Book 22–24: The Odyssey
November 21, 2020
3 PM — 5 PM
Book 22
Antinous is shot through the mouth by Odysseus right as the suitor is about to take a drink of wine. The king kicks the table and scatters the food on the floor, and Antinous’s blood mingles with the food. He shows himself to be Ithaca’s long-absent king. Horrified, the suitors beg for forgiveness, blame Antinous for his misdeeds, and promise to return everything that they have taken. But Odysseus assures them that their sins can not be washed out by any amount of money. Eurymachus calls the suitors to war, but he is killed instantly by Odysseus. Amphinomus is killed by Telemachus and then runs to get arms for himself, Odysseus, Eumaeus, and Philoetius. The side door to the palace is guarded by Eumaeus, so no suitors can flee. Melanthius, the goatherd, climbs through a hidden passageway into the storeroom of Odysseus and carries arms to some of the suitors. When he returns for more weapons, Eumaeus and Philoetius capture Melanthius and leave him strung up in the storeroom in great pain. In the guise of Mentor, Athena appears; she then transforms into a swallow and flies to a beam on the roof to see the battle. In Odysseus, the suitors fire arrows, but Athena makes sure the arrows, again and again, miss their target. The suitors are slaughtered by Odysseus and Telemachus like eagles attacking little birds. Only the Bard and the Herald Medon are saved by Odysseus. Eurycleia is brought out by Telemachus; she is happy to see the suitors dead, but Odysseus warns her that rejoicing over the bodies of the dead is wrong. He tells her that the dishonorable conduct of men has earned them the wrath of the gods. He then asks her to collect the dozen woman servants who by sleeping with the suitors, have shamed the household. He tells the servant women to help Telemachus, Eumaeus, and Philoetius clear away the corpses and the blood once they arrive. Telemachus hangs the women with a cable when they complete the work; then the three men take Melanthius outside and cut off his nose, ears, genitals, hands, and feet. Finally, the servants are asked by Odysseus to sterilize the house with smoke.
The judgment and prudence of Odysseus eventually paid off. He analyzed the situation, formulated an appropriate strategy, and executed it at the right time, much like the excellent military leader he is. While his irritation is clear, he is totally under control. Before either of the suitors know that the king has returned or that they are in danger, Odysseus kills the enemy’s most violent commander, Antinous. With the chief gone, the crowd runs in chaos.
November 22, 2020
3 PM — 4 PM
Book 23
Penelope is informed by Eurycleia that Odysseus has actually come home and killed the suitors. On Odysseus’s leg, the nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar, but Penelope declines to believe the account. In order to talk to the stranger, she comes downstairs; he looks like Odysseus but still like the enigmatic beggar. Odysseus advises Telemachus, when she regards the outsider in indecision, that the palace must look like they are celebrating a marriage; he wishes to keep secret the fact that most of the high-born young men in Ithaca have been killed. Athena turns Odysseus back into a younger, handsome man. Because of her chilly welcome, he chides Penelope and assures the nurse that he’ll sleep alone. Penelope orders Eurycleia to carry him to the bridal bed in order to examine the intruder, but Odysseus yells bitterly that the bed should not be moved because he constructed it around an olive tree. The narrative is a direct confirmation of his identity; Penelope cries and loves him. Odysseus tells Penelope that before they can settle down in peace, he must make one more long, risky journey. He must fly to a land far from any shore, plant an oar, and sacrifice animals to Poseidon, as per the prophecy in Book 11. They finally retired to bed. Odysseus advises Penelope to remain in her room with her maids until he leaves the next morning since men might come to avenge the suitors. With Telemachus, the swineherd, and the cowherd, he heads out.
It is not shocking that Penelope is wary, although she seems to presume that the visitor may be her husband. She has been threatened by theft before. Some commentators say that the reluctance of the queen is feigned, that she realizes that her husband is the guest and that she is only being coy, maybe to please him with her prudence. A stretch beyond the text is this understanding. Homer portrays a very optimistic but cautious lady. It is in the character of Penelope to test the man one more time to be certain. The past of the couple’s wedding bed will certainly not be revealed to any outsider, and the last piece of evidence convinces Penelope and eventually liberates her.
