Homer, epic and literary techniques - OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (The Homeric World) Exam Questions

Practise 31 exam-style questions on Homer, epic and literary techniques for OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (The Homeric World). Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.

31 questions
1–15 marks each
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20 questions, marked as you go

Sample questions with model answers

Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.

Question 1

1 mark

Source A: Homer, Odyssey 22. Odysseus has begun killing the suitors in his hall.

'The singer, the son of Terpis, was still trying to escape black death - the man who sang among the suitors because he was forced to. He stood near the side door, holding his clear-toned lyre in his hands, and his mind was divided.'

What is the name of the singer in Source A?

Model answer

Phemius.

Explanation

Phemius is the bard of Odysseus' palace on Ithaca, forced to sing for the suitors. He and Demodocus, the blind singer of the Phaeacians, show us how Homer imagined bards performing with the lyre at feasts - perhaps much as Homer himself did.

Mark scheme

1 mark
Phemius
Accept 'Phemios'. Do not accept 'Demodocus' (the singer of the Phaeacians) or 'Medon' (the herald).

Question 2

2 marks

Source A: Homer, Odyssey 22.

'Then resourceful Odysseus stripped off his rags and leapt onto the great threshold, holding the bow and the quiver full of arrows. He poured out the swift arrows in front of his feet and spoke to the suitors: "This contest that could not be won is finished at last. Now I will aim at another target, one no man has ever hit, to see if I can strike it and Apollo grants me the glory."'

Why is 'resourceful' an appropriate description of Odysseus at this point in the poem?

Model answer

It is appropriate because his cunning plan is now succeeding: his beggar's disguise, the rags he strips off, has fooled the suitors, and he has turned the contest of the bow into the weapon of his revenge. He has also planned carefully, removing the weapons from the hall and having the doors locked, and he takes his stand on the threshold so the suitors cannot escape.

Explanation

'Resourceful' (polymetis, 'of many schemes') is a fixed epithet, but here it fits the context exactly: this is the moment the whole scheme of Books 19-21 pays off. Strong answers link the word to specific examples of his planning.

Mark scheme

2 marks
Two from, 1 mark each: his disguise as a beggar (the rags he now strips off) has fooled the suitors until this moment; he has turned the contest of the bow into the means of his revenge; he planned ahead - removing the weapons from the hall with Telemachus, having the doors locked and the courtyard gate tied shut; he has got the bow into his own hands despite the suitors' objections; he takes up the best position, on the threshold, blocking the way out; his words are cunning and double-edged ('another target' means the suitors)
max 2. Points may come from the passage or from knowledge of the events leading up to it; each must show his cleverness or planning.

Question 3

4 marks

Source A: two passages from Homer's Odyssey.

Odyssey 9 (Odysseus and his men on the island near the land of the Cyclopes): 'So then all day long until the sun set we sat feasting on endless meat and sweet wine... When the sun set and darkness came on, then we lay down to sleep on the shore of the sea.'

Odyssey 10 (Odysseus and his men on Circe's island): 'So then all day long until the sun set we sat feasting on endless meat and sweet wine. When the sun set and darkness came on, then we lay down to sleep on the shore of the sea.'

Select two features of these passages that suggest the Odyssey was composed orally, and explain how each would have helped a bard.

Model answer

The same lines are repeated word for word in Book 9 and Book 10. These formulae would have helped a bard, because he could reuse ready-made lines whenever the situation came up, instead of having to compose new ones in the middle of a performance. The passages also follow the same pattern for a common situation - feasting all day, then sleeping on the shore at sunset - a type-scene that gave the bard a framework to fill in quickly.

Explanation

Repetitions like these were noticed in antiquity, but Milman Parry showed in the 20th century that they are typical of oral poetry composed in performance. Good answers name the feature (formula, type-scene, stock phrase) and explain its usefulness to a singer.

Mark scheme

2 marks
First feature with explanation: 1 mark for a relevant feature of the passages that suggests oral composition, 1 mark for a valid explanation of how it helped a bard.
Two pairs from, e.g.: whole lines repeated word for word (formulae) (1) - the bard could reuse ready-made lines instead of composing new ones while performing (1); a standard scene of feasting and sleeping used for a recurring situation (a type-scene) (1) - gave the bard a pattern to follow for common events (1); stock phrases such as 'sweet wine', 'endless meat', 'shore of the sea' (1) - phrases that fit the hexameter could be slotted in easily (1); formulae marking time ('when the sun set and darkness came on') (1) - helped the bard move the story on and structure the narrative / helped listeners follow it (1); the familiar repetition (1) - easier for the bard to remember and for the audience to recognise (1). The second pair must make a different point.
2 marks
Second, different feature with explanation: 1 mark for a relevant feature, 1 mark for a valid explanation.
As above; must be a different feature from the first.

Question 4

8 marks

Source A: Homer, Odyssey 19. The old nurse Eurycleia is washing the feet of the disguised Odysseus.

