For THURSDAY (see note): Homer, The Odyssey, Books 19. 21 & 22

 

NOTE: Class cancelled this Tuesday--these questions will be for Thursday instead. 

Q1: In Book 19, when Penelope is talking to Odysseus (as a beggar), she says:
“Of all the travelers who have come to my house,

None, dear guest, have been as thoughtful as you

And none as welcome, so wise are your words…

Eurycleia, rise and wash your master’s—that is,

Wash the feet of this man who is your master’s age.

Odysseus’ feet and hands are no doubt like his now,

For men age quickly when life is hard (176).

Readers have often wondered if Penelope recognizes her husband (after all, the dog does!). Odysseus assumes she doesn’t, but this passage is curious: does it suggest otherwise? Does she realize he’s testing her, and does she test him back? Why might it change how we read the book if she does know who he is?

Q2: At one point in Book 22, Eurymachus begs Odysseus to spare the suitors, many of whom live on the island and have families here (and after all, he is their king). He says, “We will pay you back/For all we have eaten and drunk in your house./We will make a collection, each man will put in/The worth of twenty oxen” (200). Why does Odysseus refuse this just offer? Is this justice or the will of the gods? Or is this an example of Odysseus’ hubris getting the way once more?

Q3: In the midst of the ghastly slaughter, Odysseus spares two of the servants and tells them, "Don’t worry, he’s saved you. Now you know,/And you can tell the world, how much better/Good deeds are than evil. Go outside, now,/You and the singer, and sit in the yard/Away from the slaughter, until I finish" (219). Is this how we're supposed to read the slaughter of the Suitors, as divine justice? While they have clearly done 'wrong,' so have Odysseus and the entire Greek army which destroyed "sacred Troy." Are these just more "winged words" of Odysseus, or do you feel the poet truly believes them?

Q4: How much does Penelope run the household in Odysseus’ absence? While Telemachus often acts in charge, is this really the case? What glimpses into the daily life of the household, and Penelope’s management of the suitors, do we see in Books 19-21?