she no longer has a body

she says that she still feels feelings in her bodily flesh
7 What does everyone arrive to the underworld with?

a sack filled with all the words everyone has said about you

a sack filled with wind

their loved ones

bunches of asphodel to give as offering to Hades
8 What happens when Penelope tries to speak to the living?

No sound comes out of her mouth

She sounds like an owl

She sounds like a crow

She sounds like the wind
9 Why is it hard for Penelope to tell her story now that she is dead?

She is being followed around by the group of twelve maids who will not give her any peace

She is being followed by her cousin Helen who always speaks over her

She has no mouth through which to speak

No one wants to listen to her
10 What happened to the 12 maids?

Penelope killed them because she was jealous of the attention Odysseus was giving them

Penelope killed them because they were being insolent

Telemachus killed them to show his father how much of a man he has become

Odysseus killed them because they were accused of sleeping with Penelope's suitors
11 What is Penelope's mother like?

flighty, cold, and emotionally distant

not very pretty to look at but attentive and kind

loving and beautiful

extremely funny but not very bright
12 Where can Penelope choose to walk if she so wishes?

In Ithaca, which has greatly changed

Anywhere in the living world, but no one can see her

The fields of asphodel

The internet
13 Who is Penelope's famous cousin?

Patroklos

Melenaus

Achilles

Helen
14 Where does Penelope get information?

Odysseus

The maids' gossip

Her father and mother

Helen
15 How did Odysseus win Penelope's hand in marriage?

He sang the most beautiful song in praise of Penelope

He asked the god Hermes to help him out

He won a foot race by drugging the other contestants

He proved that he was stronger than all the other suitors in a wrestling contest
16 Who is Helen's husband?

Menelaus

Achilles

Patroklos

Paris
17 How does Penelope describe the way she was "handed off" to Odysseus?

Like a sack of potatoes with a gilded mesh casing

Like a precious swan in a cage

Like a package of meat in a wrapping of gold

Like an ornate urn made out of the finest clay
18 What was Penelope's mother's advice for her on the day of her wedding?

To be like water

To be a good wife

To stay clever and sharpen her mind

To be obedient always
19 What do Odysseus and Penelope talk about during their first night together as a married couple?

How happy Penelope was to finally be away from home

Penelope's childhood trauma and Odysseus's scar

The ways they will grow Odysseus's kingdom

Helen's beauty
20 How does Penelope feel after her first night with Odysseus?

She sees him as a good friend

She still feels a bit uneasy about him but warms towards him slowly

She has developed love for him

She fears and resents him
21 What did Penelope do during most of the voyage to Ithaca?

Spend time in bed with Odysseus

Sitting at the mast, amazed at the power of the wind

Weeping or bonding with her new family members

Lying down or throwing up
22 What does Penelope wear to her welcome feast in Ithaca?

Nothing—it is Ithacan custom to new wives to feast naked

Her mother-in-law's hand-me-downs

A shining veil and an embroidered robe

A scrappy dress that makes her feel exposed
23 Whose death leaves Penelope feeling completely alone in Ithaca?

Actoris

Odysseus

Eurycleia

Anticleia
24 Who does Helen run off with?

Melenaus

Odysseus

Paris

Agamemnon
25 What is a source of pride for Eurycleia?

That she is the only woman to truly love Odysseus

That Laertes, the king, never tried to sleep with her

That Anticleia hates her

That Odysseus loves her more than anyone else

Essays for The Penelopiad

The Penelopiad essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood.

Comparative study of the Penelopiad and the Odyssey

Lesson Plan for The Penelopiad

View the lesson plan for The Penelopiad…