illiad
...ed. Then Agelaus asks Telemachus to tell Penelope to choose the best man and wed him. Telemachus answers that he cannot drive away his own mother without her consent. The men begin laughing, but it is a forced laughter, and the seer Theoclymenus suddenly sees shrouds of death covering their bodies and the walls dripping with blood. They laugh at his warnings, and he leaves the doomed company. Meanwhile, Penelope has heard the words of each one of the men in the halls, for she had set her chair near them. Notes Odysseus' endurance is tested here when he sees the insolent maids laughing on their way to sleep with the suitors. He controls his anger with great difficulty, and, in a brilliant epic simile, his growing anger is compared to that of a dog guarding her young ones from a stranger. Later, he endures the goatherd Melanthius' taunts and escapes an ox's foot that is thrown at him by one of the suitors. All these incidents serve to increase his anger and are needed to justify the cruel slaughter of the suitors soon afterwards. Athena often encourages such taunts, so that they may wound Odysseus' pride and increase his desire for revenge. An important theme of the epic is Odysseus' humbling, and these episodes serve this theme's purpose. The suitors are deplorable beyond belief. They have inflated opinions of themselves and no scruples about getting what they want. Antinous differs from Eurymachus only in being more outspokenly brutal. The others conform to type, except, perhaps, Amphinomus, who has some relics of decency, though not enough to escape death. In the suitors, it is hard not to see an embodiment of a heroic society in decay. This is the generation that did not fight at Troy, and their lack of heroic qualities fits the relatively unheroic temper of The Odyssey. When the doom of the suitors is near and Ctessipus has just thrown an ox's foot at Odysseus, they are seized with a frenzy of madness, and Theoclymenus in ringing tones foresees their doom. It is an apocalyptic moment, but they are too far gone to recognize their predicament. This is the last scene for Theoclymenus. He has completed his task, which is to forecast events by augury and vision. The element of the supernatural is more dominant here than anywhere else in the epic. Odysseus prays to Zeus for a good omen, and it is granted. Penelope dreams of a man such as Odysseus lying next to her in bed. The suitors see an eagle with a cowering dove in its clutches, and Theoclymenus has his bloody vision. The doom that is to come upon the suitors is not only brought about by Odysseus, but by the will of the gods themselves. In a chilling commentary at the end of the Book, the poet indicates that they have had a fine lunch in which they have sacrificed many victims and, in doing so, have earned a gruesome supper which will be served to them by "a god and a man." In addition to showing the suitors' folly, the dinner scene also reveals the mood of Odysseus' family. Odysseus bides his time, Telemachus grows angry and impatient, and Penelope is allowed to hear each word the suitors speak, solidifying her distaste for them. Homer brings together all three members of the family in their desire for vengeance on the arrogant, audacious suitors. In a small but important scene, Odysseus meets another well-wisher, Philoetius. He needs all the help he can get in the final slaying of the suitors. There are only a few men to help him in this, but they are loyal and dependable, and Philoetius is no exception. BOOK 21 Summary Penelope goes to the storeroom to get the famous bow and a quiver of arrows so that the contest may begin. As she does this, the poet interweaves the history of the bow. She appears among the suitors and addresses them, agreeing to marry the one who shall most easily string Odysseus' bow and shoot through all twelve axes. Eumaeus and Philoetius weep on seeing their master's bow, and Antinous rebukes them. Telemachus digs a trench for all the axes. He nearly strings the bow himself but is stopped by a frowning Odysseus. The suitors decide the order that they will attempt to string the bow. Leiodes tries his hand, but fails. Antinous asks Melanthius to bring a great ball of lard and to light a fire so that they may warm and grease the bow with it. He does this, but none of the suitors are able to bend the bow enough to string it. Meanwhile, Eumaeus, Philoetius, and Odysseus leave the hall. Odysseus tests their loyalties before showing them his scar and revealing his true identity. They are overjoyed to see their master and kiss him lovingly. Odysseus asks Eumaeus to bring him the bow and quiver when they return to the hall and asks Philoetius to bolt and bar the doors. They return as Eurymachus is giving up. Antinous suggests postponing the contest to the next day. After the men agree, Odysseus asks to be allowed to test his strength by stringing the bow. Antinous refuses. Penelope thinks that the beggar should be allowed, as he is a guest, but Telemachus stops her from speaking any further and asks her to go back to her household duties, as the bow is a man's