Penelope retrieves odysseus great bow from the storeroom and her maids bear axe heads into the main hall. Apr 01, 2016 odysseuss actions in book 22 represent show his cruelness to others. The removal of the disguise is the climax of the story. In book twentytwo odysseus takes his first arrow and aims it at antinous, the most obnoxious of the suitors. Odysseus is said to have a younger sister, ctimene, who went to same to be married and is mentioned by the swineherd eumaeus, whom she grew up alongside. Odysseus recognizes her for who she is and calls help. Book twentyfour begins with the dead suitors going to hades and telling the other dead souls how so many of them died at once. Murray 1 but the goddess, flashingeyed athena, put it into the heart of the daughter of icarius, wise penelope, to set before the wooers in the halls of odysseus the bow and the gray iron, to be a contest and the beginning of death. She turns to odysseus and tells him to show the suitors his stuff i. Now that the battle has ended and the house has been cleaned, good nurse eurycleia scurries up to penelopes quarters to tell her all that has happened. Antinous was about to take a drink of wine from his cup when the arrow pierced his neck, which caused the suitors to panic. In book 22 of the odyssey, who is saved from death and why.
Only vengeance the mechanism of justice can wipe out the dishonor they have brought upon his family. In book 22 of the odyssey, odysseus finally revealed his true identity to everyone back at his home in ithaca, and with the goddess athenas help, slaughtered all of his wifes suitors. Odysseus tells telemachus to cut them down with a sword, but telemachus decides to hang thema more disgraceful death. After the bloodbath, odysseus has the house fumigated. The poem is commonly dated to between 800 and 600 bc. But odysseus wounded the son of damastor in close fight with a thrust of his. When odysseus kills ktesippos, the rich suitor who had thrown a cows hoof at him earlier, he has some choice words for him, while the graphic amputation of melanthios seems appropriate for that of a goatherd. With classic understatement, odysseus observes that he has only a few household chores 22. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Book 22 concludes the greek epic cycle, though fragments remain of the alternative ending of sorts known as the telegony. This being the conception, we must not object if, in this climactic book of the poem, odysseus and telemachus wreak their sense of outrage upon their tormentors to the full. The suitors look around for arms but cannot find any weapons.
While i myself go down to ithaca, rouse his son to a braver pitch, inspire his heart with courage. Last of all, the traitor melanthius is tortured and killed. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. Eurymachos begs for odysseus to have mercy on the rest of the suitors, now that. Odysseus is slightly aided by athena in the slaughtering of the suitors. Jul 18, 2017 the odyssey book summary in under five minutes. The time has come for odysseus to reclaim his rightful throne as the king of ithaca. The odyssey by homer book 22 summary and analysis youtube. Homer, odyssey book 22 theoi classical texts library. Realizing that their weapons are gone, the suitors scatter. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The dramatic scene in which odysseus effortlessly strings the bow is justly famous. How does odysseus choose to punish the various people he thinks have. Murray 1 but odysseus of many wiles stripped off his rags and sprang to the great threshold with the bow and the quiver full of arrows, and poured forth the swift arrows right there before his feet, and spoke among the wooers. Odysseus has shown restraint and good judgment in biding his time before killing the suitors. Throwing off his rags, resourceful odysseus sprang to the wide threshold with the bow and the full quiver, poured the arrows out at his feet, and addressed the suitors. This reflects his training and experience as a military leader, as he was able to assess, strategize, and follow through. Tearing off his beggar rags, odysseus boldly catapults himself onto the halls threshold, utters. The suitors are confused and believe this shooting to be an accident. Homer, odyssey book 21 theoi classical texts library. The odyssey books 2124 summary and analysis gradesaver.
Butcher, trace the myriad adventures of the first epic hero from a distant war to the land of his faithful family. Odysseus scouts around and sees a plume of smoke rising inland. In the twentysecond book of homers odyssey, odysseus begins his battle with the suitors. Needless to say, odysseus easily strings it and sends the first arrow he grabs whistling through all twelve axes. The odyssey is one of the two major ancient greek epic poems the other being the iliad, attributed to the poet homer. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. The severity of the slaughter provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the differences and connections between literature and real life. Summary and analysis book 22 slaughter in the hall summary tearing off his beggar rags, odysseus boldly catapults himself onto the halls threshold, utters a brief prayer to apollo, and fires an arrow straight through a new target. Oddysey book 22, help me please i have to make a presentation in class tommorow, and its a huge chunk of my grade, but i dont have my book, could someone give me a good summary of what happens in book 22 of the odyssey, u dont know how much that will mean to me. Odysseus is said to have a younger sister, ctimene, who went to same to be married and is mentioned by the swineherd eumaeus, whom she grew up alongside, in book 15 of the odyssey.
