Please post a comment here, which should be in the form of a reader response essay (1-2 paragraphs) to any of these books: 21, 22, or 23. Post by Friday, 3/2
Thank god for Slaughter in the Hall. All of this buildup was getting very tedious and repetitive. It could basically summed up by something along the lines of "Suitors act badly. They make fun of someone. Odysseus gets them mad. They throw a chair at him. He dodges or deflects it like a boss." It was somewhat worthwhile the first time, but like all other things, it really isn't that interesting after three or so repetitions. However, it did provide justification for the main event of this book.
Slaughter in the Halls was a great chapter. It was a justified battle where four heros annihilated an army of suitors. The battle was well sequenced. However, as action packed as the battle was, I believe that this chapter reflected something far deeper than men bashing each other's skulls in... It reflected a crucial part of the human condition.
These men were so hateful of the suitors. They mocked them just as they were about to kill them, and sometimes disrespected the bodies greatly. Look at the goatherd Melanthius. He got hung up on a painful sling and then after they killed him, they fed various parts of him, such as his fingers, to the dogs. This reflects man's inhumanity to his fellow man and the hatred that a man has coiled up inside of him, ready to explode.
In book 23, The Great Rooted Bed, Odysseus finally reveals himself to Penelope. I thought this book was one of the most important in the whole epic. The reason I think this is because now everything is finally over. Nobody has to worry about the suitors, or when Odysseus will finally return. Everything is at peace. Although so much has happened in twenty years everything is finally back to normal.
When Odysseus shows himself to Penelope she doesn’t believe him. Eurycleia had to convince Penelope that it is really him. She tells her about the scar on his ankle which everyone seems to know about. This makes Penelope wonder if it actually is him. When she first sees him she doesn’t believe it is really him. Soon Odysseus tells Telemachus and everyone else around to leave.
The conversation between Odysseus and Penelope shows their connection with one another. When they call each other strange man and strange woman, I think that this was so revealing about their relationship and how great they are for one another. Overall, I thought the last three books we read finally summed up the whole epic, but in book 23 everything is finally back to normal.
In book 21, Odysseus Strings His Bow, crucial and important events take place. Since Penelope has become tired of waiting around for Odysseus, she wants to find a new husband. Although she is still torn that Odysseus hasn’t returned, she know she must move on and find a new spouse. She holds a competition, challenging each suitor to shoot an arrow through the rings on twelve axes, with Odysseus’ bow. Whoever succeeds, will marry Penelope. When none of the suitors are able to string Odysseus’ bow, I didn’t expect for him to reveal himself quite yet. Penelope basically set up a clever trap for the suitors to fall into. They were so busy worry about how to win Penelope over, they didn’t realize the beggar, Odysseus, was plotting for revenge. I thought it was interesting and ironic, that none of the suitors had any idea Odysseus was disguised as a beggar and was finally revealing himself. It showed how they treated him just because they felt he was below them, when in reality if it were him all along, they would be praising him every chance they could get. It also shows how much better they think they are than others. When Odysseus finally strung the bow, everyone was surprised. In a sense, I think they all knew it was him because it was his bow, and no one else knew how to string it. When Odysseus finally strings the bow and the arrow goes through all twelve axes, I thought he felt almost accomplished. He had proven himself to the suitors, and now he could finally have Penelope back. Overall, this book showed Odysseus taking charge and beginning to plot for the battle against the suitors.
All three of these books contributed significantly to the whole epic. If I had to pick one book that stood out the most out of the three, I would pick Book 22: Slaughter in the Hall. After finally waiting through numerous books building up to this one, I was glad to see that Odysseus ultimately took a stand at how the suitors were treating not only him, but also everyone else living in his house. It had been going on for way too long and someone needed to put an end to it. He was able to take all of his anger out that has been building up until this point. Throughout the previous books, I have been curious as to when Odysseus would stand up and show that all of the suitors were mistreating and disrupting everyone else. From Athena and Telemachus’ help, he was able to accomplish that. Even though this book was filled with gruesome actions from Odysseus, it contained unforgettable moments of his life.
Now that Odysseus slaughtered all of the infuriating suitors, he is now able to return to his normal lifestyle. But not only that, it has freed him from his disguise that Athena has draped over him, and he is now able to return home as just himself. Odysseus now has one less thing to worry about after arriving home to his native land. After forcing people to keep quiet about his arrival home, he is now able to tell his beloved wife, Penelope, that he is still alive and is now home safely. She has been mourning non-stop about his absence and now that he is finally home, she can sleep at night.
Homer has tried desperately, throughout the entire book, to detail the "horrors" that the suitors committed. For numerous chapters he has tried to convey just how cruel all the suitors are and all the atrocities they have committed. He does this to try to justify the true attrocity which is what Odysseus does. The "hero" of the Odyssey is revealed in chapter 22 as a merciless, bloodthirsty, vengeful warrior who mutilates a man's genitals and relishes in tourture.
