What is the contest in Odysseus?

In Book 21 of The Odyssey, Penelope holds a contest. She brings out Odysseus’ bow and tells the suitors she will marry the first one who can string it and shoot an arrow through 12 axes. Telemachus and the suitors try and fail to even string the bow.

How does Odysseus win the contest?

It is Odysseus’ hunting bow, given to him as a gift. What must a contestant do to win the contest? The suitors must shoot an arrow through the holes made of 12 axes. You just studied 27 terms!

Why did Penelope set up contest?

Why does Penelope choose an archery contest using Odysseus’ bow? Because she wants to see if any man can be as great as Odysseus.

Why does Penelope come up with the ax contest for the suitors to compete in?

Why does Penelope come up with the ax contest for the suitors to compete in? She knows they are getting bored and restless. She things it will start a brawl and they will kill each other. Odysseus puts her up to it to see if she is truly loyal.

What are 5 themes in The Odyssey?

The Odyssey Themes

• Fate, the Gods, and Free Will. Three somewhat distinct forces shape the lives of men and women in The Odyssey: fate, the interventions of the gods, and the actions of the men and women themselves.
• Piety, Customs, and Justice.
• Cunning, Disguise, and Self-Restraint.
• Memory and Grief.
• Glory and Honor.

What lesson does Homer want us to learn about life?

Determining the difference between right and wrong can be difficult, but life lessons help us figure it out. During The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus learns a few lessons, and one of them is that you should be aware of your surroundings and ready to use them.

What happens in the contest of the 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 are the events of The Odyssey in order?

Timelines of Homer’s Odyssey
Chronological Order	Odyssey Order
Odysseus and his men raid the Cicones.	Council of the gods. Athena bargains with Zeus.
They arrive at the Land of the Lotus Eaters.	Athena visits Telemachus; he sails for Pylos.
Odysseus blinds Polyphemus.	Telemachus reaches Pylos, then moves on to Sparta.

How does The Odyssey end?

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.

How did The Odyssey end?

Did Homer exist?

Was Homer a real person? Scholars are uncertain whether he existed. If real, he is believed to have lived about the 9th or 8th century BCE and was a native of Ionia. A poet in the oral tradition, his works were likely transcribed by others.

Why did Penelope hold a contest with Odysseus bow?

Penelope’s choice of contest — one that only Odysseus could win — supports the suspicion that she is aware of the beggar/Odysseus’s real identity. When the beggar/Odysseus asks for an unofficial chance at the bow, Penelope immediately counters Antinous’ objection.

What does the contest of the bow symbolize?

The contest begins. Odysseus strings the bow, and the arrow goes through 12 axes from the first attempt. With Telemachus’s help, the King smites the suitors with ease and dignity. Here, the bow symbolizes Odysseus’ vengeance and physical superiority above his competitors.

Why does Penelope devise the contest with the bow?

What is the conflict of The Odyssey?

In The Odyssey, conflict is constantly present. Much of the conflict arises from the obstacles Odysseus faces returning home. The wayward traveler and his crew battle against the dangers of the sea and the challenges of temptations. Odysseus constantly battles the supernatural world so he can return home.

Why does Odysseus agree to compete in the games?

This angers Odysseus, and he agrees to compete in the games. Odysseus initially refuses to join the games out of prudence, since his strength and skill might give away his identity. But he can’t tolerate an insult: his desire for glory, and its accompanying intolerance to shame, overtake his prudent desire to hide his identity.

What do Odysseus’s tears reveal about his identity?

Just as Telemachus’s tears reveal his identity to Menelaus, Odysseus’s tears give him away to Alcinous. Though it benefits Odysseus to keep his identity hidden for the time being, it is honorable to weep for his dead comrades: he chooses honor, memory and grief over prudence, or perhaps the emotions or so strong he just can’t hide them.

What does Broadsea give Odysseus to apologize?

Broadsea gives Odysseus a beautiful sword to apologize for his taunts, and Odysseus graciously accepts the apology. Queen Arete gives Odysseus a trunk of fine clothes, and the maids give him a bath. He talks to Nausicaa, who teasingly reminds him that he owes her his life. Then he joins Alcinous at the table.

How does Odysseus plan to overthrow the suitors?

He devises a plan to overthrow the suitors with their help. In disguise as a beggar, Odysseus investigates his palace. The suitors and a few of his old servants generally treat him rudely as Odysseus sizes up the loyalty of Penelope and his other servants.