The Odyssey - Books 17-20

Question 1

Character: Melanthius

Answer 1

The goatherd who kicks Odysseus on his way to the palace. He is disloyal

Question 2

Character: Melantho

Answer 2

sister of Melanthius, one of Penelope’s maids, Eurylochus’ lover

Question 3

What does Antinous do that seals his fate and upsets the rest of the suitors?

Answer 3

He throws a chair at the beggar

Question 4

Character: Argos

Answer 4

Odysseus’ dog who dies upon seeing him return

Question 5

What does Argos represent?

Answer 5

Argos represents the state of Ithaca. He is covered in fleas in the same way that Ithaca is covered in suitors who are sucking the life from the palace

Question 6

Character: Irus

Answer 6

The beggar out in front of the castle. Odysseus fights him and, ultimately, kills him to gain a spot with the suitors

Question 7

Why does Odysseus want to meet Penelope at night?

Answer 7

Because it is darker and his disguise will be even more obscured.

Question 8

Why does Athena make the taunts of the suitors worse?

Answer 8

To help readers understand and remember why they are so bad and deserve to die.

Question 9

What directions does Odysseus give Penelope before he leaves for Troy?

Answer 9

1. Take care of my parents
2. When Telemachus grows a beard, choose someone to marry

Question 10

How does Penelope make Odysseus proud the first time he sees her again? What other purpose does this have?

Answer 10

Penelope asks the suitors for gifts. It allows readers to continue to see her cunning and ability to have her own kleos on her own.
It also replenishes what the men have taken away from the palace all these years.

Question 11

How does the beggar prove he has seen Odysseus?

Answer 11

He describes Odysseus’ purple cape, golden brooch, and the herald, Eurybates.

Question 12

What is the significance of the beggar saying that he has not seen Odysseus for 20 years?

Answer 12

Odysseus has not seen himself as what he once was, the king of Ithaca, for the twenty years since he has been gone at Troy.

Question 13

Why might this be the thesis of the Odyssey:

But then if a man is kind by nature, kind in action,
his guests will carry his fame across the earth
and people all will praise him from the heart. (19.401.381-383)

Answer 13

Please see your notes for the answer to this, you may all have different answers, but generally they should be about Xenia and Kleos

Question 14

What might signify that Penelope does know that the beggar is Odysseus?

Answer 14

She tells Eurycleia to come “wash her masters… equal in years” She might have almost said “your masters feet”. She also might be telling Odysseus her plan to test the suitors in a coded conversation

Question 15

Define: anagnorisis

Answer 15

the point at which a character realizes another character’s true identity.

Question 16

Why is Odysseus’ scar so important to his identity?

Answer 16

The scar is described in a long story that tells readers not only how Odysseus got this scar, but also describes how Odysseus got his name.

People did not have DNA evidence as to who they were, so scars and names were very important markers of who someone is.

Question 17

What does Odysseus’ name mean? Who gave it to him? Why is it fitting?

Answer 17

Odysseus - Man of Pain
Autolycus gave it to him (Anticleia’s father)
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus both gives pain and receives pain.

Question 18

How did Odysseus get his scar?

Answer 18

At a boar hunt. It is a coming of age moment for him.

Question 19

What does Penelope dream about? What does she think it means?

Answer 19

The dream is about twenty geese and an eagle who kills the geese and identifies himself as Odysseus.

Odysseus will kill the suitors

Question 20

Define: Portent

Answer 20

a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen