Book 2 centers on odysseuss son, telemachus and his plans to outwit the smarmy suitors. The odyssey book 2 lyrics assembly of the people of ithacaspeeches of telemachus and of the suitorstelemachus makes his preparations and starts for pylos with minerva disguised as mentor. The odyssey, book 2 soon as early dawn appeared, the rosyfingered, up from his bed arose the dear son of odysseus and put on his clothing. There are three different loci in the odyssey books 2, 19, 24 where the story about penelopes strange weaving is recounted.
Since telemachus has just given his speech swaying the people, now antinous chooses to address his fellow suitors instead. She tells him to go looking for news of his missing father, so he heads to pylos to visit king nestor. Back in ithaka, odysseus wife penelope is getting swarmed by a horde of unwanted suitors. Meanwhile, the mansion of odysseus is infested with suitors for the hand of his wife penelope. The poem is, in part, a sequel to the iliad, and concerns the events that befall the greek hero odysseus in his long journey back to his native land ithaca after the fall. His son telemachus calls an assembly to ask for help, and zeus sends an omen of the suitors doom.
Antinous, one of the ringleaders of the suitors, brazenly puts the blame on penelope, for not choosing one of them as husband. Homer, odyssey book 2 theoi classical texts library. Although unassuming, penelope has a cunning that indicates she is a good mate for her wily husband. Telemachus excuses himself from eumaeus to see his mother, and instructs him to lead odysseus to town so he can beg. Book i athena inspires the prince sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. In the informational text, coutu posits three psychological states that are key components of. The odyssey book 02 telemachus confronts the suitors. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The epic focuses, of course, on odysseus s nostos return home or homeward voyage, a journey whose details a greek audience would already know because of their rich oral mythic tradition. For us, the word nemesis means someone or something by which one must inevitably be defeated. He claims rightly, by the way that she has misguided the suitors for nearly four years, leading on each man.
Book ii now when the child of morning, rosyfingered dawn, appeared, telemachus rose and dressed himself. Then telemachus makes the nurse swear to keep his journey secret from his mother penelop for 11 or 12 days or until penelope notices that he is missing so that she does not ruin. The gradual rapprochement between penelope and odysseus, stretching over several books of the odyssey, contains two major movements or sections, one in book 19 and one in book 23. What will happen to penelope if she doesnt make a decision on a husband accoring to antinous.
This is the second half of the prentice hall, robert fitzgerald translation of the odyssey. The odyssey is an epic journey, but the word journey must be broadly understood. However, he comes from not one but two clever parentspenelopes shroudweaving trick shows that she is every bit as shrewd as her husband. There have been no meetings since odysseus left, more than.
What trick did penelope use to hold off the suitors answers. The story of penelope and odysseus and their drawnout reunion over the course of the last third of the odyssey is one of the most extensively studied portions of the homeric epics. He asks them how they can stand idly by and allow his mothers hospitality to be abused. At the beginning of book two, odysseuss son, telemachos, calls a meeting of all the men in ithaca, including all of penelopes suitors. Suitors besiege penelope and telemachus, and telemachus leaves to find news of odysseus.
When the assembly gathers the next day, wise old aegyptius points out that the group has not met in session since king odysseus left for the trojan war some 20 years before. The odyssey is homers epic of odysseus 10year struggle to return home after the trojan war. In the first three books of homers odyssey, are there any examples of. The next day, young phaeacian noblemen conduct him home by ship. The odyssey book 1 and book 2 questions yahoo answers. Tyro, alcmene, or mycene, of the lovely crown, none of them equal to penelope in clever schemes. Penelope is the subject and speaker of margaret atwoods retelling of the odyssey. The odyssey is one of the two major ancient greek epic poems the other being the iliad, attributed to the poet homer.
Her knees moved nimbly, but her feet trotted along beneath her. Though she has not seen odysseus in twenty years, and despite pressure the suitors place on her to remarry, penelope never loses faith in her husband. Antinous replies that penelope is to blame for the suitors behavior. Shes like an ancient greek martha stewart, without the pesky insider trading scandal. In book 18 of the odyssey, irus the beggar walked into the palace and picked a fight with odysseus.
Get everything you need to know about penelope in the odyssey. Inspired by athena, telemachus calls a council of all the men of ithaca. Especially right after the episode of telemachus acting like an adult and indeed a hero literally. In the penelopiad, atwood essentially tells the story and backstory of homers epic from penelope s perspective. At the assembly at the beginning of book 2, who is the first person to speak. Penelope promised to choose a husband once she finished weaving a shroud for laertes, but in order to postpone the day of decision, she wove the shroud by day and unwove it at night. Telemachus instead tells her to make a sacrifice to the gods to help them with their revenge. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left his room looking like an immortal god. There arent many omens in the odyssey compared to other ancient literature ive studied or rather, there isnt the variety of omens that we might see in others, particularly tragedy. The odyssey book 2 telemachus confronts the suitors. He commends the citizen who was bold enough to call for the meeting. The odyssey part two by homer translated by robert fitzgerald part 2 the return of odysseus twenty years gone, and i am back again odysseus has finished telling his story to the phaeacians. Penelope character analysis in the odyssey litcharts. Her cares make her somewhat flighty and excitable, however.
The odyssey book 1 lyrics the gods in councilminervas visit to ithacathe challenge from telemachus to the suitors tell me, o muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after. The poem is commonly dated to between 800 and 600 bc. Have students read how resilience works after reading the odyssey book 2, when penelope s shroud weaving trick is revealed, in order to analyze character through a psychological construct. Homer, odyssey book 23 theoi classical texts library.
In an early scene in the odyssey, telemachus rebukes penelope for speaking up, proclaiming himself master of the house and sending her back to her rooms. The odyssey books 1720 summary and analysis gradesaver. About his shoulder he slung his sharp sword, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and went forth from his chamber like a god to look upon. He meets up with the fugitive theoklymenos in town and brings him home, where they. The reunion of odysseus and penelope in the odyssey by b. When one of her maids betrayed her secret to the suitors, they forced her to finish her web. She has even resorted to trickery, claims antinous. He reminds her that odysseus isnt the only greek to not return from troy and that, if she doesnt like the music in. Eurykleia the nurse was given the task of getting supplies ready wine and barley for the journey. While odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife penelope and his. Zachary masons the lost books of the odyssey 2007 is a series of short stories that rework homers original plot in a contemporary style reminiscent of italo calvino.
Book 2, lines 345380 the secret of telemachuss journey. Penelope click the character infographic to download. Book 2 finds telemachus confronted with a growing fear that he is not as courageous and smart as his father, odysseus. Telemachus gathers an assembly of achaeans to make his case for removing the suitors from his home. Before getting to the speech itself, one should realize just how this tactic wold appear to the ancient greek audience. He claims rightly, by the way that she has misguided the suitors for nearly four years, leading on each man with hints and promises but choosing no one. However, he comes from not one but two clever parentspenelopes shroud weaving trick shows that she is every bit as shrewd as her husband. Margaret atwoods 2005 novella the penelopiad is an ironic rewriting of the odyssey from penelope s perspective. At the manor, penelope tearfully embraces her son and asks what news he learned. Odysseus and penelopes son, telemachos, now a typically moody teenager, gets a visit from the goddess athene who was always chummy with odysseus. Be sure you understand telemachuss strategies and more by taking this quiz over book 2 of the odyssey from. There is perhaps nothing in the odyssey which has sustained such varied criticism as the recognition scenes between penelope and odysseus.
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