Book 18 - The Beggar in the Palace Flashcards
1
Q
Book 18
Who enters into the Palace at the start of the chapter
A
Another beggar, Arnaeus, nicknamed Irus
2
Q
Book 18
What does Irus do when he first enters the palace
A
he insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match
3
Q
Book 18
How does Odysseus deal with Irus
A
- Irus thinks that he will make quick work of the old man,
- but Athena gives Odysseus extra strength and stature
- Irus soon regrets challenging the old man and tries to escape,
- but by now the suitors have taken notice and are egging on the fight for the sake of their own entertainment
- It ends quickly as Odysseus floors Irus effortlessly and stops just short of killing him
4
Q
Book 18
How do the suitors react to Odysseus beating Irus
A
- The suitors congratulate Odysseus
- One in particular, the moderate Amphinomus, toasts him and gives him food
5
Q
Book 18
How is Odysseus shown to look out for Amphinomus
A
- Odysseus, fully aware of the bloodshed to come and overcome by pity for Amphinomus, pulls the man aside.
- Displaying great pioty, he predicts to Amphinomus that Odysseus will soon be home and gives him a thinly veiled warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land.
- But Amphinomus doesn’t depart, despite being fraught with grave forebodings, for Athena has bound him to death at the hands of Telemachus
6
Q
Book 18
What does Athene do to Penelope
A
- Athena now puts it into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before her suitors
- The goddess gives her extra stature and beauty to inflame their hearts
(divine intervnetion)
7
Q
Book 18
What happens when Penelope appears before the suitors
A
- The suitors were mesmerised by her appearance
- When Penelope speaks to the suitors, she leads them on by telling them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair
8
Q
Book 18
How does Penelope deceive the suitors
A
- She then tricks them, to the silent delight of Odysseus, into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor could try to win her hand by giving things to her, instead of breaching upon her power over Ithaca & within the household
9
Q
Book 18
What happens when Odysseus tries to get Penelope away as he knows a fight is gonna break out
A
- The suitors shower her with presents, and, as they celebrate, Odysseus instructs the maidservants to go to Penelope.
- The maidservant Melantho, Melanthius’s sister, insults him as an inferior being and a drunk; Odysseus then scares them off with threats.
10
Q
Book 18
How does tension rise towards the end of the book
A
- Hoping to make Odysseus even more angry at the suitors, Athena now inspires Eurymachus to insult him
- When Odysseus responds with insults of his own, Eurymachus throws a stool at him but misses, hitting a servant instead
- Just as a riot is about to break out, Telemachus steps in and diffuses the situation, to the consternation of the suitors
