DV-The Odyssey Graphic Novel – Books 19–21

the odyssey Books 19-21

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lesson objective

• Students will analyze Odysseus’ interactions with key characters in Books 19–21, focusing on themes of identity, revenge, and cleverness.

• Students will cite evidence from the graphic novel to support their interpretations of character motivation and plot development.

do now:

• Imagine you’ve been away from home for 20 years.
• How would you feel returning to a place where everything has changed, and your enemies have taken over?
• Write 2–3 sentences predicting how Odysseus might feel when he returns to Ithaca.
• Please tell me in the chat!

where were we?

• Books 1–4 – The Telemachy
• Odysseus has been missing for 20 years. His son Telemachus, urged by Athena, sets out to find news of his father while suitors overrun his home in Ithaca, competing for his mother Penelope's hand.
• Books 5–8 – Odysseus Among the Phaeacians
• Odysseus is stranded on the island of the nymph Calypso. Hermes orders his release; he builds a raft, survives a storm, and washes ashore in Phaeacia, where King Alcinous and Princess Nausicaa welcome him.
• Books 9–12 – The Great Wanderings (Told in Flashback)
• Odysseus recounts his adventures: blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enchantress Circe turning his men to pigs, his descent into the Underworld, surviving the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and finally the fatal slaughter of the Sun God Helios's cattle — leaving Odysseus the sole survivor.
• Books 13–16 – Return to Ithaca
• The Phaeacians sail Odysseus home. Athena disguises him as a beggar. He reunites with his loyal swineherd Eumaeus and reveals himself to his son Telemachus, and they begin plotting against the suitors.
• Books 17–18 – Odysseus in Disguise
• Odysseus, still disguised, enters his own palace and endures humiliation at the hands of the suitors. He observes their arrogance and tests the loyalty of his servants, setting the stage for his revenge.

wat happened in Books 19-21?

• Book 19 – The Recognition
• Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, has a long conversation with Penelope, who does not recognize him. She describes her grief and the trick she used to delay the suitors — weaving and unweaving a burial shroud for years. The old nurse Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus by a scar on his leg while washing his feet, but he swears her to silence. Penelope announces she will hold a contest the next day.
• Book 20 – Eve of the Contest
• Odysseus struggles to control his anger as he watches the suitors' continued disrespect in his home. Both he and Penelope spend a restless, anxious night. The suitors continue their arrogant behavior, and several bad omens foreshadow their coming doom. The stage is fully set for the reckoning.
• Book 21 – The Contest of the Bow
• Penelope retrieves Odysseus's great bow and announces that she will marry whichever suitor can string it and shoot an arrow through twelve axe handles in a row. Suitor after suitor fails to even string the bow. Odysseus, still in disguise, reveals himself to Eumaeus and another loyal servant. He is allowed to try the bow — and strings it effortlessly, shooting the arrow clean through all twelve axes. The slaughter is about to begin.

Book 19: Odysseus, disguised as a beggar

• Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, speaks with Penelope and Eurycleia – tension builds, testing loyalty and recognition.
• Even face-to-face with his own wife, Odysseus chooses deception over reunion — revealing how deeply mistrust and caution have shaped him after 20 years of survival.
• Eurycleia's recognition of Odysseus through his scar is a powerful moment of loyalty, showing that true bonds are built on intimate, lived experience rather than appearances.

DISCUSS: Why do you think Odysseus chooses to keep his identity hidden from Penelope at this moment — is it strategic caution, an emotional test of her faithfulness, or something else entirely?

Book 20: Odysseus observes the suitors;

• Athena provides guidance and support.
• Odysseus must summon enormous restraint as he watches the suitors disrespect his home — his ability to hold back his rage shows how much his years of hardship have hardened him into a disciplined, calculating warrior.
• Athena's continued presence as guide and protector highlights that Odysseus's success is never his alone — divine support remains essential, raising questions about fate, free will, and who truly deserves credit for his survival.

DISCUSS: Athena has helped Odysseus at nearly every critical moment — do you think he could have made it home and reclaimed his household through his own cunning alone, or is divine intervention what truly makes the difference?

Book 21: The bow contest scene

• Odysseus reveals his identity through his skill and cleverness.
• The suitors' collective failure to string the bow exposes the gap between their pretensions to power and their actual worthiness — they have consumed Odysseus's home for years, yet cannot meet even this single test of strength and skill.
• When Odysseus effortlessly strings the bow and shoots through all twelve axes, it serves as a dramatic, undeniable declaration that the true king has returned — no disguise can hide his mastery.

DISCUSS: The bow contest is Penelope's idea — do you think she secretly suspected or hoped that Odysseus might be present, or was this purely a practical decision to finally resolve the situation with the suitors?

Homework

Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) analyzing the significance of the bow contest in Book 21. Include:

• How the event demonstrates Odysseus’ cunning or heroism
• At least one panel description as evidence
• Connection to the theme of justice or revenge

exit ticket

• Which moment from Books 19–21 shows Odysseus’ cleverness most clearly?
• How does the graphic novel format affect your understanding of this moment compared to a traditional text?
• Please tell me in the chat!

"Endure, my heart, you once endured something worse."

Read books 22-24