The Odyssey Summary:Book 19

This book opens up with Odysseus studying the soon to be killing grounds. He tells Telemakhos to move the weapons out of the room. However, if the suitors become wary of him moving the weapons he offers two explinations. Telemakhos should either say that the weapons are getting blackened by smoke from the in-house stove or tell them that he doesn't want drunken men around weapons incase they start fighting. Either way getting the weapons out of the way will make Odysseus' job easier. Then Telemakhos informs Eurykleia to lock the womens quarters because they are going to be moving some armorments around. Odysseus tells his son to continue his mission and that he is going to "test" (58) Penelope.

While going to the queen quarters Odysseus is stopped by Melanthos' voice. Essentially she makes fun of him because he is a beggar. Then she leaves when Penelope decides to question the beggar about Odysseus. They get into a long dialogue about how where the beggar comes from and how sad Penelope is that her lord is away. After Penelope leaves, an old maid washes Odysseus. While bathing him, she comments on how much he looks like their king. Then she notices a scar that he had which insured her that it was indeed Odysseus because 20 years past she bathed him so she knew that scar front to back. Then odysseus swears the maid to silence. Later Penelope tells the beggar/Odysseus that there will be a contest that was something that he had done which was shooting an arrow though 12 axes.