The competition has finally begun! Penelope gets Odysseus's bow and the twelve axes are set up. Is this yet another scheme by Penelope to delay trying to choose a husband or does she truly believe she will marry whoever can shoot the bow through the axes? Is it an impossible challenge?
Meanwhile, while the competition is going on, Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius and asks for their help to kill the suitors. Why do you think he choose them? Can he really trust them?
Finally, as the book comes to an end, Odysseus steps up and tries his hand at stringing and shooting the bow. Not surprisingly, he does it perfectly. It's about time! Do you think Odysseus has some help from his "clear-eyed" friend or did he really have the natural skill?
What is going to happen now?
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Penelope is truly in love with Odysseus. The past twenty years she has been weaving the same thing for Laertes and then weaving it back up so she doesn't have to marry the suitors. But, now the suitors know she is trying her best not to marry them so she has to come up with a new idea. I think that the idea of having the suitors shoot the bow through the axes is just like the weaving. It is almost impossible for anyone to complete this task other than Odysseus.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the second question, I think that Odysseus really does trust Eumaeus and Philoetis. Eumaeus broght Odysseus into his home as a beggar and treated him kindly, raving about Odysseus. Eumaeus and Philoetis and loyal to Odysseus and unlike the suitors who are invading his house. Odysseus knows that he cannot defeat the suitors by himself and he needs some help. I think it is about time that he tells some people who he really is because he needs some help. He cannot assure his plan on his own.
Lastly, I do think that Odysseus does have that natural skill, but this time I think Athena was there just to make sure that he did it perfectly to impress the suitors. Athena is always there to make him look like perfection and I do not see why she wouldn't be there to help him considering that the suitors were all against him.
This may partially be a scheme of Penelope to make it impossible for the suitors to marry her, but the task is not impossible. This contest is also to see who can equal Odysseus, in a way. Whoever can pull back and shoot the bow as well as Odysseus could will be her next husband because he is equal to him in at least one way. Even when attempting to choose a suitor, Penelope thinks of Odysseus.
ReplyDeleteHe chooses these two suitors because he knows that they are the most faithful to him. Although they are suitors, they are still good men who want the great Odysseus home again. He can trust them because they are not disrespectful like Antinous or deceitful like Eurymachus.
He most likely did this without the help of Athena. Although the goddess is known to help him throughout the epic, he does this alone. He got this bow as a gift, and was able to easily string and shoot it then, for he is the great Odysseus.
There was foreshadowing in the last book that he will kill the suitors at dinnertime. Also, he told the maids to shut and lock their doors. These suitors have but a few more hours left of their lives.
Penelope loves all of Odysseus' qualities and she will never forget him. Although she does not know that Odysseus is still alive, I think that she will marry whoever shoots the bow through the axes. I think that Penelope knows that if Odysseus were here, he would be able to shoot through the axes. Penelope is trying to see if there is anyone out there who is as skillful as Odysseus. I think that Odysseus chooses Eumaeus and Philoetius because they are very faithful to him. During this book, there is a scene where Philoetius prays to the gods that Odysseus will return to Ithaca. Odysseus is overjoyed by seeing this, and that is when he reveals himself to them.
ReplyDeleteWhen Odysseus shoots the bow perfectly, I think that Athena did help him out. Athena always makes Odysseus seem so flawless in these books, and this situation is just another example of that. The suitors are plotting against Odysseus, so I believe that Athena did assist him.
