The Odyssey: The final episode
...Poseidon’s Cyclops son Polyphemus, thus producing the decade long journey Odysseus had to endure. The beauty of this story was that how everyone was intertwined even though the story took over ten years to develop. There are several minor stories throughout the Odyssey that makes it so compelling such as Telemachus’s emergence as a man, Penelope’s constant attempts to stave off remarrying by repeatedly requilting a blanket so she would not have to entertain suitors. Athena’s willingness to help Odysseus get home. As well as assist Telemachus in growing into manhood. You see these situations grow over the course of the chapters and actually find yourself rooting for the participants involved. Hoping that Odysseus makes it home to his family, or Penolpe can stave off her suitors. As you start into the final episodes of the story, you are dripping with anticipation to see how this will all unfold. Going into chapter 23 it looks like the story will conclude naturally. Penelope doesn’t believe that the person before her is Odysseus so she tests him with a series of questions that only he would know. Upon proving himself to her the reader is led to believe that the story is over but here is where the problem begins. Homer added a 24th chapter that took place basically in hell. Now granted Odysseus’s journey there is discussed in a previous chapter via a dream but it really doesn’t add any impact to the story, it just prolongs it. Also there is a portion of chapter 24 that involves Odysseus’s father Laertes. That portion of the chapter actually makes more sense than the portion in hell. Odysseus’s time with his father brings the entire story full circle, Odysseus is forced to take his family to his father’s farm to protect him f...