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The Odyssey Summary:Book 20

2005-02-23T09:44:25Z

Roonz:

The book begins with Odysseus observing the suitors taking women to their beds. He contemplates striking each one down but immediately quells his anger. Athena appears to Odysseus assuring him of his fated victory over the suitors and then casts sleep over his eyes. Despite all the forewarnings of Odysseus’ return, Penelope still believes he resides in the underworld and wishes to join him there. Odysseus awakes at Dawn and prays to Zeus for a reassuring sign that his vengeance will succeed. Zeus grants this with a band of thunder.

The next day Philoitios takes Odysseus by the hand and welcomes him to Ithaka. He praises the beggar and talks about his wish for Odysseus’ return. The beggar then swears by Zeus that Odysseus will return soon to slaughter the suitors and regain his household. Meanwhile in a nearby field, the suitors are planning the murder of Telemakhos but quickly dismiss the plan after witnessing a sign: an eagle with a rockdove in his claws flying above them.

Later that day the suitors begin to feast. Telemakhos invites Odysseus to dine with them and Odysseus receives repeated physical and verbal abuse from the suitors but remains collected. Theoklymenos gives the suitors a warning that their crimson blood will fill the halls and death will overcome them.

The suitors continue to provoke Telemakhos with jokes about his friends. Penelope observes the suitors’ wild behavior while Odysseus and Athena prepare for vengeance.

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[[The Odyssey Summary:Book 19|Book 19]] < [[The Odyssey Summary|Index]] > [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 21|Book 21]]

[[Category:World Literature|Odyssey]]

The Odyssey Summary:Book 18

2005-02-23T09:18:25Z

Roonz:

This book begins with a public tramp named Iros starting a fight with a fellow beggar (Odysseus in disguise). The fight is simply over territory as Iros tells Odysseus he must leave the hall doorway. Odysseus tries to explain that there is plenty of room for both, but Iros disagrees. The suitors overhear this argument and throw the two tramps into a ring together. Odysseus sheds his rags and prepares to fight; seeing his strong body, Iros no longer wants to fight, but the suitors insist upon the match. Iros throws the first blow to the shoulder of Odysseus. Odysseus contemplates killing Iros, but instead decides only to break his jaw. After this Odysseus takes Iros and throws him onto the doorstep “to keep the dogs and pigs away” (116). Odysseus is then allowed to feast with the suitors.

Next, Odysseus confronts Amphinomos telling him to leave the area while he can because Odysseus was on his return and would slay every suitor. However, Amphinomos’ fate had already been sealed; he could not flee because Athena had bound him there. It is told a spear thrown by Telemakhos would kill him.

Meanwhile, Penelope had decided to address the suitors and her son. Eurynome her faithful nurse advises her to present herself bathed and beautiful, but Penelope refuses. Athena wants Penelope to be beautiful for Odysseus, so as Eurynome leaves the room, Athena puts Penelope to sleep. During her slumber, Athena bathes and glosses her so that Penelope is breathtaking. Upon her wake Penelope goes to her son, in front of the hall of suitors. All are taken back by her beauty.

First, Penelope addresses her son—outraged by the treatment given to their visitor. Telemakhos explains she will understand things more clearly later, and no harm had come to the visitor. Penelope then addresses the suitors reciting what Odysseus told her before he left for his journey. It is time that she has no choice but to remarry. With her announcement, the suitors decide to bear gifts to the queen so that she might select the worthiest to become king. Penelope accepts these gifts then retreats to her room.

Odysseus then tells the housemaids to go attend to their queen, but these women only laugh in his face. Dolios, who had been taken in and raised by Penelope, was sleeping with Eurymakhos and told Odysseus that he was being crazy and had consumed too much wine. With this insult Odysseus grew angry and told Dolios that Telemakhos would have her arms and legs cut off. After this incident, the women retired to their rooms.

Finally, Odysseus and Telemakhos are left in the hall with only the suitors. Eurymakhos decides to talk of how lazy this beggar must be that he would rather beg than put in a hard day’s work. Odysseus boasts that he could work harder and fight longer. Eurymakhos becomes enraged then Telemakhos steps in to explain everyone has drank too much and should only retire to bed. The suitors finally agree and “they trailed off homeward drowsily to bed” (468).

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[[The Odyssey Summary:Book 17|Book 17]] < [[The Odyssey Summary|Index]] > [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 19|Book 19]]
[[Category:World Literature]]

The Odyssey Summary:Book 17

2005-02-23T09:13:52Z

Roonz:

Sometime during the morning Telemachus comes home from his visit with Nestor and Menelaus. He then speaks to his mother (Penelope) about his trip and how very kind and hospitable the two men were to him. Penelope expresses much happiness to see Telemachus back at home. Telemachus also informs his mother that it is rumored that Odysseus is still alive, trapped on an island with the sea nymph Calypso. Telemachus introduces Penelope to Theoclymenus. Theoclymenus is a man that was given freedom by Telemachus by allowing him to pass from Pylos into Ithaca. Theoclymenus is a soothsayer and tells both Telemachus and Penelope that Odysseus is somewhere in Ithaca, disguised as a beggar. He tells them that Odysseus is doing this to avenge the suitors of Penelope. Penelope does not believe what Theoclymenus is telling her but she wishes she could.

Meanwhile, Odysseus and his swine herder Eumaeus are approaching the palace. During their walk to the palace they meet Melanthius, he is the chief goat herder and is evil. When Melanthius sees Odysseus (disguised as a beggar), he taunts him and even kicks him. Even though this makes Odysseus mad, he controls his anger. Melanthius tries to taunt Odysseus more but Eumaeus defends him.

As Odysseus and Eumaeus approach the gate of the palace they see an old dog lying there. The dog is toothless and weary, obviously very old. Eumaeus tells Odysseus that the dog use to be his favorite hound and told him his name was Argus. The dog had not been taken care of for nineteen years, ever since Odysseus had been gone. After seeing his favorite hound, Odysseus bends down and lifts the dog’s head up, the dog makes a small cry and then dies. At this, a tear roles down Odysseus’s face.

After the sensitive scene with Argus, the two men enter the palace, where they see the suitors eating. Telemachus, holding onto his hospitable manners, offers Odysseus a seat, and allows him to beg from the suitors. All of the suitors provide Odysseus with something except for the leader of the suitors, Antinous. Instead of giving Odysseus anything, he hits him with a stool. Odysseus exchanges harsh words with Antinous, getting the remaining suitors’ attention. For the unwise act that Antinous committed, there will be revenge. With seeing all this action, Penelope is interested with the identity of this stranger, so she questions Eumaeus. Penelope thinks that maybe this stranger has some information about her husband, so she asks Eumaeus to bring Odysseus to her. Eumaeus takes this information back to Odysseus and Odysseus agrees to see her.

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[[The Odyssey Summary:Book 16|Book 16]] < [[The Odyssey Summary|Index]] > [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 18|Book 18]]

[[Category:World Literature|Odyssey]]