Suitors Flashcards
Who are the five main characters for this theme?
Antinous
Eurymachus
Amphinomus
Ctessipus
Leodes
Who is Antinous?
- The most arrogant of Penelope’s suitors.
- He leads the campaign to have Telemachus killed.
- He’s never portrayed sympathetically, he’s the first to die when Odysseus returns.
Who is Eurymachus?
- Acts as a leader of the suitors due to his charisma
- Noted to be most likely to win Penelope’s hand
- Decetiful, and discovers Penelope’s plot with the loom because he is having an affair with Melantho, one of her maids.
- Attempts to avoid punishment by Odysseus by blaming everything on Antinous
Who is Amphinomus?
- The only decent man seeking Penelope’s hand in marriage
- Sometimes speaks up for Odysseus and Telemachus, but he is killed like the rest of the suitors.
Who is Ctessipus?
- The suitor who throws a heifer’s foot at Odysseus when he’s disguised as a beggar
Who is Leodes?
- The sacrificial priest to the suitors
- He hates the evil deeds of the suitors
- When Odysseus is killing the suitors, he begs for mercy, saying that he tried to stop the others, and now they were paying for not listening to him.
- Odysseus hears him out, but says that as a priest, he must have prayed for Odysseus to not come home, so he kills him anyway
Scholarship:
From the very…
From the very beginning, Homer wishes us to take it for granted that the suitors are doomed men
- W. Allen
Scholarship:
The fear of…
The fear of death leads them to actions which render their death justifiable in the eyes of the Ithacans as well as the reader
- W. Allen
Scholarship:
Since the epic…
the epic gods are basically very moral and can be portrayed as helping men only in their righteous deeds
- W. Allen
Scholarship:
By considering who…
By considering who laughs and how frequently, I find in most scenes that laughter… usually indicates some sort of weakness of character
- M. Colakis
What scholars can be used for this theme and what are their ideas?
W. Allen
- Suitors are doomed from the start
- The suitor’s actions make their deaths justifiable
- The gods help Odysseus which justifies his killing of the suitors
M. Colakis
- Laughter indicates weakness
W. Allen on the suitors at the beginning:
From the very beginning, Homer wishes us to take it for granted that the suitors are doomed men
W. Allen on the suitor’s actions:
The fear of death leads them to actions which render their death justifiable in the eyes of the Ithacans as well as the reader
- potential disagree as some Ithacans were unhappy and tried to fight
W. Allen on the gods and odysseus:
Since the epic gods are basically very moral and can be portrayed as helping men only in their righteous deeds, Homer throughout sees to it that Odysseus’ cause is just
M. Colakis on the significance of laughter:
By considering who laughs and how frequently, I find in most scenes that laughter… usually indicates some sort of weakness of character
Book 1 suitor events:
The suitors are causing Telemachus distress over their feasting and overindulgence
They demonstrate very bad Xenia
They’re not used to Telemachus exerting authority on them
Suitor’s quotes for Book 1:
‘They are eating me out of house and home. And they will very soon destroy me too’
‘It amazed them that Telemachus should adopt this tone’
Scholarship for 1:
‘From the very beginning, Homer wishes us to take it for granted that the suitors are doomed men’
W. Allen
‘Xenia was an essential functioning of ancient society, in the Odyssey it is a way of judging societies and individuals’
Goldhill
Book 2:
Antinous blames Penelope for the suitor’s indulgences
Book 2 significance:
- Through the Suitor’s actions, we can see a more cunning side of Penelope than was previously present (e.g with her crying at the mention of Odysseus)
- This gives her character more depth and making her appear more connected to her husband
Book 4:
The suitors plot to kill Telemachus when he comes back from his journey
Book 4 scholarship:
‘The fear of death leads them to actions which render their death justifiable in the eyes of the Ithacans as well as the reader’
W. Allen
Book 4 significance:
- Shows how far the suitors are willing to go
- This act heightens their moral corruption and justifies their eventual punishment due to violation of xenia
Book 13:
Odysseus starts to plan his revenge
Book 13 Significance:
- Shift from endurance to action
- He doesn’t rush, but is strategic and cautious- sets himself apart from the suitors who rush into their plans to kill Telemachus
Book 14:
Odysseus complains about the suitors and how they don’t fear the revenge of the Gods
Book 14 significance:
- Lack of respect for Gods makes them seem similar to the monsters such as Polyphemus that Odysseus has encountered- shows they’re just another obstacle for him to overcome
Book 15:
Telemachus avoids the suitor’s trap
Book 16:
Odysseus states his desire to fight the suitors.
