What happens in Book XXI of The Odyssey?
Minerva encourages Penelope to suggest a contest involving Ulysses' bow. Penelope goes to the storeroom and retrieves the bow that Iphitus once gave to Ulysses in Messene; Ulysses had left it behind when he set sail for Troy. She tells the suitors that she will marry the man who can string the bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axes. Eumaeus and the stockman are moved to tears at the sight of the bow, but Antinous chastises them. Telemachus arranges the axes in a row and attempts to string the bow three times; on his fourth try, Ulysses signals him to stop. Leiodes is the first of the suitors to try but fails, proclaiming that the bow will take the lives of many. Antinous commands Melanthius to warm the bow with fire and grease, yet none of the suitors can string it.
Meanwhile, Ulysses follows the swineherd and stockman outside and reveals his true identity to them by showing the scar from a boar’s tooth he received on Mt. Parnassus. He instructs them to hand him the bow when the time is right, to have the women lock their doors, and to secure the outer gates. Back inside, Eurymachus attempts to string the bow but fails. Antinous proposes delaying the contest, claiming it is Apollo's feast day. Ulysses asks to try the bow, which angers the suitors, but Penelope and Telemachus stand by him. Eumaeus brings Ulysses the bow while Euryclea locks the women's doors and Philoetius secures the outer gates. Ulysses strings the bow with ease, and it sings like a swallow; Jove thunders as an omen. Ulysses then shoots an arrow through all twelve axes and signals to Telemachus, who prepares himself for action.
Analysis
The chapter creates dramatic tension through a well-crafted sequence that shifts from public spectacle to private revelation and finally to climactic action. The bow's extensive backstory—tracing its roots through Iphitus and Eurytus, alongside Hercules' grim betrayal—imbues the weapon with history and significance, turning it from a simple object into a powerful symbol of rightful ownership and delayed justice. The detailed description of Penelope opening the storeroom, complete with its architectural specifics and the simile of the door bolts flying open "like a bull bellowing in a meadow," heightens anticipation and underscores the importance of what has been kept hidden.
Dramatic irony weaves through the chapter: Antinous thinks he will string the bow but will instead be its first victim; the suitors ridicule the disguised Ulysses for handling the bow like a "tricky old bow-fancier"; Telemachus nearly strings it, demonstrating his growing strength while still waiting for his father's cue. The parallel scenes of failed attempts create a rhythm of rising frustration that makes Ulysses' effortless success all the more striking. His revelation to Eumaeus and Philoetius, along with the physical proof of his scar, adds an emotional layer to the contest and secures loyal allies.
The chapter concludes with a subtle yet ominous tone: Ulysses discusses supper and entertainment as thunder rumbles and Telemachus readies himself, hinting at the violence that lies ahead.
Key quotes from Book XXI
“It is I, Ulysses, who am here. I have suffered much, but at last, in the twentieth year, I am come back to my own country.”
Ulysses reveals his true identity to the swineherd and stockman outside the house.
“he took it in his right hand to prove the string, and it sang sweetly under his touch like the twittering of a swallow.”
This describes the moment when Ulysses, having strung the bow, tests the string before shooting through the axes.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Book XXI
- handle-holes
- Openings or rings on axes through which handles are fitted, or through which something can pass. In this context, the holes in a row of axe heads that an arrow must pass through.
- bow-fancier
- Someone who collects, admires, or has special knowledge about bows; an enthusiast or connoisseur of archery equipment. A person with a particular interest in bows as objects.