'Ben Hur', Part V Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

Esther informs Ben Hur of the wishes of his mother and sister, that he not look upon their faces. While Esther gives Miriam and Tirzah baskets of food, Ben Hur hides behind a rock, painfully listening to the sound of his mother's voice. Afterward, he makes an attempt to see them, but he is stopped by Esther's pleadings.

Answer: Malluch

Malluch, a very large deaf-mute, was Simonides' prisonmate for a number of years. Simonides claims that Malluch is his legs (the old man has lost the use of his lower limbs), while he is Malluch's voice. Malluch helps block Ben Hur from entering the cave to see his mother and sister.

Answer: Balthasar

Balthasar, played by Finlay Currie, is the chief conduit between Ben Hur and Christ during the film. Incidentally, Currie also plays the narrator early on in the film. As many of you realized (and recognized from one of the earlier quizzes), Balthasar is one of the three wise men of Christian lore who see Christ in the manger at Bethlehem.

Answer: No

Indeed not. Rather, he claims to have business with Rome. He also alludes to the man that gave him water just prior to his entering the Roman galley. He does not realize that the sermon is being given by that same man.

Answer: Roman citizenship

Nothing so spectacular as a governmental or military position, at least not at this time. Ben Hur is offered simply his Roman citizenship, as the son of Quintus Arrius. He decides to turn down this offer from Pontius Pilate, and returns the ring provided to him by the elder Arrius as a sign of his adoption. Ben Hur decides to once again become a common dweller of Judaea, and perhaps a champion of the Jewish cause.

Answer: Turn the other cheek.

Esther also warns Ben Hur by uttering the adage, 'Blood begets more blood as dog begets dog. Death generates death as the vulture breeds the vulture. She adds, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' Her goal is to promote a more peace-loving Ben Hur, but she fails during this conversation.

Answer: Messala

'You seem to be now the very thing you set out to destroy, giving evil for evil. Hatred is turning you to stone.' Esther says. 'It's as though you had become Messala,' she goes on to suggest. Ben Hur can't but stare in stunned silence at this accusation...the truth hurts!

Answer: Tirzah

This time, Ben Hur has followed Esther into the Valley of the Lepers with the intention of contacting his mother and sister face to face. Both he and Esther do more than simply contact them, however. They both touch the leprous women, sealing their fate as well.

Answer: False

Ben Hur indeed helps Christ, but he is no Simon. Rather, Ben Hur attempts to repay Christ for his kindness earlier in the film by providing him with water. The Roman soldiers do not allow the water to touch Christ's lips, however, and Ben Hur can only stand idly by and watch Christ move on to the crucifixion site.

After watching the crucifixion, Ben Hur is convinced to follow the way of peace.

Answer: True

While Christ is depicted dying on the cross, a great rain storm occurs. The blood of Christ is shown flowing throughout the land, with curative effects and all. Tirzah, Miriam and Esther take cover in a cave, and the former two find themselves miraculously cured of their horrible disease.

It is suggested that Christ's blood is the source of their cure. Thank you for playing this quiz, I hope you will (or have) take a look at the other quizzes in this series!