Odyssey Books 19-20
by: Ryan, Burke, and Brady
Summary
When the suitors go to bed for the night, Telemachus and Odysseus remove all of the weapons as they planned. Athena lighted the room for them so they could see there. Penelope offers a bed to a suitor, but because he sleeps on the floor he declines. Penelope notices the scar on his foot and she immediately sees that it is odysseus. He pushes her off so that it doesn’t make Athena nervous. Penelope and Odysseus couldn’t sleep at night thinking about how they were going to fight off so many suitors. Then Athena tells him that with a god all things are possible. Zeus claps and crushes the suitors with his thunder.
Quotes
“But come, handmaidens, give him a wash and spread a couch for him here, with bedding and coverlets and with shining blankets, so that he can keep warm as he waits for dawn of the golden throne, and early tomorrow you shall give him a bath, anoint him, so that he can sit in the hall beside Telemachos and expect to dine there; and it will be the worse for any of those men who inflicts heart-wasting annoyance on him; he will accomplish nothing here for all his terrible spite.” -Penelope
“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 all about the beautiful palace.” -Telemachus
Themes
Hospitality- Always feed your guest and treat them right. No matter is its a complete stranger or a friend you would treat them the same.
Loyalty- The biggest example of loyalty is Penelope and her being able to be loyal enough to not remarry and get with other suitors. Another example is Telemachus who stands by his father against the suitors.
Leadership- Odysseus tells his son Telemachus to fight with him by stealing the suitors weapons.
Courage- Odysseus has a lot of courage to kill all of the suitors.