Sunday, October 31, 2010
Book 24
In book 24, we read about the dead suitors going down to the underworld. In the underworld, what do Agamemnon and Amphimedon talk about and what is Agamemnon's reaction. Later on in the book, Odysseus tests his father Laertes. When he finally reveals himself, Laertes is reluctant to believe him, and he asks for proof. This seems to be a common trend when Odysseus is revealing himself to various people. Why do you think it is so common? In the end of book 24, Athena continues to play a very important role. Why is Athena very important in thethe conclusion of book 24?
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Agamemnon and Amphimedon talk about what happened to all the suitors: how Penelope unwove the shroud every night and then how Odysseus came back and killed them all because they had little kleos. Agamemnon's reaction to this is that he is happy that Odysseus has such a faithful wife. I think it is common for people to ask people for proof that he is Odysseus because it has been a long time and also people need to see something to believe it most the time. Athena is so important in the conclusion of book 24 because she stops the peasants from rebelling and killing Odysseus by saying it went against the will of Zeus, even though it didn't.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon and Amphimedon talk about how the suitors were slaughtered. Agamemnon, most likely to the displeasure of Amphimedon, compares how faithful Penelope is to how unfaithful Clytemnestra is. Everyone asks Odysseus for proof that it is actually him because it is so hard to believe he could actually be back. Athena is important in the end of this chapter because she removes the memory of the suitors being murdered from the parents' minds, and ending the violence.
ReplyDeleteAmphimedon and Agamemnon talk about what has been going on in Ithaca lately. Aphimedon blames all the deaths of the suitors and all the commotion on Penelope; however, Agamemnon has a very different outlook on Penelope's situation. He says that Odysseus is lucky to have such a faithful wife, and he wishes that his own wife, Clytemnestra, would have been more like Penelope. I think that it is common for people to not believe that Odysseus is back because they have spent so long trying to deal with him being gone that it seems almost too good to be true. I think it is important that Athena be in the conclusion of the book because as readers it is good too know that she stuck with him the whole way. That way, when we try to relate The Odyssey to our own lives, we will be reminded that we will not be left alone.
ReplyDeleteAmphimedon and Agamemnon talk about what the situation at Odysseus' household is. They talk about the faithfulness of Penelope and Agamemnon wishes that his wife, Clytemestra, had been as faithful as Penelope had been. It's common for people to not believe Odysseus is Odysseus because they think it is to good to be true. Athena is important at the end of the book cause she keeps the fathers and mothers of the dead suitors from attacking the castle, and, like Julia said to show that Athena stuck with Odysseus and Telemachus the entire way through.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon and Achilles were arguing about who had the better death, when the suitors came to the underworld. When the suitors' souls arrived, Agamemnon asked why so many noble met met their treachery all at once, and so abruptly, and Amphimedon answers that they would all have been alive if it was not for Penelope's indecision. Agamemnon's reaction to hearing this is comparing those actions of Penelope in this situation, to those of Clytemnestra, who had betrayed Agamemnon as her husband, and had him murdered. I think that it is a very common trend for Odysseus having to provide proof that it is really him to various characters throughout the story, because, mostly every single person cannot believe it is actually him, due to the long time of his absence, and rumors of his death. Athena's role in the end of Book 24 is extra significant and important because she is the one who makes everyone in Ithaca forget about the massacre that Odysseus had brought down upon the suitors in his estate. Since Athena used her powers to do so, Odysseus does not have to live in constant struggle, having to deal with the angry family members, and friends, of the murdered suitors, and Odysseus can finally relax, and settle down in Ithaca with Telemachus, Penelope, and Laertes, his father, on his regained estate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything Julia had stated but I would also like to add more. The reason for everyone testing Odysseus could have multiple reasons other than just having been gone. It is possible that countless men have attempted to personify Odysseus' character not to mention perform travesty and take advantage of the fact that people change over a long amount of time. What I mean by this, is that the suitors/ imitators would have used the fact that Odysseus had gone to battle in Troy and had been gone for so long that his looks might have been changed by different encounters in the wild or the plain chaos of war. It also is possible that they didn't want to return. In Penelope's case, it could have been out of the fact that she enjoyed the suitors' attempts to pander to her needs thus not wanting Odysseus to return and disrupt her advantageous relationships.
