Question

which excerpt from part 2 of the odyssey best supports the conclusion that odysseus’s fate is doomed?

the cyclops bellowed and the rock roared round him,
and we fell back in fear.

but i kept thinking how to win the game:
death sat there huge; how could we slip away?

ahead of our black prow it struck and sank
whelmed in a spurning geyser,

but zeus disdained my offering;
destruction for my ships he had in store

Explanation:

To determine which excerpt supports Odysseus’s doomed fate, we analyze each option:

• First option: Describes fear from the Cyclops' roar, not direct doom.
• Second option: Shows Odysseus thinking of escape, not doom.
• Third option: Describes a natural event, not fate-related doom.
• Fourth option: States Zeus disdained the offering and planned destruction for ships, directly indicating a doomed fate as a god's wrath implies misfortune.

Answer:

D. But Zeus disdained my offering; destruction for my ships he had in store