Question

read the excerpt from the odyssey. neither reply nor pity came from him, but in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, scattering the floor. the epic simile in this excerpt shows

• how helpless odysseus’s men are in the clutches of the cyclops.
• how violently and uncivilized the cyclops behaves himself.
• that cyclops is enormous in comparison to odysseus and his men.
• that there is no possible escape for odysseus and his men.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the epic simile: "caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out". The Cyclops treats Odysseus's men like puppies (a violent, uncivilized act). Option 1: The simile focuses on the Cyclops's action, not the men's helplessness (the action shows his violence). Option 3: The simile is about his violence, not size. Option 4: The simile doesn't show no escape. Option 2 matches as the Cyclops's violent act (beating men like puppies) shows his uncivilized behavior.

Answer:

B. how violently and uncivilized the Cyclops behaves himself