How were the suitors disloyal to Odysseus?
The suitors behave badly in Odysseus’ home, drinking his wine and eating his food. Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, now a young man, is frustrated with the suitors. Together, Odysseus, Telemachus, Eumaeus and Philoetius kill the suitors and the disloyal maidservants.
What are the problems with the suitors in the Odyssey?
Telemachus’s most significant problem, besides the continued absence of his father, is that the suitors who are attempting to woo his mother, Penelope, are exploiting his hospitality and eating him out of house and home.
How do suitors react when Odysseus reveals himself?
(At first, they are irate that this beggar has killed Antinous, the “foremost youth in Ithaca.” When Odysseus reveals himself, the suitors all are paralyzed with fear. When Odysseus makes it clear that he intends to kill them, Eurymachus urges the others to fight, attacks Odysseus himself, and is killed.
Why are the suitors bad?
There he found that 108 young men, the suitors, had invaded his house. Their purpose was to put pressure on Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, to marry one of them. The suitors are described negatively as being rude, slovenly, disrespectful and ungrateful.
Why does Penelope test the suitors?
The test was that Penelope says that she will marry whichever suitor can string the bow and then shoot an arrow through 12 axe handles. None of the suitors can even string the bow so none of them even gets a shot at the axe handles. So this is a way of showing that Odysseus is much stronger than any of the suitors.
Why did Odysseus help Telemachus kill the suitors?
Odysseus, with the help of Telemachus, slays the suitors for two main reasons. First, they were disrespectful to him and his household, especially the first ones he and his son target with arrows and spear. Second, they were disloyal to Odysseus as ruler of Ithaca in their attempts to displace him by taking his wife.
How are the suitors described in the Odyssey?
The issue of lack of hospitality among the suitors is taken very seriously. During Odysseus’ 10-year absence, his home has been invaded by a group of unmarried young men. It is clear that these suitors were disrespectfully taking advantage of the long-standing tradition of hospitality of Ithaca.
Why did Odysseus disguise himself as a beggar?
The disguise allowed her to encourage Telemachus to stand against the suitors and to start a search for his father. Odysseus, on the other hand, with the help of Athena, disguised himself as a beggar. Through this disguise, Odysseus can see the true colors of the suitors and his servants.
Why did Penelope not follow Odysseus to Troy?
Penelope didn’t have a choice. She may have been Queen of Ithaca, but she had little actual power. All men loyal to Odysseus had followed him to Troy, she simply had no way of forcing the suitors to leave the palace. And of course she feared that antagonizing the suitors in any way would put Telemachus’ life in danger.