As I listened to Gandalf tell the story of Slaughter in the Hall I realized that Odysseus has no moral values and is simply a well made killing machine. If you think his acts were justified I ask you what exactly was it that the suitors did. They ate his food, gave presents, and attempted to court a lonely widow. They weren't the most polite or considerate men but their crimes were without a doubt not punishable by death. I personally did not buy Homer's story about how we should all hate the suitors and show them no care.
The book that stood out the most to me in my opinion was book 22: Slaughter in the Hall. Book 22 was the culmination of all work and effort put in by Odysseus. Odysseus is finally able to take his revenge on the suitors that had been courting his wife for 20 years. Also as Jack said, all this buildup and planning was getting very tedious to read. However, our patience was rewarded with this action filled chapter in which Odysseus was able to let out all of his anger on the suitors. The suitors were no match for the combined might of Odysseus, Telemachus and Athena and the result was that they were all brutally killed. Even though the chapter was rather gruesome it really shows what extent Odysseus would go to in order to be back in his own house with his wife. Odysseus will definitely remember this day for the rest of his life.
Now that the suitors are gone and his house his own, Odysseus is free to resume his regular life. Also as Elizabeth said, he is no longer hindered by Athena's disguise. He no longer has to hide in the shadows and plot ways to overcome the suitors and get back into to his own house. No longer does he have to hide himself from his loved ones and his devoted subjects. He is now free to be himself and no longer needs to worry. Even though people have not like Odysseus, I believe that after all he went through in order to be back home with his wife, he deserves some slack. I think that he showed extraordinary courage and wit and because this, he was able to find his way home and live happily with his wife.
Throughout the last few chapters, I have always been struck by at what length the poet goes to illustrate the insolence of the suitors and those of Odysseus’ servants that have chosen to side with them. At almost every occasion, insults, jeering, and occasionally chairs are thrown zipping past our hero’s head. Indeed, this is so frequently part of the plot over the previous chapters that it has become repetitive. I finally realize why Homer took spent so much time villainizing the suitors, so that when Odysseus finally gets his revenge, the brutality would have been justified.
To me, the events in Slaughter in The Hall stood out for Odysseus’ take-no-prisoners approach to dealing with the suitors. Now it may sound like I’m continuing my distain for Odysseus and passing judgment on him for his actions. On the contrary, I found the Odysseus in this chapter to be the most likeable. For once, as opposed to being a man of stories and boasting, he is a man of action, and I have great respect for that (it may be noted that it certainly helped that Ian McKellen was narrating. YOU SHALL NOT… okay ill stop now. ) Though I didn’t enjoy reading pages and pages of buildup at the time, it added to the tension of the slaughter. It is good to end the story knowing the suitors got what they deserved.
Book 22 was pretty epic (sorry I had to use that word that way). The past few books have been pretty ridiculous, basically a set up for book 22 "slaughter in the halls." Odysseus gets his revenge and viscously kills the suitors. was this action justified? Maybe. 20 years is a long time to be gone, and people should have the right to remarry Penelope. On the other hand, the suitors are saucy, cocky insolent people that have no care for anyone else, and aren't responsible for their actions. Was Odysseus justified for doing horrible things to the suitors? I think being arrogant doesn't justify ripping out the suitors genitals. I also don't see how it is the fate of the gods who make Odysseus do these things.
Through out the book I, along with most of my classmates, have not liked Odysseus. I expected him to be an endearing war hero; however, he was quite the opposite of endearing. The first evidence of Odysseus' unlikeable qualities was early on in the book. At Troy, when Odysseus' men destroyed Athena's temple Odysseus refused to take any blame and instead, sheds it to his men. Although his men were the one's to destroy the temple, you would think that Odysseus, the great war hero he has been made out to be, would actually take some responsibility for his men. But he did not do this on only one occasion. Later on in the epic when Odysseus and his crew travel to the island of Helios, he again sheds all the responsibility. His crew had killed and eaten Helios' cattle which enraged the gods. An again, he refused to take any responsibility for his crew's actions even though he was the one to take them to the island in the first place. Along with his inability to take responsibility, Odysseus is constantly cheating on his wife. He is, through out the book, being reminded by Athena that she is being loyal to him and not marrying another man. On the other hand, Odysseus is off with calypso cheating on his loyal wife.
Although through the majority of the epic it seemed like Odysseus was very unlikeable, in these final chapters he seems very much more likable. It may be that I am the stereotypical 14-year-old boy and enjoy seeing all the violence and bloodshed; however, I think it is more than that. I think that Odysseus really redeemed himself and his true "hero-like" qualities shined/shone (I don't know which word is correct) through.