Antinous suggests killing Telemachus in Ithaca. Amphinomus prevents him from doing this.
Penelope confronts Antinous about his plans
Odysseus explains to Telemachus that Athena and Zeus will help them fight the suitors
Book 16 scholarship:
‘Since the epic gods are basically very moral and can be potrayed as helping men only in their righteous deeds, Homer throughout sees to it that Odysseus’ cause is just’
W. Allen
Book 16 significance:
- Odysseus expressing his desire to fight signifies his return not just in body but in heroic spirit. Planning with Telemachus marks the renewal of father-son unity, symbolising the restoration of order
- Penelope shows her bravery and intelligence, and shows she’s not just a passive character.
- Theme of divine justice strengthened. Shows that Odysseus’ cause is right.
Book 17:
When Telemachus returns to the palace, the Suitors act kindly towards him despite their dark intentions
Odysseus is warned by Eumaeus that the Suitors might harm him
Antinous flings a stool at Odysseus as he begs- the suitors and Odysseus all agree that the gods will strike him down for this crime
Book 17 significance:
- The suitor’s duplicity highlights their cowardice and hypocrisy.
- Eumaeus’ loyalty reinforced
- Antinous breaches hospitality and social decency- even the other suitor’s condemn it. This act shows Odysseus’ self control
Book 18:
Antinous encourages the fight between Irus and Odysseus
Amphinomus is kind to Odysseus, who tries to warn him, but to no avail, as he’s fated to die.
Penelope gets the suitors to give her gifts
Book 18 significance:
- Antinous treats Odysseus as entertainment, highlighting the suitor’s arrogance and cruelty
- Amphinomus adds emotional depth, and we see Odysseus’ humanity as he tries to warn him. His fate shows that even ‘good’ suitors can’t escape justice once they’re complicit.
- Penelope’s wit and manipulation reflects Odysseus’ own. Also reminder of a another (courting) custom the suitors have broken
Book 19:
Penelope tells Odysseus about her dream where an eagle broke the necks of 20 geese, then declared it was her husband who had killed the suitors
Book 19 significance:
- Symbolic prophecy of Odysseus’ return and slaughter of suitors.
- The eagle (Zeus’ symbol) links Odysseus’ vengeance to divine will
Book 20:
The suitors violent and insolent actions, inspired by Athena, encourage Odysseus to get his revenge
Book 21:
The suitors try and fail to string and shoot Odysseus’ bow
Book 21 significance:
- The ultimate proof of their unworthiness.
- The bow is a symbol of kingship and Odysseus’ unique strength
- Their failure contrasts with Odysseus’ success and signals the end of their dominance
Scholarship for Book 18:
The character of Amphinomus seems to exist in the story only to highlight the unrelenting vengeance of Athena
T. Nortwick
Scholarship for Book 19:
The dream aims to remind us of the inescapability of the slaughter of the suitors
Duckworth
Agree- zeus’ bird is an eagle, shows its divinely sanctioned
Through the dream, Odysseus is for the first time assured beyond doubt that his wife wishes for nothing more than the destruction of the suitors
A. Rozokoki
Scholarship for Book 20:
‘By considering who laughs and how frequently, I find in most scenes that laughter… usually indicates some sort of weakness of character’
M. Colakis
Scholarship for Book 21:
A sense of ‘unfinished business’, then, centers on the weapon and the unavenged death of its donor
K Crissy
Scholarship for Book 22:
Odysseus describes his act as the god’s fulfillment of justice rather than his own heroic achievement
K Crissy