Also in book 22, the return of the hero helped by a supernatural force occurs, which is the first part of stage 4 the return of the monomyth. Following telemachus recommendation, the king spares phemius the bard and one of the heralds. For example, when odysseus trapped and killed the suitors, which is completely understandable, he also forced the maids to clean the blood and then he killed them. This event is the last time that odysseus is assisted by a god in the iliad. Before the suitors realize what is happening, odysseus shoots a second arrow through the throat of antinous. The fighting of book 22 is the only pitched battle in the odyssey, and while it cannot help but recall the iliad, which abounds in bloodshed, the description remains thoroughly odyssean. I am sure that this is the only way to understand the poem. Summary and analysis book 22 slaughter in the hall the. So saying, he aimed a deadly shaft at antinous, who. Odysseus and his men sailed on and landed at the home of aeolus, where they stayed for a month. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war, and his adventures at sea during his travel home.
Odysseuss actions in book 22 represent show his cruelness to others. It presents the complete greek text of books 21 and 22 of homers odyssey, interspersed with a running vocabulary with notes, and followed at the back of the book by a learning vocabulary. Made cautious by his last few adventures, he decides not to explore it alone. Book 22 the battle exposition after taking off his disguise, odysseus kills antinous and the other suitors with the help of telemachus, his servants, and athena. Odysseus him with an arrow to the throat while hes drinking wine. As we begin book 22 of the odyssey, odysseus holds his bow and arrow, rips off his beggar rags, and stands in front of the suitors, who are. The poem is, in part, a sequel to the iliad, and concerns the events that befall the greek hero odysseus in his long journey back to his native land ithaca after the fall. What are literary devices in the odyssey books 21, 22 and. Odysseus leaps out of his rags and begins to shoot arrows at the suitors. As we begin book 22 of the odyssey, odysseus holds his bow and arrow, rips off his beggar rags, and stands in front of the suitors, who are taken completely by surprise. Odysseus followed circes instructions and reached the land of the dead. Oct 03, 2008 also in book 22, the return of the hero helped by a supernatural force occurs, which is the first part of stage 4 the return of the monomyth.
In the first place, let us note that odysseuss vengeance is not a. Dec 20, 2006 oddysey book 22, help me please i have to make a presentation in class tommorow, and its a huge chunk of my grade, but i dont have my book, could someone give me a good summary of what happens in book 22 of the odyssey, u dont know how much that will mean to me. Odysseus finally reveals himself, and the suitors become terrified. After shooting the arrow through the axes, odysseus shoots another arrow, killing antinous.
Dec 15, 2010 book 22 is bloody from the very beginning. Odysseus goes to talk to his father who doesnt initially recognize him until odysseus shows him the scar and points out all the trees in the garden that laertes gave to. They have no way out, since philoetius has locked the front door and eumaeus has. As much as penelope would like to believe that her husband has returned and vanquished the suitors, she is cautious and goes to the great. For one thing, it maintains the comic and domestic flavor that many critics find characteristic of the odyssey. The triumph of odysseus is part of the highly successful reading greek series. Instead, after killing a big stag for dinner, he sends 22 menincluding his friend eurylochosto explore the hall. Odysseus goes to talk to his father who doesnt initially recognize him until odysseus shows him the scar and points out all the trees in the garden that laertes gave to odysseus as a boy. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war. Now ill see if i can hit another target no man has as yet, and may apollo grant my prayer.
The suitors beg mentorathene not to help odysseus, threatening him with death if he does. To link to this the odyssey books 2122 summary page, copy the following code to your site. Without thinking too much, odysseus killed antinous first and i thought this was a good move because i feel like antinous was the leader of the suitors. Summary and analysis book 22 slaughter in the hall. Odysseus decapitates him with one swipe, the head softly bouncing in the dust.
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