Books 17-20: Summary

Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus walks to the town with Eumaeus the next morning. Telemachus goes on to meet his mother, cheering her with his presence and stories of his trip. Theoclymenus, the soothsayer whom Telemachus has brought back with him, tells Penelope that Odysseus is presently in Ithaca, where he is gathering information. The queen wishes that she could believe him, but she cannot.

During the trip to the town, Odysseus and his swineherd encounter the bully, Melanthius, but avoid a fight. In one famously poignant moment, Odysseus and his aged, dying dog, Argos, quietly recognize each other. Then, Eumaeus and Odysseus go to the palace, where Antinous bullies Odysseus and even throws a footstool at him. Exercising restraint, both the king and his son manage to postpone revenge.

Angered by Antinous’ treatment of the beggar, Penelope asks Eumaeus to bring the beggar to her so that she can question him for any news of her husband. Odysseus asks Eumaeus to inform Penelope that they should meet after sunset to avoid the suitors.

In the evening, another vagabond, named Irus, arrives at the palace. The suitors find him amusing and urge him to pick a fight with Odysseus. Athena gives Odysseus increased strength and he easily defeats Irus. Amphinomus, the best of the suitors, congratulates Odysseus and drinks to his health. Odysseus warns Amphinomus that the suitors will soon be in trouble and he should, therefore, leave the group.

In preparation for the meeting with Odysseus, Athena makes Penelope look even more beautiful. Penelope addresses the suitors and instills hope in them; she tells them that she will soon be choosing one of them. She also informs them that her husband had told her that if he had not returned from the war by the time their son became an adult, she should remarry. Penelope also points out that real suitors would bring their own supplies and attempt to woo her with presents instead of living off her wealth.

Odysseus then rebukes Penelope’s maidservant, Melantho, for her neglect of the queen. Melantho has been indulging in an illicit affair with Eurymachus, Penelope’s smooth-talking suitor. Odysseus and Eurymachus are then involved in a confrontation, but the situation is taken care of by Telemachus.

The suitors finally leave the palace and return to their homes at night. Once they have left, Odysseus puts his plan into action. He instructs Telemachus to gather and hide the weapons in the palace so that the suitors will be unable to access them the next day. Melantho, the disrespectful servant girl who sleeps with Eurymachus, insults Odysseus once more and is once again rebuked by him.

When alone with Odysseus, Penelope asks him to narrate his story. He requests her to not ask about the origins of his birth, since that aspect of his life, he says, is filled with grief. Odysseus launches into his fictional narrative, claiming that he fought with Penelope’s husband. He tries to assure Penelope that Odysseus will find his way home soon, but Penelope finds it difficult to believe him. Impressed with the vagabond, Penelope asks Eurycleia, Odysseus’ own faithful nursemaid, to wash the beggar’s feet and provide him better clothing. Eurycleia identifies a scar over his knee left by a boar’s tusk, and realizes that she is bathing her master. Odysseus sternly swears her to silence, forbidding her from revealing his identity to Penelope.

After the bath, Penelope rejoins the beggar/Odysseus and reveals that she will conduct a contest the following day to select a husband from among the suitors. The challenge involves a feat that only Odysseus has performed before: stringing his great bow and shooting an arrow through a straight row of twelve axes. Odysseus approves of her plan.

Odysseus spends the night worrying about the impending battle. He can hear the maidservants sneaking out to meet their lovers among the suitors. At that very moment, Athena appears and assures him of vengeful victory. She also gives him the gift of sleep.

At dawn, Odysseus hears Penelope praying for death if she cannot be reunited with her husband. He imagines that she recognizes him and that they are together at last. Odysseus prays to Zeus for a sign of support and is answered with a thunderclap.

It’s a special holiday in Ithaca, a celebration in honor of Apollo. Melanthius, the goatherd, is in town for the celebration and bullies Odysseus again. Odysseus ignores all the insults hurled at him, allowing his rage to build internally.

The suitors continue to plunder and loot. One of them, Ctesippus, mocks Odysseus and hurls an ox hoof at him. Telemachus berates the suitors and lists some of their many offenses. The seer Theoclymenus speaks ominously to them and warns them about what lies ahead of them. However, in their arrogance, the suitors only respond with derisive laughter.

Books 17-20: Analysis

Judgment and prudence are the main heroic characteristics developed in these books. The themes of loyalty and fidelity are also underscored here, especially when Odysseus encounters his old dog and when Penelope narrates how lonely she has been in her husband’s absence. Without even knowing his true identity, Telemachus, Eurycleia, Eumaeus and Penelope treat Odysseus with hospitality and respect, upholding the virtues of the society they live in.

Penelope’s cleverness and intelligence are highlighted again in this section. She makes the suitors believe that she will soon be choosing one of them, and tricks them into bringing her gifts. She even ingeniously proposes the competition involving her husband’s bow. These incidents add more dimensions to Penelope’s character and show why she makes a perfect wife to Odysseus.

Throughout this section, the suitors ignore many omens and warnings about their impending doom. Amphinomus even ignores a warning from Odysseus himself. The suitors also disregard the dire warnings of the prophet Theoclymenus. Their contempt for the prophet only highlights their arrogance and foolishness.