Odysseus Strings His Bow

Odysseus Strings His Bow

Ch 21:

Odysseus: master mind in action

Athena: Blazing eyes, watchful

Heracles: Iron heart, the past master of monstrous works, Zeus son

Penelope: Radiant woman, Icarius' daughter

Leodes: Seer who could see their futures in the smoke

Antinous and Euymachus: ring leaders of all the suitors

Apollo: The god of archers

Echetus: mainland king who wrecks all men alive

By: Kit and Zoe

Setting:

The book takes place in Ithaca at Odysseus' palace.

Questions:

1. How would you feel if the fate of your city was in your hands?

2. Which two people did Odysseus tell his true identity to?

3. Why did Telemachus compete against his dad?

4. Do you think Odysseus is Hubris as a character?

5. How would the story have changed if the book was told from Penelope's point f view?

Plot:

Epithets:

• Athena inspires Penelope to set up a contest for the suitors so they can test the their skill.
• Penelope and maids then go to a secret chamber in the palace to seize her husbands bow and arrow and bronze and iron axes he had once won at war.
• Once with the bow and axes, Penelope announces she will marry the suitor who can string the bow and then shoot the arrow through twelve axes.
• Antinous mocks the crowd, saying no will beat Odysseus.
• Then Telemachus tries, but fails because he can not string the bow.
• Leodes tries next, but also fails.
• Then they grease the bow, but still even with a greased bow, the suitors failed to string
• Odysseus then slips out of the palace with swineherd and cowherd and reveals his identity as Odysseus to them.
• Odysseus therefore revealed his identity because they were the only ones who wanted him to return.
• Then Odysseus and the swineherd and cowherd sceme to kill the suitors.
• Eurymachus can't bend the bow and Antinous plans to sacrifice a lamb to Apollo so someone will win the contest.
• Odysseus makes Antinous mad because he taunts him
• The suitors will be shamed if Odysseus wins.

Plot:

• Penelope still unaware of Odysseus' true identity, gives him cloths, a sword, lance, sandals, and will let him go where he pleases if he wins the contest.
• Odysseus tells the maids to lock the doors and cant come out, even if they hear the screams of men dying.
• Then the cowherd locks the gate so the suitors can't get out.
• The suitors taunt the swineherd and Odysseus
• Odysseus easily strings the bow
• Zeuz then sends down a lightning bolt to signify that Odysseus will win.
• Odysseus shoots every ax
• Telemachus stands by his father with a spear which symbolizes that the war is about to begin

Outside Connection:

Themes:

Favorite Quote:

• Polymetis( Clever in many ways): Odysseus tells the swineherd and the cowherd to lock the suitors in because it was a clever way of trapping them.
• Xenia(Courtesy): Penelope offers Odysseus as beggar a good prize.
• Hubris(Excessive Pride): The suitors all mocked Odysseus, and thought they could all win the contest easily.

"For the moment, give me the polished bow now, won't you? so, to amuse you all, I can try my hand, my strength...is the old force still alive inside these gnarled limbs? or has a life of roaming, years of rough neglect, destroyed it long ago?"( Lines 315-320).