Question

What functions as a symbol in this excerpt?

Treated as rubbish now, he lay at last
upon a mass of dung before the gates—
manure of mules and cows, piled there until
fieldhands could spread it on the king's estate.
Abandoned there, and half destroyed with flies,
old Argus lay.

a mule
the king
Odysseus
Argus

Answer 1

Argus became slave, as his master Odysseus was gone. He was neglected and maltreated but despite of these, he remain hopeful that he will see his master before he took his last breath. Moreover, the faithfulness and loyalty of the dog symbolizes the love and the simple relationship of Odysseus and Argus.

Answer 2

Argus

One way to look at this is to eliminate answers that aren't possible. The entire excerpt describes Argus. There is no mention of Odysseus, so that's wrong. There isn't actually a mule, just mule poop. So it's not mule. There isn't actually a king either, just his estate. So this is wrong too. The only actual thing in the excerpt is Argus. He symbolizes loyalty.