What is Chapter 21 of The Odyssey about?

What is Chapter 21 of The Odyssey about?

Summary: Book 21 Penelope gets Odysseus’s bow out of the storeroom and announces that she will marry the suitor who can string it and then shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. Telemachus sets up the axes and then tries his own hand at the bow, but fails in his attempt to string it.

Where did Odysseus get his great bow?

Penelope announces the contest and retrieves Odysseus’ great backsprung bow from a secret storeroom deep in the palace. For sport, Telemachus attempts to string the bow and fails three times. He is about to succeed on his fourth try when Odysseus privately signals him to back off.

What is the conflict in Book 21 of The Odyssey?

Conflicts. ~ The suitors are all trying to win over Penelope and her wealth through winning the contest. ~Odysseus wants to be the king again, and bring his palace back to order.

Who allows Odysseus the test of the great bow?

Penelope retrieves Odysseus’s great bow from the storeroom. Penelope explains the game to the suitors: whoever can string her husband’s bow and shoot an arrow through the twelve axe heads will marry her.

How does Athena help Odysseus in Book 23?

Athena makes the Ithacans forget the massacre of their children and recognize Odysseus as king. Peace is thus restored.

What does Odysseus bow symbolize?

Primarily, the bow symbolizes the physical superiority of the king — an important point in a world in which the mighty prevail. But the bow also symbolizes the maturity and perhaps the character of the king.

Why is Odysseus bow special?

Homer describes the bow as being “palintonos” which is translated as “bent or stretched backwards”. Unlike the bow in Figure 1, which has zero energy when initially strung and straight, this bow requires significant energy to be strained from backward to forward curve.

What is the moral lesson of The Odyssey?

The story of Odysseus reveals moral lessons of bravery, heroism, pride and honor relevant to the Greeks and their culture. Odysseus was a symbol of Greek culture because he was brave, intelligent, and strong. But, he didn’t just use those traits for himself, he helped everyone around him.

What does the contest of the bow symbolize?

The ruse failed only when Penelope was betrayed by a disloyal maidservant. Primarily, the bow symbolizes the physical superiority of the king — an important point in a world in which the mighty prevail. But the bow also symbolizes the maturity and perhaps the character of the king.

What is the test of the great bow at the end of The Odyssey?

Does the Odyssey have a happy ending?

Strengthened by his son’s return and Athena’s blessing, Laertes kills Eupithes. With one father defeating the other, the war ends there. Under directions from Zeus, Athena stops the conflict and calls for peace and cooperation. Prosperity is restored to Ithaca, and Odysseus is home at last.

Who does Odysseus reveal himself to last?

Telemachus
Having defeated the suitors, Odysseus reveals his identity to Penelope. The next day, he and Telemachus travel to the house where Odysseus’s grieving father, Laertes, lives.

Is Odysseus a God?

He is not a god, but he does have a connection with the gods on his mother’s side of the family. While on one hunting trip, Odysseus was gored by a wild boar, an incident that left a scar.