A few comments on Response 5

1. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca and one of the Greek Heroes who fights in the Trojan War. He is also known for his "persuasive speech" as seen in Book 9 of the Iliad. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the one who is lost and cannot return home. Odysseus is NOT searching for his father. Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, IS searching for Odysseus in order to solve the problem of all the suitors who have been eating him out of his house.

2. Odysseus is detained from his return home by several people, including Kalypso with whom he currently resides. However, Poseidon is the original perpetrator, since he is angry with Odysseus for gauging his son's eye out (Polyphemos the Cyclops). We will read more about that in book 11.

3. Penelope. A lot of people seemed confused about why she could not fend off the suitors herself. But recall that this is not a modern story and that the women of this time period really had no rights. So, while Penelope is certainly royalty, she does not have the ability to kick out the suitors who are ruining her home. Furthermore, if, indeed, Odysseus is dead then it is her and Laertes' responsibility to have her married off to a new King.

4. Several others seem to think Telemachos is weak and should have addressed the suitors earlier... recall that he is barely 20. Most men don't marry til they're 30-ish, so he is not exactly of age to be chastising the suitors or even trying to kick them out, as we discussed in class, and not of an age where they would respect him.