I think that even if Penelope will not admit it to herself, she knows that no one will be able to work Odysseus' bow except for himself. She is trying to make herself believe that she is ready to move on and marry a new man, even though she will never be ready for that. Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius because they are the only two people that have actually prayed for Odysseus to come home. I think that both of the men are definitely loyal to Odysseus and will not turn on him. From the very first time we meet Eumaeus, he will not stop talking about his love for his master and how badly he wants him to return. Although we have not known Philoetius for as long, he seems like a trustworthy person and also expresses lots of gratitude towards Odysseus. I don't think that Odysseus has help from Athena during the scene where he shoots the arrow. Although she has been guiding him throughout the rest of the story, this is Odysseus' first time to really prove himself to the suitors, and I think she knew that he could do it on his own. This is his special bow and his moment to show Penelope that he is still as strong as he used to be. if Athena helped, Odysseus would feel like he isn't actually superior to the suitors and he is only strong because the gods are helping him. I enjoy this scene because it really emphasizes how inferior all of the suitors are to Odysseus, and how none of them could ever even compare to the amazing man he is and the kingdom he reigns.
ReplyDeleteWell I think anybody who waits 20 years is truly in love with the person their waiting for. She still has a sense of hope. She does everything in the sense of Odysseus. She sets up the competition to try and find somebody as close to Odysseus as she can, although considering her slim pickings there is nobody that even comes close to Odysseus. I think she personally sets the challenge up to just prove to herself that there is no Odysseus among the suitors, the Ironic part, there is. In regards to who he reveals himself to, I mean there really isn't anybody left that he can reveal it to. Telemachus knows, so does Eurycleia so really two men that seem excruciatingly loyal to him do have the right to know. Not to mention Eumaeus let Odysseus in his house without telling his whole story so it's about time. I don't thing Athena had anything to do with Odysseus' arrow shooting. Penelope established the challenge that (to her extent) only Odysseus knew how to do. She is trying to find a new Odysseus. Yet, I have to say I am happy thing novel is winding down, we've spent about 8 books just to lead up to this moment. Where the good guy kills all the bad guys and gets "the damsel in distress."
ReplyDeleteThis was obviously another scheme by Penelope to delay the imminent marriage. She might have been intending for all of the suitors to go home after they relise non of them could complete the challenge. Unsurprisingly, Odysseus is the only one who can do it; I do not think that he had help from the gods to do this, I think that he is just superior than all the suitors. It is obvious as to what is going to happen next. Odysseus will kill the suitors with the help from the men loyal to him, Telemachus, and the gods. I think the next chapter will be very exciting!
ReplyDeletePenelope is trying so hard to move on a marry someone new, but part of her is never going to let Odysseus go. She loves him and misses him too much, so she probably will never actually be ready to move on. She truly knows that no one, even if they tried as hard as they possibly could, could never meet up to Odysseus' standards and be able to shoot his bow. Odysseus chose to tell Eumaeus because throughout the last several books it is clearly depicted how appreciative and loyal Eumaeus is to Odysseus, he misses him greatly and wants him to return. Philoetius on the other hand, has only been in the story for a short time now, yet he is expressed as a loyal character who looks up greatly towards Odysseus. This book also talked about how both Philoetius and Eumaeus prayed for Odysseus to come home unlike the suitors in the house, so he was very grateful of this. At the end of the book when Odysseus shoots the arrow, I do not think Athena helped intervene in that situation. Odysseus is finally home and he is close to revealing his true identity and Athena knows that Odysseus can accomplish this on his own. It's the opportunity for Odysseus to show Penelope that he is still the same person as he was when he had left for Troy years ago.
ReplyDeleteI beleive that if someone actually pulls off the challenge she will not marry them because she still loves odysseus. She missed her husband to much, and would never want to give him up for a desperate suitor. It is not an impossible challenge though, because odysseus has pulled it off before. Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and the other person because he trusts them, and needs their help to kill the suitors, because the more men odysseus has the better chance they have to defeat them. It is then his turn to shoot the bow, and he does it perfectly. People may say he got help from Athena, but he did not. This is natural skill because he used to do this all the time, and Penelope knew that no body would be able to do it, but the real odysseus, so this must be him penelope might be thinking.
