Sep 14 2008
Odysseus, his return and his desires
When Odysseus arrives back on Ithaka, his desires are to rid his household of the suitors and enjoy his homecoming. However, he takes what he learns in the underworld from ghosts such as Agamemnon and does not reveal himself right away to everyone. Instead he is disguised as a beggar and cleverly learns about what is going on in his household through a swineherd. Odysseus does in fact reveal himself to Telemachos though, which seems appropriate, as the two of them can plot to get rid of the pesky suitors, and they are both alike in many ways as they have each completed journeys and discovered something about themselves. His glorious homecoming is a bit delayed as he plots against the suitors and tries to learn if his wife has been faithful to him or not. He is revealed to others slowly, first to Telemachos and then to the old nurse, but he swears each to secrecy, as he wants to make sure that the suitors do not know his identity. Odysseus wishes to have a proper homecoming, where all will admire his long endurance and sufferings and he will be glorius, the god among men. Until then, however, Odysseus tells a false story of his identity to work his way into the inner rings of his household. Ultimately, Odysseus plans to reveal himself in the challenge of the bow and arrow, and kill all the suitors that have soiled his household.