November 23, 2020
2 PM — 4 PM
Book 24
The spirits of their suitors fly to the underworld screaming. Achilles, Agamemnon, and Ajax ponder their own deaths as the ghosts arrive. Agamemnon envies the deaths of Achilles and Ajax in battle. Agamemnon recognizes Amphimedon, one of the suitor’s ghosts, and asks him why so many noble young men have died all at once. The courtship of the suitors, Penelope’s fidelity, and Odysseus’ vengeance are mentioned by Amphimedon. Agamemnon is grateful that the wife of Odysseus was more loyal than his own, and claims that her good judgment and self-restraint will forever be praised by gods and men. Meanwhile, Odysseus comes to the farm of Laertes with his three companions. In the vineyard, Odysseus notices his father working and weeps to see his decrepitude. He chooses, despite his pity, to test his father’s loyalty. He tells Laertes that he’s a traveler from a foreign world and that he hosted Odysseus once. Laertes, however, cries to know the name of Odysseus, and Odysseus breaks down and discloses his identity. Laertes asks for proof, so Odysseus reveals the scar to him and explains when he was a child the fruit trees Laertes gave him. They hug joyfully. Dolius and his sons come in after serving in the fields and gladly welcome the long-absent king while the men enjoy lunch. The goddess Gossip flies across the city, spreading the news of the deaths of her suitors. Soon, families of the deceased men would arrive and retrieve the bodies. Eupithes, Antinous’s father, calls for retribution, but Medon’s Herald tells the crowd that the gods are on the side of Odysseus. Some are going back down in panic, while some are getting ready to fight. He advises her that the townsmen should forget their grievances and live in peace. Athena appears at Zeus’s side and asks him if he wishes the war to begin. Back at the farm, Odysseus and the other men are getting ready to confront the city army. Athena offers Laertes immense courage in the disguise of a tutor, and he destroys Eupithes with a knife. The townspeople are told by Athena to stop fighting, and they flee in terror; Odysseus even obeys the decree. Ithaca is at rest at last.
One major problem remains. Odysseus has slaughtered more than 100 young men from powerful families on Ithaca and surrounding islands. He knows that he has to deal with an attempt at revenge, which he earlier mentioned to Athena and postponed by having Telemachus stage a fake wedding feast at the palace the night of the slaughter. Now, Eupithes (father of the chief suitor, Antinous) leads a large contingent in an assault on Laertes’ farm. Once again, the gods intervene. The two sides engage in battle. Strengthened by his son’s return and Athena’s blessing, Laertes kills Eupithes. With one father defeating the other, the war ends there. Under directions from Zeus, Athena stops the conflict and calls for peace and cooperation. Prosperity is restored to Ithaca, and Odysseus is home at last.
Questions to prepare and write about in your weekly journal:
To what extent does the poet present Penelope as Odysseus’ equal?
For several years, Penelope hadn’t seen her husband. Penelope doesn’t remember him after Odysseus returns and can’t be confident if Odysseus truly is who he thinks he is. By asking her servant Eurycleia to transfer their marriage tent, she checks Odysseus. Odysseus gets agitated. He states why, around an ancient olive tree, he constructed his bedroom and used the top of the tree to build a bedpost. He’s upset because he thinks that Penelope would have substituted a movable bed for this bed. His rage, and knowing the story of the room, prove his identity. Just Odysseus, Penelope, and one devoted servant ever saw the bed. The resolve of Penelope to test Odysseus reveals that she is wise and not readily fooled. She is very similar to Odysseus in this regard. The examination conducted by Penelope reminds us that the two characters are soulmates. Actually embedded in the soil of Ithaca, their marriage bed is a strong sign of home’s permanence in a world where nothing else seems trustworthy.
To what extent may Book 24 be seen as a fitting ending not only to the Odyssey but also the Iliad?
Overall, although many argue that Book 24 was unnecessary, it was in fact clearly intended to close story plot barriers, redefine character intentions and restore an overall theme. The story plot gaps were closed from Book 11 to give context, which shows Odysseus in Hades where he finds out from his mother that his father suffered greatly from his disappearance. To avoid story plot gaps, Book 24 works efficiently to demonstrate the mental state of Odysseus’s father upon the return of his son and shows how they are finally at peace. However, in spite of the peace that Odysseus and his father now feel, there is still a final problem; the loved ones of the suitors respond to the killing of their family members by Odysseus. Considering this was a new problem as a reaction from Book 23, the sudden arrival and ability of the Greek Goddess to stop any madness before it happens further re-establishes the recurring theme of the story, the power of the Gods. In the epic poem, we see how much strength and authority they possess throughout the novel, eventually highlighting that humans’ livelihood, destiny, and end are all beyond their grasp, and humans must still praise and keep their honor in mind