How does Odysseus strings his bow?
Penelope announces the contest and retrieves Odysseus’ great backsprung bow from a secret storeroom deep in the palace. Odysseus easily strings the weapon and fires an arrow straight through the axes; then he and Telemachus stand together to face the suitors.
Why did Odysseus string the bow?
Odysseus then goes outside and reveals his identity to Eumaeus and Philoetius, who promise him their loyalty. Odysseus tells them their part in his plan to slaughter the suitors and goes back to the contest. He strings the bow and shoots his first arrow through the 12 axes and signals Telemachus to begin the slaughter.
Did Odysseus string the bow?
Telemachus takes control and orders Eumaeus to give Odysseus the bow. Needless to say, Odysseus easily strings it and sends the first arrow he grabs whistling through all twelve axes.
What does stringing the bow symbolize in the Odyssey?
Only Odysseus has the strength to string the bow. This symbolizes how only Odysseus is capable of being Penelope’s husband and to be king of Ithaca. None of the suitors came close to doing what only Odysseus can do, and this is more than just string a bow.
When Odysseus strings the bow what is he compared to?
(Lines 105-110): Odysseus’ stringing of the bow is compared to the stringing of a harp to emphasize dexterity and how well he manages a bow, so effortlessly. “Now Penelope sank down, holding the weapon on her knees, and drew her husband’s drew bow out, and sobbed and bit her lip and let the salt tears flow.”
What was so special about Odysseus bow?
Although archery may not directly relate to structures, the bow of Odysseus demonstrates how flexible rods can be curved and released to achieve great shape changes.
What is Odysseus compared to as he strings the bow?
What epic simile is used to describe the way Odysseus strings his bow?
What epic simile is used to describe the way the bow is strung? like a musician, like a harper.
What is the reaction as Odysseus strings the bow and shoots the arrow?
When Odysseus takes up the bow and effortlessly strings it, the suitors’ attitude changes to one of shock. They are stunned into silence that they were bested by a mere beggar. At that moment, Zeus sends a thunderclap to break the silence.
What is so special about Odysseus bow?
Why is the bow compared to a harp or lyre?
Epic Similes (Lines 105-110): Odysseus’ stringing of the bow is compared to the stringing of a harp to emphasize dexterity and how well he manages a bow, so effortlessly.
What two things happened as soon as Odysseus string the bow?
Odysseus easily strings the weapon and fires an arrow straight through the axes; then he and Telemachus stand together to face the suitors. 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.
Where does Odysseus get his great backsprung bow?
Summary and Analysis Book 21 – Odysseus Strings His 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.
How did Penelope get Odysseus’s bow in the Odyssey?
Penelope gets Odysseus’s bow out of the storeroom and announces that she will marry the suitor who can string it and then shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. Telemachus sets up the axes and then tries his own hand at the bow, but fails in his attempt to string it.
Why did Odysseus ask Antinous for the bow?
Antinous suggests that they adjourn until the next day, when they can sacrifice to Apollo, the archer god, before trying again. Odysseus, still disguised, then asks for the bow. All of the suitors complain, fearing that he will succeed.
What did Telemachus do in Odysseus and the bow?
Telemachus sets up the axes and then tries his own hand at the bow, but fails in his attempt to string it. The suitors warm and grease the bow to make it supple, but one by one they all try and fail.Meanwhile, Odysseus follows Eumaeus and Philoetius outside.