ReplyDeletePenelope wants the beggar to have a chance at stringing the bow. She isn't trying to delay her marriage because she knows it's an impossible challenge in the first place. She wants to see the beggar embarrass the suitors and string the bow better than all of them. Odysseus has been listening to Eumaeus and Philoetius to see what they have to say without revealing his true identity. Everything they say is about them being loyal to Odysseus and them missing him. After Odysseus asks them if they would fight on the suitor's side or his side and they say Odysseus' he knows he can trust them. Odysseus has strung the bow many times before without the help of Athena. So he probably didn't receive help from her this time. Athena may have kept him focus and made him a little stronger, but most of it has to do with Odysseus' natural born talent.
ReplyDeletePenelope tells the truth when she says the winner of the competition will get the opportunity to marry her, but she is also delaying her marriage. She knows that no suitor will be able to shoot the arrow through the axes, but she does know that her husband can. If Odysseus does compete in this game, he will be able to reunited with Penelope, but if he does not compete, none of the suitors will be able to marry her. Odysseus chose to tell Eumaeus and Philoetius the truth about himself because he has previously stated that they are the most trustworthy men that he knows. He feels like he has to tell some people about his identity because he needs help to overrun the suitors. Odysseus makes the easy decision in picking the people who are the most loyal to him. They will not tell anybody because they are fearful of Odysseus. Who would give up the identity and risk the life of the most powerful and deadly man in Ithaca? Eumaeus and Philoetius will not tell anybody the truth about the beggar. When Odysseus shoots the bow through the axes, it is done by his skill, not Athena's help. Before leaving for Troy, Odysseus was able to shoot the arrow through the axes, proving that he has definitely developed a major skill for archery. Although Odysseus relies on Athena for a lot of help, he shoots the arrow through the axes as a result of his own natural talent.
ReplyDeleteI think that Penelope truly comes into the challenge believing that she will find a husband because she keeps weeping for Odysseus as if this was the end. No one besides her husband has actually tried to string the bow before, so it is not until that first suitor says its impossible that she realizes no one but Odysseus would be able to string it. I think that Odysseus chose the swineherd and cowherd as the two people to help him with his plan because they have shown the most loyalty towards Odysseus throughout the book. When he was the beggar, and he asked them questions about Odysseus, they talked about him in a kind and loyal way instead of some of the other workers who were rude and mocked Odysseus behind his back. The reason that Odysseus as the beggar was able to string the bow was because his body is still the same person, but he just looks different, so obviously only Odysseus would be able to shoot the arrow. Now I think it is time for Athena to reveal Odysseus to the suitors right before he kills them all.
ReplyDeleteI think that Penelope hopes that this challenge will be impossible, but if it isn’t and one person strings it and shoots it perfectly, he will be the most like Odysseus. Since this is such a difficult task, maybe Penelope thinks the Gods may help whomever they think is fit to marry her and he will be the most honorable. Penelope created this task to see who is almost as great, and maybe as honorable as her husband and make it a bit more bearable to marry them. I think that Odysseus chooses to reveal himself to Philoetius and Eumaeus because they have been loyal to him and his family for the 20 + years he has been gone. They also hate the suitors and will want to kill them too. Odysseus needs all the help he can get when fighting all the suitors and having to strong people who hate Antinous, Eurymacus and all the other suitors will help him win. Lastly, I think that Odysseus had natural skill when stringing the bow. It was his bow and he had used it countless times, I think that Athena may have guided the arrow but only a little. It was Odysseus’ pure skill that strung the bow. I think that Athena is going to reveal Odysseus to the suitors and then he will kill all the evil ones and spare the good men.
ReplyDeleteI believe that these statements are both accurate. although penelope knows that it is near impossible to string odysseus's bow and it will take a long time, she will still marry a suitor who can complete the challenge. Odysseus reveals himself to the cowherd and Eumaeus because he trusts them more then anyone else and they have proven their loyalty. in terms of the bow, i believe simply because it is Odysseus's bow, only he can string it.
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