The Odyssey: Book 20

Book 20 (Hailey & Katie)

Significant Quotes
“Others are quick to trust a weaker comrade, / some poor mortal, far less cunning than I. / But I am a goddess, look, the very one who / guards you in all your trials to the last. / … What a misery, / keeping watch through the night, wide awake- / you’ll soon come up from under all your troubles.” (20. 48-58).

This quote was said by Athena to Odysseus when he is very angry with the suitors. Athena comes to him and tells him how she will be there for him, like it says in the quote. She has stuck with him through the whole quest and won’t give up on him now. She is his protector. This quote is significant to the book as a whole because it shows how Athena sticks with Odysseus through the thick and the thin. Any gods are usually willing to do so for the mortal that they are fighting for, but this is a good example because is has come towards the end of the journey and Athena is still with him.

Another significant quote that we thought was important was spoken by Odysseus. “Father Zeus, if you really willed it so- to bring me / home over land and sea- lanes, home to native ground / after all the pain you once brought me- show me a sign, / a good omen voiced by someone awake indoors, / another sign, outside, from Zeus himself!” (20. 109- 113).

This is important because Odysseus wants a sign that his life as he knew it will turn back to normal after everything that he has been through. He really doubts it at the time because the suitors are still in his home and it doesn’t really feel like home yet. He also thinks that Zeus might not give him a break so he asks for a sign of confidence. This is important to the book because Zeus has given Odysseus a hard time the entire book and he wants to know if Zeus will finally let him conquer his quest and he asks Zeus so that he knows what is ahead of him.

“The heart inside him growled low with rage, / as a bitch mounting over her weak, defenseless puppies / growls, facing a stranger, bristling for a showdown- / so he growled from his depths, hackles rising at their outrage.” (20. 15- 18).

This quote is a very accurate representation of the rage that Odysseus is feeling as he watches the suitors parade around his house as if it were their own. The intensity of his feelings are portrayed by the epic simile Homer uses to describe him, and this helps us understand what Odysseus is going through in this particular section. The anger that Odysseus feels toward the suitors is to strong for him to ignore, and this quote definitely foreshadows what Odysseus will inevitably do later in the epic.

Elements of the Monomyth
Rescue from without is when the hero gets help to overcome their final battle. This occurs in Book 20 of The Odyssey when Odysseus gets mad about seeing all the suitors that have taken over his house. Athena gives him some wise words and says, “What a misery, / keeping watch through the night, wide awake- / you’ll soon come up from under all your troubles.” (20.56-58). This is Athena’s clue to Odysseus that everything will be alright in the end, and to just keep holding on. Another example is when Odysseus prays to Zeus that he will give him a sign that his life will turn back to normal. He shows him everything will be alright when he says, “And Zeus with all his wisdom heard that prayer. / He thundered at once, out of his clear blue heavens / high above the clouds, and Odysseus’ spirit lifted.” (20. 115- 116). Throughout the novel there are many times that characters get help on their quests by gods, especially when they are completing their final battles. Athena and Zeus are always there for people who need them and this shows when they help Odysseus during the last obstacles of his final quest.

Book 20 (Claire & Lexa)

Quote 1: "He must wear such rags, I know it, / knocking about, drifting through the world / if he's still alive and sees the light of day. / If he's dead already, lost in the House of Death, / my heart aches for Odysseus, my great lord and master" (20. 226-230).

Explanation: Odysseus has such powerful individual qualities about himself that make him a respected person. Even though he is gone for several years, people in his home city of Ithaca remember him in a strong image. They think of Odysseus as a kind, determined and cunning man. Due to this fact, the people in Ithaca never give up hope for him to return. There is always something in the hearts of the people, that allows them to believe Odysseus could still possibly be alive. With this in mind, when Odysseus returns to Ithaca, it won't be hard for the people to believe it's truly him.

Quote 2: "Don't let me see more offenses in my house, / not from anyone! I'm alive to it all, now, / the good and the bad – the boy you knew is gone" (20. 128-143).

Explanation: Telemachus is becoming a man. He is following his father's footsteps which will allow him to one day become a great ruler. Telemachus is maturing by taking charge of the household, as a man should do. He is standing his ground against the suitors, so they know he is a higher rank than them. This is important because it shows the growth in his character, and the amount of time Odysseus has been gone from home.

Quote 3: "Oh I can see it now – / the disaster closing in on you all! There's no escaping it, / no way out – not for a single one of you suitors, / wild reckless fools, plotting outrage here, / the halls of Odysseus , great and strong as a god!" (20. 410-414)

Explanation: The suitors are invading Odysseus's home and to defend it, Eurymachus yells at them. This is significant because it is starting to foreshadow the future. Homer enjoys using the style of foreshadowing to grab the reader's attention. In this specific quote, Eurymachus, the wise prophet, hints to the suitors that they will meet their death.

The Monomyth
Book 20 takes part in the end of stage 3 and the beginning of stage 4. Odysseus has already returned to Ithaca, but only Telemachus and Eurycliea know that it is actually him. Others think that he is a strange beggar staying in the house. Since the final battle hasn't quite started yet, You could say Odysseus is in the return stage of the Hero quest pattern. Also Odysseus gets help from Zeus and Athena, which is considered help from the supernatural world. "And Zeus in all his wisdon heard that prayer. / He thundered at once, out of his clear blue heavens / high above the clouds, and Odysseus' spirit lifted" (20. 114-116). Zeus anwsers Odysseus' prayers. This would also be called the "magic flight" stage, although Zeus and Athena also help him, not only when returning home, but in Ithaca as well.