business. She obeys him. Eumaeus brings the bow to Odysseus and tells Eurycleia to bar the doors of the women's chamber. Philoetius bars the outer gates of the court. Finally, Odysseus lifts the bow and, after viewing it from every side, easily strings the bow. Zeus thunders forth a blessing, and Odysseus, heartened at the omen, sends a shaft through all twelve axes. Odysseus, signaling with his eyebrows, tells his son it is time for supper. Telemachus grasps his sword and spear and comes and stands by his father. Notes The epic reaches its climax. Penelope goes to fetch the bow, and, in true epic fashion, its history is related before Penelope brings it into the hall before the suitors. Eumaeus and Philoetius display their affection for their master when they actually cry upon seeing the bow. Antinous continues to be brash and rude and rebukes the two servants for their tears. Telemachus has benefited from his travels and shows his maturity. He urges the suitors not to delay the trial of the bow, and his efficient setting up of the axes impresses everyone. He is on his way to becoming as heroic as his father Odysseus. After a few unsuccessful tries, he nearly strings the bow himself, but this feat is reserved for his father, and he is stopped abruptly by a frown from Odysseus. A difference has to be maintained between Odysseus and Telemachus, and the former still has pre-eminence over the latter. Later in the Book, Telemachus displays his leadership qualities once again, when he stops his mother from speaking any further about the bow. He claims that the power to give or deny the bow rests solely with him. His assumption of responsibility and his self-confidence here are in great contrast to his inexperienced, hesitant self at the start of the epic. At the end of this Book, when he stands beside Odysseus, he seems worthy of a position next to his esteemed father. The fourth recognition of Odysseus takes place in this Book. Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius, but only after he has tested their sincerity and loyalty. Odysseus has learned from his wanderings, and he is clever enough not to trust even friends too easily. It is this trait that has enabled him to survive his many adventures and has earned him the adjective "enduring." Once again, his scar plays an important role in this recognition. BOOK 22 Summary Odysseus strips himself of his rags and kills Antinous with a shot to the throat. The suitors are enraged by this act and threaten to slay him. Odysseus announces who he really is, and the suitors are scared. Eurymachus begs for forgiveness on behalf of all the suitors and promises to recompense him for all the food and drink that has been consumed in the halls. Odysseus refuses and gives the suitors the choice of fighting or fleeing to avoid death. Eurymachus and Amphinomus are the next to die. Telemachus brings shields, spears, and helmets for Odysseus, Philoetius, Eumaeus, and himself. Melanthius, who is on the side of the suitors, brings them arms from the storeroom. Upon seeing this, Odysseus is alarmed and asks Eumaeus and Philoetius to stop him from getting any more weapons. These two tie up Melanthius. Athena appears in the disguise of Mentor to encourage Odysseus, but, wishing to test his strength, she does not give him a clear victory. Agelaus urges the wooers to together throw their spears at Odysseus, but none hit their intended mark. The battle continues and Amphimedon, another suitor, succeeds in wounding Telemachus before the latter kills him. Philoetius strikes the vain Ctessipus. In the midst of the fighting, Athena holds up her destroying aegis - a shield with the Medusa's head on it - high from the roof. The wooers are scared and flee to the far end of the hall, where they are slaughtered. Leiodes asks for mercy, but Odysseus does not grant it. Only Medon and Phemius, a bard, are spared. Once Odysseus sees that all the enemies are dead, he asks for Eurycleia. She is about to cry aloud for joy but is checked by her master. He wishes to know which of the women have been disloyal and which have kept the honor of the house. The twelve shameless women are brought forth and are made to carry the dead outside and to clean the tables. When the hall has been cleaned and set in order once again, these twelve women are hung by Telemachus on Odysseus' instructions. Melanthius is led out and killed cruelly. Odysseus then washes himself and purifies the house with sulfur and fire. Meanwhile, Eurycleia goes through the halls to call out the women. They come out and welcome Odysseus with embraces and kisses. He is moved and longs to weep, as he remembers each one of them. Notes The epic reaches its climax in the suitor-slaying scene in this Book. The warrior of The Iliad, who has become the wanderer of The Odyssey, needs all his powers of decision, command, and improvisation to beat the suitors. These he amply displays. The man who kills Dolon in the battle of Troy is not likely to spare the suitors or the servants, male or female, who have worked for them. Odysseus in The Odyssey is a magnified version of Odysseus