The Odyssey: Book 22

Book 22 (John & Lars)

Important Quotes
“But Odysseus aimed and shot Antinus square in the throat / and the point went stabbing clean through the soft neck and out— / and off to the side he pinched, the cup dropped from his grasp / as the shaft sank home, and the man’s life-blood came spurting / from his nostrils—“ (22; 15-20)

This passage is a classic example of Homeric style. The lengthy, detailed description of death is a constant throughout both The Iliad and The Odyssey. This over-the-top, gruesome description is not limited only to death, but is present in all of Homer’s writing. If only for a second, these passages seem to stop time as the world looks on.

“… four at the sill confronting a larger, stronger force / arrayed inside the hall—now Zeus’s daughter Athena, / taking the build and voice of Mentor, swept in / and Odysseus, thrilled to see her, cried out, ‘Rescue us, Mentor, now it’s life or death! / Remember your old comrade—all the service / I offered you! We were boys together!’” (22; 213-219)

This passage is important because it is describing a specific point in Odysseus’s hero quest. It also shows the importance of fate, not only in the novel, but in all of Homer’s works we have looked at. We know that Odysseus is fated to slay the suitors that plagued his halls, and without Athena’s help, this would have been nearly impossible. By helping Odysseus, Athena is preserving his fate.

“Then back through the royal house the old nurse went / to tell the women the news and bring them in at once. / They came crowding out of their quarters, torch in hand, / flung their arms around Odysseus, hugged him, home at last, / and kissed his head and shoulders, seized his hands, and he, / overcome by a lovely longing, broke down and wept… / deep in his heart he knew them one and all.” (22; 523-529)

This passage describes the first time that Odysseus truly returns home. He has returned from his twenty-year-long journey through many trials and hardships culminating with his return to Ithaca. For countless hours, he dreamed of this moment. And at last, he has defeated all of his foes and is finally home.

Hero Quest
Stage 4: The Return
Rescue from Without:
“At his command, / concentrating their shots, all six hurled as one / but Athena sent the whole salvo wide of the mark— / one of them hit the jamb of the great hall’s doors, / another the massive door itself, and the heavy bronze / point of a third ashen javelin crashed against the wall.” (22; 268-271) In this passage, Athena can be seen aiding Odysseus and his men. Athena turns the tide of the battle in Odysseus favor. Without her aid, it is quite possible that Odysseus and his men would have been killed.

Master of Both Worlds
“Odysseus scanned his house to see if any man / still skulked alive, still hoped to avoid black death. / But he found them one and all in blood and dust… / so the suitors lay in heaps, corpse covering corpse. / At last the seasoned fighter turned to his son: / ‘Telemachus, go, call the old nurse here— / I must tell her all that’s on my mind.’” (22; 406-417)
By returning home, Odysseus has conquered the outside world. He has slain his foes abroad, the foes of Odysseus the Warrior. When he returns home, he is faced with new foes. These men are enemies of Odysseus the Father, enemies from his world at home. And when Odysseus kills all the suitors that plague his halls, he is now truly master of two worlds.

Freedom to Live
“Then back through the royal house the old nurse went / to tell the women the news and bring them in at once. / They came crowding out of their quarters, torch in hand, / flung their arms around Odysseus, hugged him, home at last, / and kissed his head and shoulders, seized his hands, and he, / overcome by a lovely longing, broke down and wept… / deep in his heart he knew them one and all.” (22; 523-529)
Now that Odysseus has overcome his final challenge, and is master of two worlds, no longer is he burdened. He is free to live out the rest of his days in peace with his family.

Book 22 (James & Connor & Max)

Quotes

“Where’s it gone, Odysseus- your power, your fighting heart? / The great soldier who fought who fought for famous white-armed Helen,/ battling Trojans nine long years-nonstop, no mercy,/ mowing the armies down in grueling battle-/ you who seized the broad streets of Troy/(446.)”

As Odysseus cuts down all the suitors, his morale is shot down. Athena, who has been cheering Odysseus along all the way, gives him a huge boost of energy that helps him to kill off the suitors. We believe that this quote is important, because it just confirms that Odysseus is Athena’s favorite, and she will do anything to make sure he wins.


“Stop, don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent. / So is the Herald Medon- the one who always/ tended me in the house when I was little-/(450.)”

When Odysseus arrived home and took his revenge on the suitors who had plagued his house, Telemachus protected one of them from his father’s wrath. We believe this quote is important, because it show’s that even though the suitors made Telemachus life a living hell, he could forgive one of them because of the goodness in that one’s heart. That suitor had been so good to Telemachus that he was not even as horrible as all the rest. It is also important, because it show’s that his taste for blood was not as large as it would be.

“You dogs! You never imagined I’d return from troy-/ so cocksure that you bled my house to death, / ravishing my serving-woman-wooed my wife / behind my back while was still alive! No fear of the Gods who rule the skies up there / no fear that men’s revenge might arrive someday- now all your necks are in the noose-your doom is sealed!(440)”

Odysseus returns triumphant to his house and seeks revenge on all the suitors. We believe that this quote is important, because it shows that nothing will stop Odysseus. It also is the fulfillment of the prophecy that tells of the doom of the suitors. This quote shows how Homer’s hints about the end of the book have come true. It attaches the first page of the Odyssey to the end.

Monomyth

Book 22
In book 22 of The Iliad, Odysseus begins by killing the suitors. This part of the monomyth is known as the “final battle” of stage three (land of fulfillment). The “final battle” is described as the last battle that must be accomplished to fulfill the quest, which is when Odysseus, Telemachus, the cowherd, and the goatherd slaughter all of the suitors. Although Odysseus has returned home, he is not yet in stage 4 (the return) of the monomyth because he has one last battle with suitors before he can actually return to his normal life in Ithaca.
Also in book 22, the return of the hero helped by a supernatural force occurs, which is the first part of stage 4 (the return) of the monomyth. Odysseus is slightly aided by Athena in the slaughtering of the suitors. This event is the last time that Odysseus is assisted by a god in The Iliad.