Odyssey 19-24 Study Questions

Identify: Melantho, Philoitios, Phemios, Medon

Book 19

1. Who is Melantho's family and what does she represent?

2. Does Penelope suspect that the stranger is Odysseus?

3. Why does he not reveal his identity to her?

4. Compare Penelope's version of the weaving story to that of Antinoos in Book 1.

5. How does Penelope respond to Odysseus' false story? How does he react to her tears?

6. What details does Odysseus suppress in his report of himself to Penelope?

7. What is the function of the footwashing scene? What does Odysseus' name mean?

8. How can Penelope's dream of the geese be interpreted?

9. Why does Penelope decide now to set the contest of the bow?

Book 20

10. Why do the handmaidens deserve to die?

11. How can strange laughter of the suitors be interpreted?

Book 21

12. Who usually sets a contest for the hand of a bride?

13. Why is Telemachos unable to string the bow?

14. What strategies does Odysseus give to Eumaios and Philoitios?

15. How does Antinoos threaten the stranger? Why does Penelope intervene?

16. How does Telemachos respond to Penelope's intervention and why?

17. What do the following have in common: bow, lyre, bed, loom?

18. What 'dinner' does Odysseus intend to serve the suitors?

Book 22

19. What does Eurymachos offer to Odysseus and what is Odysseus' response?

20. Whom does Odysseus most resemble at this moment?

21. Compare the supplications of Leodes and Phemios. How does Odysseus respond to each of them?

22. How did Medon save himself?

23. What orders does Odysseus give concerning the handmaidens? Are they obeyed?

Book 23

24. What has Penelope been doing while the battle took place in her house?

25. What evidence does Eurykleia give Penelope for the return of Odysseus?

26. Does Penelope believe the nurse? Does she say she believes her?

27. What new problem faces Odysseus?

28. What strategy does he have to delay confrontation with the people of Ithaka?

29. How does Penelope test Odysseus? Why does she do it?

30. What does Penelope have to say about Helen?

31. How does the simile at lines 233-239 work?

32. What favour does Athene perform for the couple?

33. What lies in Odysseus' future?

Book 24

34. What sort of speeches do the souls of the dead heroes of Troy make to one another?

35. Why is there a description of the funeral of Achilles at the end of the Odyssey?

36. Does the story of the suitors differ in any way from that of the narrator?

37. What reward does Agamemnon predict for Penelope?

38. Why doesn't Odysseus reveal himself to Laertes at once?

39. How does Athene transform Laertes?

40. What does Eupeithes say to the assembly?

41. What does Zeus advise Athene to do?

42. How does the epic end?