The Odyssey

The contest of the axes is held in Book 21, with none of the suitors able to string and shoot Odysseus’s bow. He asks to take a turn and shoots the arrow through all 12 axes, then gives his herdsmen and Telemachus the signal.

Prompted by Athena, Penelope prepares for the contest with the axes. She fetches Odysseus’s bow and quiver from the storeroom, weeping as she holds her husbands famed bow, a guest-friend gift from Iphitus, in her hands. Returning to the hall, she explains to the suitors that whoever can string Odysseus’s bow and send an arrow through 12 axes will win her hand in marriage. She instructs Eumaeus to set up the axes. He complies, weeping with Philoetius as he does so. Antinous scolds them for crying, saying their tears are upsetting Penelope. He acknowledges that “it will be difficult” to “match Odysseus” (463).

Telemachus calls the suitors forward, adding that he too will attempt to string the bow to prove that he deserves to carry his father’s legacy. If he can, he will “no longer mind” if his mother remarries (464). His first three attempts are unsuccessful, and

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now