ReplyDeletein the underworld, agamemnon and amphimmedon talk about why al lthe suitors werre killed. amphimedon explains how they thoguht odysseus was dead and were courting penelope but she wouldnt marry any of them and just make excuses like finishing the shroud. then he explains how odysseus returned and killed them. Agamemnon doesnt react much and doesnt see mto think its the suitors fault or odysseus's, he just comments about how he wishes his wife had been as faithful as that and not married and had him killed. Odysseus has to constantly prove its him because hes been gone so long and everyone has been so used to him being gone that no one really expected him to return as much as they hoped he would. Athena is very important becsaue again she saves odysseus as well as the other townsmen, telemachus, the swine and cow herd and odysseuss dad. she does this by spreading peace through out the land that was going to war over the suitors
ReplyDeleteIn the underworld, Agamemnon and Amphimmedon talk about the battle at Odysseus' kingdom and why the suitors were killed and what is going on at Odysseus' house. Agamemnon's reaction is that he wishes his wife was as faithful to him like Penelope was for Odysseus. He just wishes she didn't marry another man. This is a common trend because Odysseus has been gone for a long time and people don't want to give their hopes up like all the other times they thought he was coming home. They don't know what to believe. Athena plays a very important role in the end of book 24 because she saves Odysseus and many other people in his kingdom. She does this by spreading peace throughout the land of non-peace.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon and Amphimmedon talk about why all these young men including him are down here. Agamemnon doesnt react that much but he does say that he wishes his wife was as faithful as Penelope was. Its so common that Odysseus is tested when revealing himself because it seems so unlikely that it truly is him because hes been away for so long. Athena is important in the end of this book because she prevents the parents of the suitors from getting mad and attacking Odysseus and is kingdom. She also spreads peace throughout the city.
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ReplyDeleteIn the underworld, Agamemnon and Amphimmedon talk about why all the suitors were killed. Amphimedon explains how they thought Odysseus was dead and were courting Penelope but she wouldn't marry any of them and would just make excuses like finishing the shroud. Then he explains how Odysseus returned and killed them. Agamemnon doesn't react much and doesn't seem to think it's the suitors fault or Odysseus's. He just comments about how he wishes his wife had been as faithful as that and not married and had him killed. Odysseus has to constantly prove it's him because he's been gone so long and everyone has been so used to him being gone that no one really expected him to return as much as they hoped he would. Athena is very important because again she saves Odysseus as well as the other townsmen, Telemachus, the swine and cow herd and Odysseus's dad. she does this by spreading peace through out the land that was going to war over the suitors deaths.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon and Amphimmedon are talking about the current events in Ithaca. Both have different opinions about what is happening. People don't believe that it is actually Odysseus because they've spent such a long time thinking that he was dead that it was so hard to believe that he was actually alive. Athena is important to book 24 because if it weren't for her, the whole issue of Odysseus killing the suitors wouldn't have been resolved with their fathers.
ReplyDeleteAgamemnon and Aphimmedon discuss Odysseus's homecoming and the how all of the suitors died as well as what happened while Odysseus was away. Agamemnon is happy that Odysseus was able to win back his home and exact his revenge.The reason that people are skeptical about Odysseus identity because he has been gone for so long and they had all but given up hope. Athena is important because she makes the people who are angry about the dead suitors peaceful and stops them from killing Odysseus.
ReplyDeleteIn the underworld, Agamemnon and Aphimmedon are talking about what has been going on in Ithaca. Also, they talked about the differences in the amounts of loyalty Penelope and Clytemnestra. Agamemnon is jealous of Penelope's loyalty for Odysseus and wishes that Clytemnestra didn't go off and marry another man. He is also happy for Odysseus and all his successes. It's common for people not to believe it's actually Odysseus because he has been gone for so long and it almost seems unrealistic to the people that he would ever make it back to Ithaca safely after 20 years. Athena is important to Book 24 because she calms the suitors' parents down and makes them not fight Odysseus.
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