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What happens in Books 19 & 20 of The Odyssey?
In Book 19, Penelope meets with Odysseus, still in disguise, and is brought to tears after hearing his description of the Greek hero, especially that he is still alive and traveling back to Ithaca. Odysseus reluctantly has his feet washed by Eurycleia who discovers his identity but promises to keep his secret, and in Book 20, Penelope resolves to marry the first man who can shoot an arrow through a set of holes. The suitors fail to recognize the portent signs all around them and continue to antagonize Telemachus and Odysseus the next day.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Book 19 & 20 of The Odyssey. (3-minute read)
What famous quote from The Odyssey appears in Book 19?
In this quote from Book 19, Odysseus explains the origins of his name, indicating he was destined to live a life of pain:
Just as I
have come from afar, creating pain for many—
men and women across the good green earth—
so let his name be Odysseus . . .
the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.
Read the complete quote from Book 19 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
Does Penelope really intend to marry one of the suitors?
In Books 19 & 20, Penelope says she will marry whoever can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through the holes of twelve axes. This is a feat of strength and skill of which only Odysseus may be capable, hinting that perhaps she isn’t ready to choose a new husband after all.
Read more about Penelope’s intentions regarding the suitors in our Q&A section. (1-minute read)
What is the effect of Athena forcing the suitors into hysterics?
The suitors begin to laugh as if “crazed…out of their minds.” It’s clear at this point their actions are not their own, something even the suitors themselves realize (“tears flooded their eyes, hearts possessed by grief”), but at this point it’s too late. Their fate, like their behavior, is out of their control, and the unsettling imagery of their “mad, hysterical laughter” increases the tension.
