John Morphis

English I-A
May 5, 2009

Review Sheet: Odysseus Strings His Bow

Main Points
- Penelope gets the Odysseus’s bow out of the his storeroom
- Penelope announces that she will marry whichever man strings Odysseus’s bow
and shoots it through twelve axes.
- Telemachus tries to string the bow but is unable to do so (this shows how he is not
able to fill in the role of his father, the great Odysseus)
- The suitors believe that they can string the bow by greasing it, but as each one
tries it, they all prove to fail
- Eumaeus and Philoetius are met by Odysseus (still disguised)
- Odysseus reveals himself to the two of them and proves it is him by showing a
scar on his foot that he got while he was away fighting
- He agrees to treat them well as if they were his own sons if they agree to help him
fight against the suitors
- Inside, Eurymachus is extremely ashamed that he is unable to string the bow
- All the suitors are deathly afraid that the disguised Odysseus will beable to string
the bow and shoot it through the 12 axes.
- Sure enough, the disguised Odysseus strings the bow with ease, and shoots it
through the 12 axes
- This proves that he is greater than everyone in the room

Main Ideas/Analysis
- Telemachus is unable to fill the roll of his father: Telemachus fails while trying to
string the bow, but Odysseus does it with ease. This is one of the common themes
brought up by Athena throughout the stories. Telemachus is physically identical
to Odysseus, but he has not stepped up as a man to fill the shoes of his great
father, Odysseus.
 - Also, it is very important to show that Odysseus is slowly but surely revealing
himself to more and more people ever since he got back from being gone for so
long.

Summary
Penelope gets Odysseus’s old bow out of storage, while the suitors are
over dining with them. She agrees to marry any man who is able to string the bow and
shoot it through all 12 of the axes. Telemachus tries but is unsuccessful at stringing the
bow. Each and every suitor at the house is unable to string it even with the help of
grease. While the suitors are trying to string it, Eumaeus, Philoetius, and Odysseus
(disguised) slip out the door and meet to discuss matters. During this time, Odysseus
reveals himself to the two men, by showing them a scar on his foot. They find out that
the man is really Odysseus. Odysseus promises to treat them as well as his son as long as
they agree to help him fight against all of the suitors. They discuss this and go back
inside unnoticed. Finally, Telemachus offers Odysseus the chance to string the bow, and
he does it and succesfully shoots it through the 12 axes.