Odysseus Book 17 Analysis

236 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Summary of odyssey

Summary of Book 17: The Beggar at the Manor Book 17, Beggar at the manor is about Telemachus leaving Odysseus at the Eumaeus Hut, then soon heading towards the palace. Receiving a welcome from Penelope and the Nurse. On the way, they meet Melanthius; a base subordinate or minor of the suitors. He then tells Piraeus not to bring the gifts from Melanthius to the palace; He fears that the suitors will steal them if they would kill him. Now, Telemachus tells her what little of even any news he has received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta. Theoclymenus then would speak up and say the Odysseus is in Ithaca at the moment. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out to go towards town in Telemachus footsteps, and on the way into town they meet

Show More
Related

  • The Purpose Of Book 24 In Homer's Odyssey

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    First and foremost, this conclusion is necessary for Odysseus to complete his full homecoming. He has

    Read More

  • Perseverance In The Odyssey In Homer's The Odyssey

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    Up to this point in The Odyssey, Homer has introduced several characters, including the gods, Telemachus, Odysseus, and several more. The Gods first appear when they discuss what they should do about Odysseus’s turmoil as he attempts to get home to his wife and, now grown, son. Afterward, Athena appears to Telemachus as Mentor, an old companion of his father, Odysseus. She convinces Telemachus that he should set sail in order to find out if his father is dead or alive and also to take back control of his father’s kingdom from his mother, Penelope’s, suitors. Upon confrontation by Telemachus, Antinous, one of Penelope’s suitors, informs Telemachus of Penelope’s deception toward them. After hearing this, Telemachus continued to stand up for

    Read More

  • Odysseus Decisions In Book 9 Of Homer's Odyssey

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    In book 9 of The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus was forced to make many critically important decisions. Although he made some wise decisions that portrayed his leader-like characteristics, many of his choices were poor ones that led to more difficulty along the journey. When Odysseus and his men entered the cave, his men wanted to raid Polyphemus’ cheese stores, and then return for the flocks. However, Odysseus was irrational and greedy, and told the Phaeacians this: “But I would not give way...not until I saw him, saw what gift’s he’d give” (9.256-58). By waiting for the lawless Cyclops to come back and grant the soldiers gifts, he and his men were put in danger, since Polyphemus was not friendly, nor was he willing to give them anything, and

    Read More

  • The Odyssey: The Use Of Hubris

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    To start, within the course of The Odyssey, Odysseus displays hubris through many of his actions. The most prominent instance in which Odysseus shows hubris is while he and his men are trying to escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. They drug the monster until it passes out, and then stab him with a timber in his single eye. Polyphemus, now blinded, removes the gigantic boulder blocking Odysseus’ escape, and waits for the men to move, so he can kill them. The men escape from the cave to their boat by tying themselves under flocks of rams, so they can easily slip by. Odysseus, now proud after beating the giant, starts to yell at Polyphemus, instead of making a silent escape. Odysseus’ men ask him to stop before Polyphemus would “get the range and lob a boulder” (436). But Odysseus shows hubris by saying that if they were to meet again, Odysseus would “take your life” and “hurl you down to hell!” (462; 463). Polyphemus, now extremely angry with Odysseus, prays to his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus “never see his home” again, and after which, throws a mountain towards the sound of Odysseus’ voice. (470). Because of Odysseus’ hubris after blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon grants the prayer, and it takes Odysseus 20 years to return home, at the cost of the lives of all his men.

    Read More

  • The Maturity of Telemachus

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the bards sang, and the guests talked amongst one another, Telemachus watched his house get destroyed by the brazen suitors. Telemachus takes no initiative to rid the suitors of Odysseus' palace. He grieves his father is dead and that there is no one to remove the suitors. As Telemachus was sulking about his father, Athena appeared in disguise as Mentor. She approached Telemachus and urged him to drive the suitors from his house. Mentor and Telemachus devised a plan to repulse the suitors. First, Telemachus was to order an assembly where he would give orders to the suitors. Then he was to go to Pylos and Sparta to learn if his father was still alive.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Telemachus in Odyssey

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the Odyssey, Telemachus, son of great hero Odysseus, who grows up in the world of greed and disrespect where the suitors take over his palace and court his mother, is one of the most significant character throughout the whole epic. His father, Odysseus, leaving the land Ithaca for 20 years, is the only warrior alive in Trojan war who hasn’t make his return home. During Telemachus’ expedition to search for the news of his father, he is under a process of maturation from the beginning in which he is mere a shadow of his father to the end in which he becomes more and more like him in terms of initiative, sensitivity and socialization.

