The Odyssey Read-Along @ Plethora of Books
Book XIX
Ordering Eurykleia to get the women into
the house, Telemachos and his father proceed to store away all the weapons. Afterwards Telemachos
goes to bed, but Penelope descends from her chamber, wishing to speak with “the
stranger”. Once again Melantho harps at Odysseus and he has harsh words for her, but Penelope, catching their conversation, scolds her maidservant and sends her
away. Sorrowfully she confesses to
“the stranger” how she has avoided marriage for the past three years, but now
she feels that she can delay her fate no longer. Odysseus requests that Penelope not ask for his history but
she ignores his entreaty and, seemingly against his will, he must weave an
elaborate lie to placate her curiosity.
When he tells her of Odysseus’ return however, if spite of his apparent sincerity, she does not believe him,
She offers him a bath in the morning yet he will accept only if an old
woman with as many sorrows as he, will give it to him. Penelope sends him Eurykleia, his old nurse, and to his
consternation she recognizes a scar he received on his leg from the tusks of a
wild boar when he was just a young boy.
Wild with joy, she makes to summon Penelope but Odysseus stays her with
rather harsh words.
Professing her loyalty, she leaves and returns with a new basin of water
and proceeds to wash him and anoint him with oil. Then Penelope speaks with him again, admitting to her
indecision over her course with the suitors and then requesting that he
interpret her dream: she had
twenty geese that fed on wheat and a great eagle came and broke the necks of
all of them. The eagle returned,
claiming to be Odysseus and the geese the suitors. Once again Odysseus tries to convince her of his return and
the suitors' destruction, but she then prevaricates, stating that some dreams are
true but others only deception, and she believes her dream the latter. Tomorrow she will set up a contest
between the suitors and whoever can send an arrow through twelve axes set up in
order, that is the man she will marry.
She retires to her chamber to weep for Odysseus.
Disbelief
How believable is Penelope’s
disbelief? She has had numerous
tales of Odysseus’ return, yet she absolutely refuses to lend them any
credence. One would think she
could at least send out servants to try to confirm or deny the stories, but it
is as if she has given up long ago and the only way she is able to survive is
to believe the worst and attempt to deal with it. It is not surprising that Eurykleia is able to recognize
something of Odysseus in “the stranger”, yet Penelope cannot. She has already abandoned hope.
Portents and Omens
We have seen many portents throughout this
poem, which always seem to need to be read by someone. The omen of the eagle and twenty geese
perhaps is not difficult to interpret.
I also thought that the 20 geese could symbolize the 20 years that
Odysseus had been away and the sudden appearance of the eagle, his sudden
return.
Rather shockingly, in the dream, Penelope
likes her geese and cries sorrowfully when they are slaughtered. Does this mean she likes the attentions
of the suitors? Is her claim of
delay a ruse to continue their behaviour, which may possibly stroke her ego?
Deception
We finally learn how Odysseus could have
honestly come by his ability to so cleverly deceive:
“This was his mother’s noble father, who surpassed all men in thievery and the art of the oath ……”
However he is not pleased to deceive his
wife, although when she persists, he does lie to her, as he finds it necessary to
do so.
 |
| Odysseus and Penelope Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (19th century) source Wikimedia Commons |
Book XX
Sleep evades Odysseus as he agonizes over
the suitors' treatment of his household, meanwhile Athene descends and lightly
scolds Odysseus for not being grateful that his wife and son and house are within
his reach, as well as his lack of faith that he will overcomes his enemies. As Athene drifts slumber over him,
Penelope is praying for the gods to end her life; she would rather be under the
earth with Odysseus than have an inferior husband. Her husband hears her weeping and prays to the gods to send
him an omen, both inside and outside, whereupon he hears thunder sent by Zeus and
a mill woman prays for the suitors destruction. Telemachos rises and checks with Eurykleia that the stranger
has been treated well, then she makes sure that the palace is ready for the
suitors’ arrival for the public festival.
Eumaios stops to speak with Odysseus but Melanthios mocks and challenges
Odysseus, who gives no answer.
Philoitios, an oxherd, then arrives, asking about “the stranger” and
lamenting the absence of Odysseus and how the suitors ruin his household. Odysseus assures him of his master’s
return, Eumaios prays for the same and Amphinomos reads an omen that Telemachos
will not be murdered. The
sacrificing begins and Telemachos commands that “the stranger” will be treated
well, amazing everyone with his authority, and even Antinoös defers to his
spoken wishes. One suitor,
however, Ktesippos, protests at “the stranger’s” presence and hurls an ox hoof
at him, which misses, causing Telemachos to praise the miss otherwise he would
have had to stick him through the middle with his spear. Again, everyone is astounded at his
command, and Agelaos tried to calm the situation, but then refers to the giving
of Penelope in marriage. Telemachos
states he would be willing to see her married if it was of her own free will,
but since she resists, he will not force her. The suitors laugh at his words, but instead of a sincere
laughter, it is as the laughter of men who have lost control and sounds most
like a lamentation. Theoklymenos,
disparages their laughter, prophesying their doom and leaves when they threaten
him. They continue their
boisterous mocking and jeering but Telemachos only looks at his father. Penelope listens outside the door.
Identity and Authority
Again we have numerous instances of
Telemachos taking control of his household. He is described as a “man like a god”, has control over his
servants, to an acceptable degree, his own mother, and exhibits a subtle
control over the suitors. His
speech to Ktesippos exemplifies his newly-acquired power and authority:
“Ktesippos, it was better for your heart that it happened so; you missed the stranger, he avoided your missile. I would have struck you with my sharp spear fair in the middle, and instead of your marriage your father would have been busy with your funeral here. Let none display any rudeness here in my house. I now notice all and know of it, better and worse alike, but before now I was only an infant. Even so, we have had to look on this and endure it all, the sheepflocks being slaughtered, the wine drunk up, and the food, since it is hard for one man to stand off many. Come then, no longer do me harm in your hostility. But if you are determined to murder me with the sharp bronze, then that would be my wish also, since it would be far better than to have to go on watching forever these shameful activities, guests being battered about, or to see you rudely mishandling the serving women all about the beautiful place.”
And yet there is still a sense that both the behaviour
of Telemachos and Odysseus is a careful balancing act, but there is evidence,
psychologically at least, that the scales are beginning to swing in their
favour.
A Decrease of Power?
This chapter shows the suitors at a
disadvantage in their surprise at Telemachos’ mastery of situations, and
evidenced by their hysterical laughter.
While initially their mocking had a powerful ring to it, we sense now
that their laughter is forced and purposed to cover up something. Could it be the advent of fear? Hmmm …….
 |
| Parthenon Temple of Athene |
No comments:
Post a Comment