Thank god for Slaughter in the Hall. All of this buildup was getting very tedious and repetitive. It could basically summed up by something along the lines of "Suitors act badly. They make fun of someone. Odysseus gets them mad. They throw a chair at him. He dodges or deflects it like a boss." It was somewhat worthwhile the first time, but like all other things, it really isn't that interesting after three or so repetitions. However, it did provide justification for the main event of this book.
ReplyDeleteSlaughter in the Halls was a great chapter. It was a justified battle where four heros annihilated an army of suitors. The battle was well sequenced. However, as action packed as the battle was, I believe that this chapter reflected something far deeper than men bashing each other's skulls in...
It reflected a crucial part of the human condition.
These men were so hateful of the suitors. They mocked them just as they were about to kill them, and sometimes disrespected the bodies greatly. Look at the goatherd Melanthius. He got hung up on a painful sling and then after they killed him, they fed various parts of him, such as his fingers, to the dogs.
This reflects man's inhumanity to his fellow man and the hatred that a man has coiled up inside of him, ready to explode.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn book 23, The Great Rooted Bed, Odysseus finally reveals himself to Penelope. I thought this book was one of the most important in the whole epic. The reason I think this is because now everything is finally over. Nobody has to worry about the suitors, or when Odysseus will finally return. Everything is at peace. Although so much has happened in twenty years everything is finally back to normal.
ReplyDeleteWhen Odysseus shows himself to Penelope she doesn’t believe him. Eurycleia had to convince Penelope that it is really him. She tells her about the scar on his ankle which everyone seems to know about. This makes Penelope wonder if it actually is him. When she first sees him she doesn’t believe it is really him. Soon Odysseus tells Telemachus and everyone else around to leave.
The conversation between Odysseus and Penelope shows their connection with one another. When they call each other strange man and strange woman, I think that this was so revealing about their relationship and how great they are for one another. Overall, I thought the last three books we read finally summed up the whole epic, but in book 23 everything is finally back to normal.
In book 21, Odysseus Strings His Bow, crucial and important events take place. Since Penelope has become tired of waiting around for Odysseus, she wants to find a new husband. Although she is still torn that Odysseus hasn’t returned, she know she must move on and find a new spouse. She holds a competition, challenging each suitor to shoot an arrow through the rings on twelve axes, with Odysseus’ bow. Whoever succeeds, will marry Penelope. When none of the suitors are able to string Odysseus’ bow, I didn’t expect for him to reveal himself quite yet. Penelope basically set up a clever trap for the suitors to fall into. They were so busy worry about how to win Penelope over, they didn’t realize the beggar, Odysseus, was plotting for revenge.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting and ironic, that none of the suitors had any idea Odysseus was disguised as a beggar and was finally revealing himself. It showed how they treated him just because they felt he was below them, when in reality if it were him all along, they would be praising him every chance they could get. It also shows how much better they think they are than others. When Odysseus finally strung the bow, everyone was surprised. In a sense, I think they all knew it was him because it was his bow, and no one else knew how to string it. When Odysseus finally strings the bow and the arrow goes through all twelve axes, I thought he felt almost accomplished. He had proven himself to the suitors, and now he could finally have Penelope back. Overall, this book showed Odysseus taking charge and beginning to plot for the battle against the suitors.
All three of these books contributed significantly to the whole epic. If I had to pick one book that stood out the most out of the three, I would pick Book 22: Slaughter in the Hall. After finally waiting through numerous books building up to this one, I was glad to see that Odysseus ultimately took a stand at how the suitors were treating not only him, but also everyone else living in his house. It had been going on for way too long and someone needed to put an end to it. He was able to take all of his anger out that has been building up until this point. Throughout the previous books, I have been curious as to when Odysseus would stand up and show that all of the suitors were mistreating and disrupting everyone else. From Athena and Telemachus’ help, he was able to accomplish that. Even though this book was filled with gruesome actions from Odysseus, it contained unforgettable moments of his life.
ReplyDeleteNow that Odysseus slaughtered all of the infuriating suitors, he is now able to return to his normal lifestyle. But not only that, it has freed him from his disguise that Athena has draped over him, and he is now able to return home as just himself. Odysseus now has one less thing to worry about after arriving home to his native land. After forcing people to keep quiet about his arrival home, he is now able to tell his beloved wife, Penelope, that he is still alive and is now home safely. She has been mourning non-stop about his absence and now that he is finally home, she can sleep at night.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHomer has tried desperately, throughout the entire book, to detail the "horrors" that the suitors committed. For numerous chapters he has tried to convey just how cruel all the suitors are and all the atrocities they have committed. He does this to try to justify the true attrocity which is what Odysseus does. The "hero" of the Odyssey is revealed in chapter 22 as a merciless, bloodthirsty, vengeful warrior who mutilates a man's genitals and relishes in tourture.
