The archery contest serves several purposes in the Odyssey, like how the scene ____________.

Question

The archery contest serves several purposes in the Odyssey, like how the scene ____________.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about the archery contest in the Odyssey and what it reveals about the scene. 
Option 1: 'characterizes Odysseus as a hero, completing a seemingly-impossible task.' This is the core function of the archery contest: Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, must string and shoot the bow to win back his household, a feat that appears impossible to those present and demonstrates his legendary prowess. The success signals his true identity and heroic status. 
Option 2: 'demonstrates Telemachus' abilities to be like his father's.' While Telemachus's growth is a theme in the epic, the archery contest itself centers on Odysseus, not Telemachus, and it doesn’t showcase Telemachus performing heroic feats in this moment. 
Option 3: 'shows how Odysseus and Penelope worked together to enact a plan to dispatch the suitors'.' The plan to deal with the suitors is not a joint, conspiratorial activity by Odysseus and Penelope in this scene; Penelope’s involvement is more indirect (e.g., testing the suitors, weaving and delaying), and the archery contest is a demonstration by Odysseus alone. This option misreads the scene’s dynamic. 
Option 4: 'reveals how divine help allowed Odysseus to string the bow.' In the epic, the act of stringing the bow is depicted as Odysseus’s own skill and strength, not primarily a result of direct divine intervention in the moment, so attributing the feat to divine aid misstates the scene. 
Overall, the most accurate interpretation among the choices is that the archery contest serves to characterize Odysseus as a hero through his seemingly-impossible achievement, while the other options misattribute emphasis or collaborators to this moment.

CLAS 2220 AU2025 (16301) Module Exam 3: DUE Friday 12/12

The archery contest serves several purposes in the Odyssey, like how the scene ____________.

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