Who is the primary adversary Theseus must defeat?

• A. The Sphinx
• B. The Hydra
• C. The Minotaur
• D. The King of Crete

Answer: (C)

The primary adversary Theseus must defeat is the Minotaur, a fearsome half-man, half-bull creature kept in Crete’s labyrinth. This monster is the direct challenge Theseus faces to end the brutal tribute Athens pays and to prove his courage and cleverness. He enters the labyrinth with Ariadne’s thread to find his way back after confronting the Minotaur, and he defeats it in a decisive battle, freeing his people from the threat. The Sphinx belongs to a different myth, the Hydra to Heracles, and the King of Crete is the ruler who orders the tributes rather than the creature Theseus destroys, so they don’t fit as the hero’s primary foe.