The End of the Odyssey

We've finally come to the end of the Odyssey! (It's about time, too) He kills off every last suitor and all the disobedient maids (AND Antinous's father, What's-His-Face) Then he reveals who he is and Penelope doesn't believe him until he starts talking about his bed. Then the townspeople get really mad and want to kill him then at the very very end it's all over and only Antinous's father died, and everything is peaceful and happy. It really makes me realize how long you have to wait for him to finish off all the suitors.

It starts with the fight against Irus, where I actually felt a little bad for Irus because he got beat so badly. (By an old man, too) The suitors all think it's hilarious, especially when Irus is beaten, which makes me even more mad, because it seems like it would be sad to watch beggars fight. Those suitors should have suffered longer.

I liked hearing about the gifts Penelope tricked the suitors into giving her, which wasn't really a trick, but I imagine they kept everything (after all, the suitors were dead after that). I also thought it was funny when he tell Euryclea (or Eurycleia) to go and lock the maids in the rooms. "Well you see, there's going to be this big fight downstairs, so excuse me a moment while I lock you in your room." But it probably was a good idea after all.

It was sort of nice to finally let Odysseus see his wife, after all that time he had been away, even if he was in disguise. Personally, I was very happy, because he had been sitting in Ithaca for so long, and he didn't even get to see his wife.

I also enjoyed listening to the story about how Odysseus was named and how he got the scar from the boar, although it seemed to be the best reason he had for being himself. As smart as he was, you'd think he would remember a big scar that would identify him, especially when he asked to be washed by a nurse. Were people really so good that they couldn't wash their own feet? Anyway, she recognizes him and drops his leg (Ow) and spills all the water. Very luckily, I suppose, Athena diverted her attention. I still don't think it was that necessary to keep it a secret from his wife. What would she do? If you locked her in like all the maids, she couldn't have done much, and if they had all died in the battle, how could the maid tell Penelope that it was her husband who had died and not told her? At least if she had known who he was, if he died, then she would know to remarry again, and that he got home safely. I just think I would be annoyed not to be in on a secret that my husband was home, even after the battle and everything.

I was always amazed at how much they seemed to revolve around Odysseus. Someone is always stopping to say something like, "I wish he would come home soon!" or praying to the gods that he would return. I'd think that after 20 years they'd be a little used to it, and they wouldn't still do that too much, but I guess it makes a better story.

I thought it was sort of weird when Ctesippus picks up a cow foot and chucks it at him, honestly, a heifer's foot? I guess it was the closest thing, but it just seems weird. Then he insults him, which is just a terrible idea. (We all saw what happened when the Phaeacians did that) I thought he might explode, because he didn't really seem controlled when he was challenged like that before.

Let's see, next Penelope decided to take out the "deadly bow and arrows" for a game. When she opens the door it makes a noise like a bull bellowing. That's some noisy door! What's the deal with that? I wouldn't open that door ever. Our teacher once let go of one of those pull out maps that roll up when you let them go and it went 'BANG' and I jumped because it scared me so you can imagine how much I would really hate to have to open that door.

Not a lot struck me for a while, except for when one of the suitors admits how inferior they are to Odysseus during the bow-stringing and shooting game. And when Penelope embarrasses Eurymachus. Then she has to go back upstairs and she cries again, which sort of makes Telemachus mean. :(

Then he strings the bow, and it made me feel sort of happy for some reason, even though we already knew he would. Then he shoots Antinous, which was way too quick of an end for being so evil. Then he goes on and kills a lot of them, saves the bard and Medon, and continues on to kill everyone else. When Leiodes, the sacrificing priest, comes and begs for his life, I don't think I even felt bad for him. He seems so sad, but somehow I never was even the tiniest bit sorry for him.

After that I was a tiny bit bored. Penelope doesn't want to believe it's really Odysseus, and you hear the ghosts talk amongst themselves. Then Odysseus is kind of mean in playing games with his dad, who has been waiting so long for him to come home and pretty much breaks down. Then the townspeople go to kill him for him killing all the people, and suddenly they all decide in peace.

Overall, it was very relieving to be finished and wrapped up, although it was a long time to get there. I thought he might punish the suitors some more, he was so mad, after all. I guess killing them was pretty harsh in the first place, but he seemed to punish his servants more than the suitors in the end. I thought he might be a little to hard on the maids. I would have just fired them and make sure they never got another job or ship them off somewhere terrible. Telemachus never really stepped up to head of the household, but he could have done more to discipline them, I think. I just think they might have done a better job if there had been more effort to make them do their job. Why put up with them if they won't agree? Why couldn't they just get rid of them years before to save a lot of problems?

The end sort of leaves me to wonder what life is like for the future. What does he do for all these years? When does he go and get the treasure from the cave? Did he even have anything to do? It must seem dull for him not to have to get anywhere or do anything or fight anyone. He also must have nightmares or occasionally feel bad for killing all those people, it seems like you would be. Thinking you were still stuck on an island or attacked by some monster or something. I guess that's not part of his journey home. I still have to wonder who had the patience to tell that whole story, really. I found I really didn't care about 'Rosy-fingered Dawn'. I actually liked all the epithets, they were almost comforting to read I think. I think I liked the beginning and the storytelling by Odysseus the best. I don't like all the time it takes to finish the story, but I guess it had to finish. In the end, I think I liked all the characters a little less. It was weird to see Odysseus fighting, to see Telemachus bossing his mom around, Penelope constantly crying, etc. It sort of makes you wonder what great huge adventure Telemachus gets to go on one day.

Do we get to finish O Brother Where Art Thou? now? (I don't think I'll be happy until it's done)