ReplyDeleteAs I listened to Gandalf tell the story of Slaughter in the Hall I realized that Odysseus has no moral values and is simply a well made killing machine. If you think his acts were justified I ask you what exactly was it that the suitors did. They ate his food, gave presents, and attempted to court a lonely widow. They weren't the most polite or considerate men but their crimes were without a doubt not punishable by death. I personally did not buy Homer's story about how we should all hate the suitors and show them no care.
The book that stood out the most to me in my opinion was book 22: Slaughter in the Hall. Book 22 was the culmination of all work and effort put in by Odysseus. Odysseus is finally able to take his revenge on the suitors that had been courting his wife for 20 years. Also as Jack said, all this buildup and planning was getting very tedious to read. However, our patience was rewarded with this action filled chapter in which Odysseus was able to let out all of his anger on the suitors. The suitors were no match for the combined might of Odysseus, Telemachus and Athena and the result was that they were all brutally killed. Even though the chapter was rather gruesome it really shows what extent Odysseus would go to in order to be back in his own house with his wife. Odysseus will definitely remember this day for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteNow that the suitors are gone and his house his own, Odysseus is free to resume his regular life. Also as Elizabeth said, he is no longer hindered by Athena's disguise. He no longer has to hide in the shadows and plot ways to overcome the suitors and get back into to his own house. No longer does he have to hide himself from his loved ones and his devoted subjects. He is now free to be himself and no longer needs to worry. Even though people have not like Odysseus, I believe that after all he went through in order to be back home with his wife, he deserves some slack. I think that he showed extraordinary courage and wit and because this, he was able to find his way home and live happily with his wife.
Throughout the last few chapters, I have always been struck by at what length the poet goes to illustrate the insolence of the suitors and those of Odysseus’ servants that have chosen to side with them. At almost every occasion, insults, jeering, and occasionally chairs are thrown zipping past our hero’s head. Indeed, this is so frequently part of the plot over the previous chapters that it has become repetitive. I finally realize why Homer took spent so much time villainizing the suitors, so that when Odysseus finally gets his revenge, the brutality would have been justified.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the events in Slaughter in The Hall stood out for Odysseus’ take-no-prisoners approach to dealing with the suitors. Now it may sound like I’m continuing my distain for Odysseus and passing judgment on him for his actions. On the contrary, I found the Odysseus in this chapter to be the most likeable. For once, as opposed to being a man of stories and boasting, he is a man of action, and I have great respect for that (it may be noted that it certainly helped that Ian McKellen was narrating. YOU SHALL NOT… okay ill stop now. ) Though I didn’t enjoy reading pages and pages of buildup at the time, it added to the tension of the slaughter. It is good to end the story knowing the suitors got what they deserved.
Book 22 was pretty epic (sorry I had to use that word that way). The past few books have been pretty ridiculous, basically a set up for book 22 "slaughter in the halls." Odysseus gets his revenge and viscously kills the suitors. was this action justified? Maybe. 20 years is a long time to be gone, and people should have the right to remarry Penelope. On the other hand, the suitors are saucy, cocky insolent people that have no care for anyone else, and aren't responsible for their actions. Was Odysseus justified for doing horrible things to the suitors? I think being arrogant doesn't justify ripping out the suitors genitals. I also don't see how it is the fate of the gods who make Odysseus do these things.
ReplyDeleteThrough out the book I, along with most of my classmates, have not liked Odysseus. I expected him to be an endearing war hero; however, he was quite the opposite of endearing. The first evidence of Odysseus' unlikeable qualities was early on in the book. At Troy, when Odysseus' men destroyed Athena's temple Odysseus refused to take any blame and instead, sheds it to his men. Although his men were the one's to destroy the temple, you would think that Odysseus, the great war hero he has been made out to be, would actually take some responsibility for his men. But he did not do this on only one occasion. Later on in the epic when Odysseus and his crew travel to the island of Helios, he again sheds all the responsibility. His crew had killed and eaten Helios' cattle which enraged the gods. An again, he refused to take any responsibility for his crew's actions even though he was the one to take them to the island in the first place. Along with his inability to take responsibility, Odysseus is constantly cheating on his wife. He is, through out the book, being reminded by Athena that she is being loyal to him and not marrying another man. On the other hand, Odysseus is off with calypso cheating on his loyal wife.
ReplyDeleteAlthough through the majority of the epic it seemed like Odysseus was very unlikeable, in these final chapters he seems very much more likable. It may be that I am the stereotypical 14-year-old boy and enjoy seeing all the violence and bloodshed; however, I think it is more than that. I think that Odysseus really redeemed himself and his true "hero-like" qualities shined/shone (I don't know which word is correct) through.