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| He wants to keep his identity a secret, find out what the situation is, and plot the best plan to kill the suitors. He wants to find out who now is loyal or disloyal to him. He also wants to know what has become of his father during his absence. | List Odysseus’s concerns upon his return to Ithaca.
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| | Eumaeus misses Odysseus and is deeply pained by his absence and probable death. He is also distressed at having to offer his master’s flock to the suitors. He tells of how Penelope continues to mourn Odysseus’s long absence, while their home is being overrun by strangers who lie to her about her husband’s whereabouts. Eumaeus also informs Odysseus of his mother’s death and of his aging father’s grief at losing her [and his son]. | How does Eumaeus feel about Odysseus? How does he describe the current situation in Ithaca?
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| | He tells Eumaeus of his plan to leave, to begin begging again, and to visit Odysseus’s home to inform Penelope of her husband’s return and offer his loyal service to the suitors in exchange for food. Odysseus wants to see Eumaeus’s reaction and to gauge his loyalty, judgment, and goodness. | Describe how Odysseus the beggar tests Eumaeus. Why do you think he does it?
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| | Students might suggest teaming up with Telemachus and his men or with some of the other Greek kings and storming the home and killing the suitors. They also might ask Athena or other gods for assistance, since this offers an endless variety of powerful means to finish off the suitors. | If you were Odysseus, how would you rid your home of the suitors?
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| | Athena continues to direct the action in this selection. She changes the weather to foggy on the day Odysseus returns to Ithaca, so no one recognizes him. She disguises him as a beggar and tells him to go consult with Eumaeus about the suitors and his family. She goes to Sparta and tells Telemachus to return home, so he can meet with his father and they can plot together against the suitors. She informs Telemachus of the suitors’ plan to kill him and tells him how to avert their trap by bypassing the strait on his return to Ithaca. She has his ship guided by a god and harbored in Ithaca. She has Telemachus visit Eumaeus and stay with him, then sends Eumaeus to his home to inform Penelope of his return. | List ways in which the following characters make decisions and/or control the action in this selection.Athena.
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| | He lies to a disguised Athena about his identity. He seeks guidance from Athena in planning his revenge. He makes an oath to Eumaeus about his master’s eventual return and bargains his own ruin if he is wrong. He tests Eumaeus’s character and asks about his parent’s welfare. | List ways in which the following characters make decisions and/or control the action in this selection.Odysseus.
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| | He informs Menelaus that he is going back home to Ithaca. He orders his men to prepare their ship. | List ways in which the following characters make decisions and/or control the action in this selection.Telemachus.
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| | Athena exercises the most power and influence, controlling the movements and fates of Odysseus, Telemachus, and any other mortal she chooses. Her decisions and hands-on manipulation leave mortals with little opportunity to gain actual experience or manage their own fates. To the ancient Greeks, gods rule the universe and it’s an honor to be favored by a god. To a modern person, this level of involvement feels intrusive. Also, the Greek gods are not entirely noble; they may not seem as worthy of worship as the incarnations of goodness, wisdom, and love worshipped in today’s religions. | Which of the characters exercises the most control? What does this tell you about ancient Greek culture and in comparison with our culture today?
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| | Identify with the lives and values of certain characters and to discuss the positive and negative aspects of living in this ancient Greek world. How are the values and customs different from ours? | How do you feel about the ancient Greek value system or view of life? Would you like to be someone like Eumaeus and live in this kind of world? Why or why not? |
