What happened to Medusa's head at the end of the story?

• A. The head was buried in a temple
• B. The head was used as a prize
• C. The head was kept by Perseus
• D. The head was thrown into the sea

Answer: (D)

Medusa’s head is treated as a dangerous, magical relic whose fate varies in different tellings. After Perseus beheads Medusa, the head retains the power to turn onlookers to stone, so how it’s handled is a key part of the ending.

In the version reflected by this question, the severed head is cast away by Perseus, thrown into the sea. This disposal emphasizes removing the artifact from the mortal world to prevent it from being misused or causing more harm. The other endings you might hear—keeping the head, giving it to Athena, or burying it—fit different tellings, but they describe the head as remaining with Perseus or being claimed by the gods rather than being discarded into the sea.

So the idea tested here is the head’s fate as a dangerous object that the hero ultimately removes from active use by casting it away.