Discussion Questions

1. Why do all the suitors urge Mentor not to join Odysseus’s side? Why do the suitors believe Mentor plays an important role in the fight even though they don’t know that Athena is disguised as him?

2. Why do Telemachus and Odysseus have to prove themselves to be worthy of Athena’s assistance? Why can’t she help them from the beginning to avoid all of the bloodshed?

3. Why are all the suitors suddenly afraid of Odysseus when a shield appears in the palace? What does the shield symbolize? Why does Athena choose to bring out the shield at that given time?

4. Why does Melanthius choose to betray Odysseus by helping arm the suitors?

5. What does Odysseus mean when he says, “Light me a fire to purify this house.”(519)? Why does Odysseus want to do this before he puts on a clean shirt and cloak?

6. Do you believe that some of the maids became unfaithful to the royal family due to the lack of proper authority in the past years? Would they act any differently if Telemachus became the king?

7. Why doesn’t Odysseus pray to the gods before the battle started? Does this have anything to do with his pride and rage?

8. Why does Athena take the disguise of Mentor? Wouldn’t it be more inspiring for Odysseus and his allies if she came as Athena?

9. Odysseus has two new epithets in Book 22. They are “mastermind of war”(211) and “master of tactics”(178). Why do you think Homer decided to introduce these two new epithets in Book 22 specifically?