Part One
At the start of Book 16 Telemachus arrives at Eumaeus’ hut with a warm welcome from the swineherd. After noticing the stranger, Eumaeus tells Telemachus Odysseus’ fake story and asks him if he can take care of the stranger in the palace. Telemachus refuses though, out of fear that the stranger would be harmed by the malicious suitors. When Odysseus and Telemachus are finally alone, Athena removes Odysseus’ disguise, so the father and son can meet at last. After being separated from his son for twenty years why does Odysseus wait until they are alone before revealing his true identity? Telemachus initially thinks he is a god after seeing him change from an old beggar to a god-like man. When Odysseus reveals himself Telemachus is in disbelief. Yet he is reassured by Odysseus and they embrace for the first time as father and son. What kind of impressions do you think they have of each other after meeting for the first time? Reunited at last, Odysseus and Telemachus form a plan to kill all of the suitors. Meanwhile, back at the palace the suitors continue to plot against Telemachus and even persuade Penelope that they mean him no harm.
How are the relationships between father and son similar/different in the book and in real life?
Part Two
Literary Devices
There is a bit of dramatic irony when the suitors were plotting how to kill Telemachus because at that very moment Odysseus and Telemachus were plotting how to kill the suitors. This is something only we, the readers, know and unfortunately for the suitors only we know that Odysseus is alive and planning to kill them.
Topics learned from the introduction
In Book 16 we are shown a lot of Odysseus’ perspectives of the gods. Odysseus has a lot of faith in the gods as he depends on them to help slay all the suitors. He has a lot of faith in their powers and says “It’s light work for the gods who rule the skies to exalt a mortal man or bring him low” (Page 345 line 241-242).
Translator’s Notes
16.131-35 Zeus made our line a line of only sons
It is very important that we know this because it is quite rare for there to a genealogy of only sons (in Book 15 the genealogy of Melampus is given to show that in each generation there were at least two sons). The translator’s note is brought up because Telemachus states that since he is the only son and is still young, he has no way of defending his home from the suitors.
Do you think that the Greek people depend too much on the gods?
Part Three
One of the themes that I found in this particular book was the reoccurring theme that wit overpowers strength. There are countless examples of how Odysseus triumphs from his wits rather than his strength. Just as Odysseus was outmatched in strength against the Cyclops, Odysseus must also face the countless suitors that ravage his house. To do this he and Telemachus have come up with a plan to take on all of the suitors with the help of Zeus and Athena. An outside connection I made was to the movie “300”. In the movie, a mere 300 Spartans overpowered a million Persian soldiers by using a narrow valley to make their vast numbers meaningless. By using their wits the Spartans overpowered the Persians just as Odysseus and Telemachus are going to defeat all the suitors (this is only a prediction).
In Greek society what do you think they value more brain or brawn? What are some other examples where brain beats brawn?