    Read More

  • Odysseus: The Flawed Hero

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given,” (1.32-34) is a simple quote reminding us the entities in charge of all characters in the poem The Odyssey – the gods. Hubris, or excessive human pride, is most detested by the gods and likewise is most punishable by them. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and Telemachus, two heroes who throughout their adventures meet new people and face death many times. Telemachus goes to find his father after he learns from Athena that he is still alive. The two meet, and Odysseus attempts to go back to Ithaca after he was lost at sea, and on his way there becomes one of the most heroic characters in literature as we know it. Like all heroic characters, Odysseus began to display hubris as he learned how true of a hero he was. James Wyatt Cook, a historian and an expert on The Odyssey, wrote about how hubris can affect the characters that display it. He says, “Because Homer’s Odyssey is essentially comic, that episode [opened wind bag destroys ship] is only one of a series of setbacks Odysseus experiences before reaching his home in Ithaca and recovering his former kingdom and his family. Such, however, is not the case for those who display hubris with tragic outcomes.” (Cook 1) Initially, Odysseus learns about Aias who died as a cause of the excessive pride he portrays. Proteus warns Odysseus when he says, “…and Aias would have escaped doom, though Athena hated him, had he not gone widely mad and tossed outa word of defiance; for he said that in despite of the gods he escaped the great gulf of the sea, and Poseidon heard him…...

    Read More

  • Telemachus Speech

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    Telemachus explains, “Mother wanted no suitors, but like a pack/ they came- sons of the best men here among them“ (II, 53-55). He means no disrespect to the fathers of these men as he refers to their sons as a pack such as that of dogs, but he is explaining that Penelope did not even want these men in her home to begin with, but they came anyway, destroying everything. By saying this in particular instead of just what the suitors are doing he was hopefully sparking a need to protect her from the misbehaviors of the suitors. Telemachus says, “Or did my father, Odysseus, ever do injury to the armed Achaeans? Is this your way of taking it out on me, giving free reign to these young men?” (II, 76-79). Odysseus ruled over Ithaca before leaving to fight in the Trojan war, so in wording it this way Telemachus appeals to their emotions, as if they were leaving the son of a man who had done no harm to them and was a good leader to fend for himself. Behind everything he says there’s a want for pity, he wants the audience to feel sorry for him, so they’ll help him. Also, Telemachus plays to a more selfish side, but nevertheless still an emotional tie to the Greeks by saying, “Think of the talk in the islands all around us,/ and fear the wrath of the gods” (II, 70-71). One’s reputation at this time was vital, without a good reputation there would be nothing to remember them by when they died. Therefore, when he asks

    Read More

  • Telemachus Mature In The Odyssey

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Athena leaves, Penelope asks Pemuis to stop singing a song, Telemachus tells her, “You’ll just have to endure it and listen”(book 1,l.372) and refers to himself as “the master of this house”(book 1, l.379). This suggests that a worthy greek man 3,000 years was in control of the house and its affairs. We see another trait of a worthy greek man 3000 years ago when Telemachus and Pisistratus visit king Menelaus in Sparta, as the subject of Odysseus is brought up, “Telemachus wept.../Menelaus wept.../Nor could Nestor’s son keep his eyes dry”(Book 4, l.194-196). This means that worthy greek men, such as the king of Sparta and princes of Ithaca and Pylos 3,000 years ago were not afraid to publically display their emotions, which means they did not see it as a sign of

    Read More

  • Odysseus Identity Essay

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Homer’s Odyssey there is a consistent internal conflict regarding identity. Odysseus’ long circuitous route home can be attributed not only to the gods but to his own flaws that additively form his identity. Particularly, these faults of complacency, arrogance, and desire for concealment as means of avoidance are outlined in his early interactions most explicitly with Polyphemus (IX). Phaeacia, where he recounts his adventures, serves as a transition point where Odysseus is forced to address his flaws. He gains the capacity to learn from his mistakes and change the person he sought to cover up with disguises (VI, VII).

    Read More

  • Odysseus Penelope Analysis

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, can be compared in a various ways to the other characters in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. In many ways, Penelope symbolizes the ideal woman, in that she follows to the values and ideals of her society. These ideals include faithfulness, devotion, and determination; pride your home and family, and warmth to strangers. Their dedication to each other, their power to stay together through times of happiness and times of sad, and their will to survive the test of time.

    Read More

  • Homer's The Odyssey

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, / but let my anger flare and yelled: / ‘Cyclops, / if ever mortal man inquire / how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him / Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: / Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’” (500-505, 769).

    Read More

  • The Odyssey by Homer

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    Troy, the son of Laertes, whose address is in Ithaca.,”(Rouse 110) . In this passage, Odysseus is exposing himself to Polyphemus. Polyphemus then curses Odysseus and his crew on the way to their journey home by asking his father Poseidon to sabotage Odysseus’ journey home either by death ...

    Read More

  • Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    Telemachus in the most part grew up just listening to stories about whom his father is through a third party. Athena's purpose of sending Telemachus on this expedition is so he can learn about different cultures and who his father is. Not to mention, in order to gain this knowledge, Telemachus will have to build his own character and earn their trust for himself.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Character Analysis

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.

    Read More

More about Odysseus Book 17 Analysis

Open Document