17 - 20 Summary

Telemachos wants to go see his mother and she is excited that her son is alive and is eager to hear news of her husband, but he won't tell her anything yet. He just tells her to get fresh and get on clean linens. Telemachos goes to talk to his father's loyal friends about their plans. All of the men eat while Penelope weaves and asks for information of Odysseus. Telemachos talks about visiting Menelaos the day before, then Theoklymenos tells of his prophecy that Odysseus has returned to Ithaka for revenge, but Penelope doesn't believe it. Odysseus and another beggar get into a fight over food. The other beggar taunts him to try and anger him. Odysseus sees an old dog that he trained but never got to take hunting with him before he left for Troy. The dog is glad to see him and dies shortly after seeing his companion after 20 years. Odysseus cries and learns the dog was strong and courageous in his younger days. At the eating place Telemachos is very generous to this "stranger" and tells him to help himself. Odysseus begs from every man, learning who is good and who is bad. Antinoos is all insulting and rude and Telemachos informs him he must share with the Beggar, but he says he will throw a foot stool at him. Odysseus goes around to everyone, then comes back to him. He insults him and he gets a stool thrown at him. Penelope wants to meet with this beggar, but he says he will see her later.
An actual beggar sees Odysseus and tells him they can't both be beggars in this town. The two men insult each other and Antinoos encourages a fight, promising a prize of fat blood or something to the winner. The two men fight, but the real beggar doesn't really want to. Antinoos said he will be beaten and castrated if the new beggar beats him. Odysseus only punches him once, breaking his jaw. The beggar tells Amphinomos he should go home before Odysseus comes home and kills the suitors (this guy isn't too bad) unfortunately Athena wants them all to die. Athena convinces Penelope to show herself to the suitors so they can all see how beautiful she is because Athena showers her in ambrosia. She ends up flirting with the suitors and says they haven't courted her correctly and she wants gifts. None of the suitors offer any up and go searching for suitable gifts for a Queen. Odysseus tests the loyalty of the maids and keeps the torches lit for the drunk suitors, sending the maids to care for his wife. A suitor throws a footstool at him after he infuriates him.
Telemachos, ordered by his beggar father, removes all suitors' weapons from the great hall as planned and tells the maid Euriklea to shut the women in their rooms. Penelope is waiting in her room for the beggar. She tells him that she is going to just marry a suitor to let her son live in peace now. Odysseus makes up a story about fighting at Troy and how he hosted Odysseus, which excites Penelope hearing about him. She offers him a place to stay for the night and says he can have a bath, but he refuses unless he gets a maid who is old like him. The maid from his childhood sees a resemblance between the beggar and Odysseus and then recognizes him from a scar on his thigh and she has to be sworn to silence. Odysseus interprets a dream Penelope had to mean that the suitor are facing certain death. SHe doesn't believe this and says there will be a competition shooting her husband's bow and arrow and who does the best will be her new husband.
That night Odysseus can't sleep, probably some pre-slaughter jitters. Some of the maids sneak out to go sleep with the suitors and Odysseus is mad at their betrayal but stays silent. Athena gives him a speech to amp him up for the murders tomorrow. Penelope cries and prays for death and has a dream of her husband returning. Melenthios comes back to taunt the beggar again. The maids are preparing a feast. The beggar asks some nice men if they would fight on Odysseus's side if he were to return. At breakfast Telemachos very openly shares his food with the beggar but Antinoos still doesn't like it. The holiday for the feast is a day of sacrifice to apollo. The Suitors start taunting the beggar because Athena makes them. Athena wants the fight to happen now so she has the enemies keep enraging the men.

Themes: Coming of age (telemachos working with his father to kill the suitors, Loyalty (Penelope stays loyal to her husband even though he was gone for 20 years)