English 9H: Odyssey, Book 2 Notes

The Meeting of the Council

Major concepts:

Study Guide Questions:

Describe the trick that Penelope plays on the suitors.
What, specifically, does Athena do to help Telemachus in this book?
How do the suitors, according to Antinous, view Penelope's reluctance? Why do they think they are justified in acting as they do?
How well does Telemachus handle the suitors' chief, Antinous, and his self-justification?
What are the two difference interpretations of the bird omen?

Page 19.
Vocabulary: criers, comeliness

"...child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn..." --> literary device: epithet -- word or phrase associated with a person or thing, often present in epic poetry as a mneumonic device
"...looking like an immortal god..." --> literary device: simile
"Aegyptius, a man bent double with age..." --> elder from Ithaca questions why someone called a council meeting and who called it

"...turns on two great misfortunes which have fallen upon my house..." --> Telemachus's two chief complaints: (1) the loss of his father and (2) the unending presence / tyrrany of the suitors
"No estate can stand such recklessness; we have now no Odysseus to ward off harm from our doors..." --> Telemachus asks the elders for their help / support because Telemachus feels he cannot do the job of protecting his household by himself
"With this Telemachus dashed his staff to the ground and burst into tears...." --> still struggling between childhood / adulthood, Telemachus is not mature enough to "hold his own" with the suitors or even the elders
"...Antinous, who spoke thus..." --> here, Antinous begins to explain why they (the suitors) blame Penelope for their over-extended stay
"And then there was that other trick she played us...." --> Penelope sets up a loom in her quarters and began creating a rug / piece of needlework in honor of Odysseus's father(continues on next page)

"...we could see her working on her great web all day long, but at night she would unpick the stitches again by torchlight...." --> Penelope said she would not choose a new husband until she had finished the needlework; however, each night she undid that day's work; this continued for four years until one of her maids revealed her secret to the suitors
"Understand, then, that we will not go back to our lands, neither here nor elsewhere, till she has made her choice and married some one or other of us...." --> Antinous tells Telemachus how things will be
"It will be hard on me if I have to pay Icarius the large sum...heaven will also punish me..." --> Telemachus reveals the two reasons why he shouldn't do as the suitors say: (1) he will need to repay the dowry to Penelope's father if he sends her back; and (2) he will be punished by heaven and the Erinyes
"...Zeus sent two eagles from the top of the mountain..." --> birds were often seen as omens / foreshadowing during Greek times; interpretations of the eagles follow on the next page

Page 22.
Vocabulary: omen, prating, vying

"I see mischief brewing for them...." --> Halitherses (the best prophet; foresaw Odysseus's trouble in going to Troy / the journey home) interprets the two eagles as an ill omen for the suitors: Odysseus will return home soon and seek revenge
"...birds are always flying about in the sunshine..." --> Eurymachus (one of the suitors) says that the eagles were merely birds flying and should not be interpreted in any way
"As for Telemachus, I warn him in the presence of you all..." --> Eurymachus also tells Telemachus that the suitors will not change their patterns and boasts how the suitors fear no man or omen
"Give me, then, a ship and a crew of twenty men..." --> Telemachus asks for a ship and crew, just as Athena directed him

"...people often hear things in this way)..." --> this may sound familiar; see Athena's directives on page 16
"...I am shocked at the way in which you all sit still without even trying to stop such scandalous goings on..." --> Mentor, left in charge of the kingdom by Odysseus, displays his frustrations with the other elders
"Even though Odysseus were to set upon us..." --> another suitor makes note here that even if Odysseus returned, there would be little he could do to punish the suitors without receiving punishment, himself
"...prayed to Athena..." --> Telemachus asks for help from a higher source
"As he thus prayed, Athena came close up to him in the likeness and with the voice of Mentor...." --> again, Athena dons a disguise to speak to Telemachus

"Sons are seldom as good men as their fathers; they are generally worse..." --> Athena (as Mentor) continues to encourage Telemachus to continue on his journey and to draw upon the strength he must have since he is Odysseus's son
"...give no thought to death and to the doom that will shortly fall on one and all of them..." --> Athena foreshadows Odysseus's return and the slaughter of the suitors
"...come with you myself...." --> Athena will accompany Telemachus on his journey
"I will run my eye over them and will choose the best..." --> Athena will go and pick out a boat for Telemachus
"...bear no more ill blood neither in word nor deed, but eat and drink with us as you used to do...." --> Antinous tries to pretend to be Telemachus's friend
"Telemachus means to be the death of us..." --> the suitors begin talking about Telemachus's intentions; they also hope that Telemachus will die on his journey (continues on the next page)

Page 25.
Vocabulary: barren, drawing, tackle

"...divide up his property amongst us..." --> the suitors hope Telemachus will die on the journey so they may take his things
"Get these things put together at once..." --> here, Telemachus tells his nurse / servant Euryclea to help him gather his things but not to tell Penelope about it, because she will be upset
"Your poor father is dead and gone in some foreign country nobody knows where..." --> Euryclea worries about what will happen if Telemachus leaves
"The old woman swore most solemnly that she would not..." --> Euryclea promises not to tell Penelope that Telemachus is leaving

"...threw the suitors into a deep slumber...." --> Athena puts the suitors under a spell so Telemachus could leave safely
Telemachus leaves Ithaca to go to Pylos, to visit Nestor

Parts of a Greek Ship: mast, yard-arm, sail, oars, rudder oar

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