“Portents Gather”: Book Twenty Guide Define portent below:
Portent means sign or omen.
Why do the maids infuriate Odysseus?
The maids have been unfaithful to the royal family by associating with the suitors.
How does Odysseus react to the maids’ behavior?
Although he wants to react in anger, he steadies himself and waits for the right time for revenge.
Describe Odysseus’s prayer to Athena.
Odysseus asks that Athena will show him the way.
What sign does Zeus send?
Zeus sends a thunderclap as an acknowledgement to Odysseus.
Describe Telemachus on page 414. How has he changed over the course of the epic?
Telemachus is quick and confident. He is described as a young god taking his stand. He is now a man of action.
Describe the suitors’ bizarre behavior at the end of the book.
Athena causes the men to have a strange fit of laughter that evolves into weeping in response to Telemachus telling them that he will not give his mother away in marriage. Their behavior is manic as the meat that they are eating oozes with blood.
Grade 9: The Odyssey
Complete the chart below to keep track of some of the minor characters in Book Twenty. For each character, describe if he/she is an ally (friend) or enemy of Odysseus. Then in the right column, describe the character and his/her behavior.
Character Ally or Character Description Enemy? Character Behavior
Eurycleia ally housemaid, nurse to Odysseus as a child
She is steady and true; she keeps Odysseus’s secret.
Melantho enemy bad housemaid
She heaps verbal abuse upon Odysseus when he is disguised as a beggar and has an inappropriate relationship with the suitors.
Melanthius enemy bad goatherd
He has spent time allying himself to the suitors for his own selfish gain; he mocked Odysseus when he was disguised as a beggar.
Philoetius ally good goatherd
He takes mercy on “the beggar” and dreams of his master’s return.
Eumaeus ally good swineherd
First seen in Book Sixteen, Eumaeus is the man who played a father role for Telemachus growing up.
Antinous enemy the worst suitor
Since the beginning, Antinous has proved to be the most vocal and insolent suitor. He mocks Telemachus and even hit “the beggar” in the back with a stool.
Csteppius enemy bad suitor
Called a “lawless boor,” this suitor wants Penelope purely for financial reasons. He throws an ox hoof at Odysseus as a “guest gift.”
Grade 9: The Odyssey
“Odysseus Strings His Bow”: Book TwentyOne Guide Describe the test of the bow.
This test (designed to be impossible for anyone except for Odysseus) involves the following steps: 1. string the bow (which is impossibly difficult). 2. shoot an arrow through twelve small rings placed low to the ground.
Describe Antinous’s behavior.
In typical form, Antinous mocks Odysseus and claims that everyone is weak. However, when it is his turn, he suggests different ways to limber up the bow to give himself an advantage. He concludes that the task is impossible because it is the day devoted to the god of archery.
What is the cowherd’s name, and how does he prove his loyalty to Odysseus?
Eumaeus vows to fight for King Odysseus.
How do the suitors act when Odysseus (the beggar) steps up to try his turn?
They laugh and mock him mercilessly.
Telemachus wants to take a try, but his father tells him not to. Why won’t Odysseus give him a try?
Telemachus very well might have the skill to complete the task, but his success in the contest would ruin their plan for revenge.
Read over the description of Telemachus at the very end of the book. How has he changed?
He is brave, resolved, and heroic. He looks like Odysseus in his best moments.
Grade 9: The Odyssey
“Slaughter in the Hall”: Book TwentyTwo Guide Describe Antinous’s fate and the suitors’ subsequent reactions.
Antinous is the first suitor to die. Odysseus shoots him in the throat as he throws his head back to drink wine from a two-handled goblet. The suitors first think that it is a wild shot and then vow to kill Odysseus.
Describe Melanthius’s actions. What kind of character is he?
Melanthius sneaks off to aid the suitors. He is disloyal to the royal family.
How does Athena assist Odysseus and Telemachus in battle?
Athena takes the shape of Mentor and cheers the royal duo on; additionally, she makes the suitors’ shots inaccurate. In the heat of battle, she makes her shield appear above the suitors, which terrifies them.
What is the fate of the priest?
Even though the priest claims that he is innocent, Odysseus holds him accountable for his involvement with the suitors and chops off his praying head.
What is the fate of the bard?
Odysseus shows mercy to the bard.
Describe the conclusion of the battle.
Odysseus, Telemachus, and their two allies brutally slaughter every suitor.
Grade 9: The Odyssey
“The Great Rooted Bed”: Book TwentyThree Guide How does Penelope first react to Eurycleia’s news?
She is in disbelief.
How does Penelope test Odysseus?
Penelope asks Eurycleia to move their bed outside of the bedroom, an impossible task considering that Odysseus built the bed, which is rooted into the ground. She is testing him to see if he is truly Odysseus.
Copy the epic simile that describes Odysseus’s reaction as he and his wife reunite.
“Joy, warm as the joy that shipwrecked sailors feel / when they catch sight of land" (23.262-63).
What information does Odysseus reveal about his journeys?
Odysseus gives the abbreviated version of his trip, briefly and casually mentioning Calypso and Circe.
Grade 9: The Odyssey