in The Iliad, but he remains substantially the same man. It is significant that when Odysseus kills the suitors, he has every advantage over them, and though this is due to his foresight, it is not the way in which Achilles would have taken on an enemy. Odysseus does start with something like Achilles' unforgiving wrath and spurns Eurymachus' offer to repay his loss. His anger, however, unlike Achilles', does not last. He spares Phemius and Medon and forbids Eurycleia to whoop in triumph. "It is not holy to exult over dead men," he says. He sees himself only as the enactor of just punishment. The bloody slaughter of the suitors may dismay the reader slightly, but one has to understand that their punishment is well-deserved and supported by the gods. The hanging of the unfaithful women show that Odysseus is master and king and that no treachery shall be tolerated. The re-establishment of order is completed with the cleaning of the house with sulfur and fire, which symbolizes purification and renewal. Odysseus is once again the rightful master of the house; his mission has finally been accomplished despite many pitfalls and dangers. Eumaeus and Philoetius prove to be dependable and are a great help to Odysseus in his battle with the suitors. It is they who tie up Melanthius as he is about to bring out more arms for the suitors. They also fight bravely and are responsible for the deaths of a few suitors. Their presence shows that Odysseus is capable of winning great loyalty. Indeed, the party of Odysseus in Ithaca is held together by loyalty to him and hatred of the suitors. It is interesting to note that Athena aids Odysseus so long as he is courageous and heroic. She chides him with wrathful words when she sees him weakening. While she does offer him help, she does not allow his victory to be too easy. Odysseus is being tested, and this fight against the suitors, who are greater in number than Odysseus' party, is a part of his test. Finally, the women come forth from the chamber to greet Odysseus with embraces and kisses. The conspicuous absence of Penelope builds anticipation for the reunion of husband and wife, which finally takes place in the next Book. BOOK 23 Summary Eurycleia goes to the upper chamber to awaken Penelope and to let her know of her husband's long-awaited return. Penelope refuses to believe her initially and is only somewhat convinced when told that the beggar guest was actually Odysseus in disguise, noting that it may very well be a god finally taking vengeance upon the suitors. She is not even convinced by the mention of Odysseus' scar. She now goes down to the hall but stands apart from Odysseus. Telemachus rebukes her for being hard-hearted, but Penelope replies that she will only recognize Odysseus when they share some secret unknown to the others. Odysseus smiles at this and tells Telemachus to bathe and then arrange for a feast and dancing so that the slaughter of the suitors may remain hidden. Penelope tests Odysseus by telling Eurycleia to move Odysseus' bed and set it up for him outside the bridal chamber. This is not possible as, Odysseus had himself constructed the bridal chamber around an olive tree and had made the bed out of its stump. When Odysseus describes the chamber in detail, Penelope accepts him to be truly her husband and finally embraces him. As they talk and weep, Athena stays the dawn for them so that they can have more time together. Odysseus tells Penelope about Tiresias' predictions and warns her that their troubles are not over. They take to their bed, make love, and tell each other of their suffering and adventures before falling asleep. Finally, Athena has the sun rise and awaken Odysseus. He asks Penelope to look after the house and remain in the upper chamber with the other women while he goes to see his father Laertes at his farm. He arms himself with weapons of war and goes along with Telemachus, Eumaeus, and Philoetius. Though there is light over the earth, Athena hides them in night and quickly conducts them out of the town. Notes The suitors have been slain and it is now time for the fifth and most important recognition to take place. It is that between Odysseus and Penelope. An entire Book is devoted to the reunion between husband and wife. The signs that have satisfied others do not satisfy Penelope. It is not without reason that she is called "wise" and "enduring." The long years of waiting have made her suspicious, and rightly so. While Telemachus rebukes her for being hard-hearted, the reader can somewhat sympathize with this woman who does not wish to be fooled either by mortals or gods. She tests the stranger by telling Eurycleia to move Odysseus' bed, but the stranger knows that Penelope and he have their own special, secret bed made from the stump of an olive tree in the heart of the palace. This is highly appropriate, as Odysseus and Penelope are man and wife, and the bed is an intimate symbol of their union. When Penelope finally accepts Odysseus, the reader is gladdened. They retire to the bed, and now Penelope exhibits the same curiosity that characterizes her husband. ...