'The old woman, taking it in the palms of her hands, felt the scar and knew it, and she let go of his foot. His leg fell into the basin, the bronze rang out, and the basin tipped over and the water spilled on the ground. Joy and grief seized her heart at once, her eyes filled with tears, and her strong voice was choked. She touched Odysseus' chin and said: "Surely you are Odysseus, dear child; and I did not know you until I had touched my master all over." So she spoke, and she looked towards Penelope, wanting to tell her that her dear husband was at home. But Penelope could not look back at her or notice, for Athena had turned her mind away.'

How far does Homer use delay and suspense to make the recognition scene in Book 19 effective? Use Source A as a starting point and your own knowledge.

Model answer

Source A shows Homer creating suspense at the moment of recognition. Eurycleia feels the scar and drops Odysseus' foot; the bronze basin rings out and tips over, and the water spills - vivid details that make the moment loud and dramatic in a room where Odysseus must stay hidden. She is overcome by 'joy and grief' and looks towards Penelope, 'wanting to tell her'. The audience fears the plan will be ruined, and the tension is only released when we learn that 'Athena had turned her mind away'.

Homer builds this suspense through delay. Odysseus asks for an old woman to wash him and then realises, too late, that she will see the scar. Just as Eurycleia touches it, Homer breaks off for a long flashback telling how Autolycus named Odysseus and how he was wounded by a boar on Mount Parnassus. This holds the audience in suspense at the most dangerous moment. After the recognition the danger continues, as Odysseus grips her throat and threatens her into silence. Throughout Book 19, dramatic irony adds tension: Penelope weeps 'for her husband, who was sitting beside her' while he hides his tears.

However, the scene's effect does not depend only on suspense. It is also moving because of Eurycleia's love for the boy she nursed - 'Surely you are Odysseus, dear child' - and revealing because of Odysseus' harsh self-control. Some readers find the flashback a distraction, and since the audience knows the traditional story, the suspense is about how the revenge will happen rather than whether.

Overall, Homer uses delay and suspense to a great extent - the flashback, the near-discovery and the divine intervention make the scene gripping - but its full power comes from combining suspense with emotion and character.

Explanation

Strong answers explain specific delaying techniques (the old woman, the flashback, the glance at Penelope, Athena's intervention, the threat) and their effect, then weigh suspense against other sources of the scene's power. Retelling the scene without analysis stays in Level 2.

Mark scheme

8 marks
Levels of response (8 marks). AO1 (4) and AO2 (4) are equally weighted.
Level 4 (7-8 marks): consistently accurate and detailed knowledge of Book 19 and the recognition scene, using both Source A and own wider knowledge; very good understanding of narrative techniques (delay, flashback, dramatic irony, divine intervention) and of how audiences might respond; a well-argued response with a clear, substantiated judgement on how far delay and suspense make the scene effective, supported by a range of well-selected evidence, including critical analysis.
Level 3 (5-6 marks): accurate knowledge, using both the source and own knowledge; a focused response with relevant analysis and a judgement.
Level 2 (3-4 marks): sound, mostly accurate knowledge; engages with the general topic of the recognition scene; limited range of evidence; some analysis.
Level 1 (1-2 marks): limited knowledge, may only use the source given; isolated analysis.
0 marks: no response or no response worthy of credit.
A mainly descriptive or narrative answer with little analysis or judgement cannot go above Level 2.
Indicative content (not a checklist; credit other valid points): AO1: Source A - Eurycleia feels the scar, drops his foot; the basin rings and tips over; 'joy and grief'; tears, choked voice; 'Surely you are Odysseus, dear child'; she looks towards Penelope; Athena turns Penelope's mind away. Own knowledge - Odysseus refuses the young maids and accepts an old woman, realising too late that she will see his scar; just as she touches the scar, Homer breaks off for a long flashback: Autolycus naming Odysseus and the boar hunt on Parnassus where he got the scar; after the recognition Odysseus grips her throat and threatens her to keep silent; she promises silence and offers to name the disloyal maids; earlier dramatic irony - Penelope weeps (snow simile) for the husband sitting beside her, the false Cretan tale, the description of the brooch; afterwards Penelope's dream of the eagle and the geese and her announcement of the bow contest. AO2: for - the flashback delays the recognition at the crucial moment, stretching suspense; the near-revelation to Penelope creates tension, resolved only by Athena; physical details (the ringing bronze, spilled water) make the moment dramatic; dramatic irony throughout Book 19 keeps the audience on edge; the danger to Odysseus' plan raises the stakes. Other factors / against - the scene is also effective through emotion and characterisation (Eurycleia's love, Odysseus' harshness and self-control), not only suspense; some readers find the long flashback distracting; the traditional story means the audience knows Odysseus will succeed, so suspense is about how and when, not whether; the main recognition, by Penelope, is delayed until much later. Judgement, e.g.: delay and suspense are central to the scene's effect, but its power also comes from emotion and character.

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