Book 20 - Prelude to the Crisis Flashcards
Book 20
What do Penelope & Odysseus both struggle with at the start
Penelope and Odysseus both have trouble sleeping that night, restlessly thinking about the impending battle
Book 20
What does Odysseus struggle over at the start
- Odysseus worries that he and Telemachus will never be able to conquer so many suitors,
- & he is enraged when he notices the maidservants as they sneak out to meet their lovers among the suitors
- Suddenly Athena appears and assures him of vengeful victory, as through the gods all things are possible
Book 20
What does Penelope struggle over at the start
- Tormented by the loss of her husband and her commitment to remarry, Penelope wakes and prays for Artemis to kill her
- Her distress wakes Odysseus, who asks Zeus for a good omen, & for a sign of support
- Zeus responds with a clap of thunder, and, at once, a maid in an adjacent room is heard cursing the suitors
Book 20
What is significant about the next day
This day is a special holiday on Ithaca, a festival celebration in honor of Apollo, god of archery
Book 20
As the palace springs to life the next day, …………………………………. meet
Odysseus and Telemachus
Book 20
Who meets in succession to Odysseus & Telemachus
- The swineherd Eumaeus,
- Melanthius,
- & Philoetius
- with the rest of the suitors, once again plotting Telemachus’ murder
Book 20
What does Philoetius contribute
- Philoetius, a kindly and loyal herdsman says that he has not yet given up hope of Odysseus’s return
Book 20
Give examples of the destain & antagonistic view Athena sustains from the suitors all through dinner to prevent Odysseus’s anger from losing its edge
- Melanthius bullies Odysseus
- Ctesippus, a wealthy and arrogant suitor, throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus,
- in response to which Telemachus threatens to run him through with his sword
Book 20
……………………. convinces the suitors to call it off
Amphinomus
Book 20
What happens despite Amphinomus trying to convince the suitors to call it off
- A portent of doom appears in the form of an eagle carrying a dove in its talons
- When Ctesippus throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus
- the suitors laugh and laugh, failing to notice that
- they and the walls of the room are covered in blood and that their faces have assumed a foreign, ghostly look—all of which Theoclymenus interprets as omens of inescapable doom
Book 20
In what ways do characters suggest the suitors impending doom
- Telemachus berates the suitors and lists some of their many offenses
- Theoclymenus speaks ominously to them, offering one of their last warnings, but in their arrogance, the suitors respond with derisive laughter
