Which scenes in the Odyssey, between Odysseus' return to Ithaca and the massacre of the suitors, show Homer at his best as a storyteller.' (Books 14-24) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn The Odyssey Homer created a poem to arouse the depths of the audience's emotions, able to create scenes filled with anger towards the suitors arrogance and tragedy with pain and hardship. In books 14 through 21, he has assembled a series of touching recognition scenes alternating with small incidents that show the threat posed by the usurping Suitors. These scenes between Odysseus and his faithful servants are among the most powerful in the Odyssey and add much tension in the run-up to the final battle against the suitors. In book 14, Homer pays particular attention to the faithful servant Eumaeus in to highlight the difference between him and the unfaithful servants of the palace: "not wishing to sleep there far from his boars... He prepared for a night out, and Odysseus was happy to see his diligent concern for his absent master's properties «This shows not only how praiseworthy Eumaeus is, but also how detestable the actions of the Suitors are. Scenes like this are capable of captivating the audience and creating great sympathy and admiration for Eumaeus and the other servants in difficulty loyal to Odysseus. How much Homer loved the swineherd is evident from the use of the apostrophe in addressing Eumaeus, a privilege reserved for him alone. Eumaeus reveals himself to be a strange mixture of nobility and humility; performs the most menial tasks, perhaps showing how Homer believes all people should behave and providing a stark contrast to the pride and vainglory of the Suitors is also used to create tension in the play. He seems to unconsciously call Ulysses "old friend"; a subtle hint at their relationship? Eurymachus' words are also used by Homer to create a lot of dramatic irony: "the gods have shown their utter hatred for him [Odysseus]... he is dead and gone: the dogs and birds of the sky must by now have torn his flesh ". from his bones Homer makes a point of devoting much of the conversation in this section of the poem to discussing the question of whether Odysseus is dead. Eumaeus is firmly convinced that he is, and Odysseus is firmly convinced that he is not. This creates irony as Odysseus is unable to convince Eumaeus, who we know is wrong, and makes the final battle, when it finally arrives, much more dramatic as it dissipates all the previously built up tension. Another scene of great power is the recognition of Odysseus by Telemachus in book 16. We are told: "Telemachus could not yet accept that he was his father..." Telemachus threw his arms around his noble father and burst into tears ...they shouted out loud piercingly and more. convulsively of birds of prey when... robbed... of their... young." These quotes first show the skillful way in which Homer brings out Telemachus' acceptance of his father with his disbelief to create more tension in the audience, and secondly the strong emotional language and imagery he uses to make the scene more powerful. The simile is particularly notable as it suggests wild and uncontrollable emotions that devastate the two men and shows the depth of their feelings as well as adding. an element of danger and perhaps nobility (many birds of prey were associated with the gods; Zeus' eagles, for example) to them. The scenes of recognition are perhaps the most powerful in this poem; the scene in book 19 in which Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus as a prime example: “Suddenly he let go of his master's foot which formedthe metal ring as it fell against the basin, upsetting and spilling all the water on the floor... his voice got stuck" in his throat... Ulysses' hand... searched and grabbed... the [ his] throat." This section of the book shows Homer using all his skill to create Eurycleia's surprise. The pelvis is focused as it is an everyday object that allows the audience to relate to it, and the contrast with the firm Eurycleia and her sudden loss of speech and grip shows the extent of her shock. It is a response that is both realistic and authentic, giving Eurycleia a human side that makes her more understandable and more compassionate to the audience. This impression is further strengthened when Eurycleia 'raised her hand to Odysseus' chin', giving a visible sign of her affection for her 'master'. She calls him "my dear son", showing the closeness of the relationship between these two and making this scene more powerful. Another phrase in this section is, “Joy and anguish went through his heart together.” This shows the mixed emotions unleashed in the old woman; joy for the safe return of Ulysses, but concern for the difficulties he must have suffered and will still have to suffer at the hands of the Suitors. The contrast of these two feelings helps show the audience the sudden wave of uncontrollable emotions that overwhelms Eurycleia, making this section more effective and more emotional for the audience. Odysseus's reaction here (grabbing Eurycleia by the throat) may seem violent to a modern public audience, but I think it serves to show the tension that Odysseus is under and how much is at stake here. His anxiety makes him tougher than perhaps he normally would as it is vitally important that he not be discovered at this early stage, and this heightens the audience's sense of anticipation making it more effective and more dramatic. Homer's use of strong similes throughout Books 13-21 is particularly striking. For example, his comparison of Odysseus to a dog when he is tempted to kill the handmaids prematurely: "His heart growled within him like a growling bitch guarding her helpless puppies, ready to fight when she sees a stranger." This simile suggests the protection Odysseus feels for his "cubs"; his family and his possessions, and also his courage. The Suitors are like the stranger, threatening and unwanted, and the whole scene is vivid, emotional and relatable for the Greek audience. Homer's easily understandable similes are also very evident in the rest of the poem: "he looked like a miserable old beggar leaning on a stick, his body covered in dirty rags." (book 17) This shows how complete the disguise Athena provided and how dejected Odysseus now appears. Pathos cannot help but be created for him by such a vivid simile, even though we know that it is truly "divine", showing Homer at his best as a narrator. Homer gives us yet another touching and powerful scene in the death of the dog Argus: "There, full of vermin, lay Argus... as soon as he became aware of Odysseus' presence, he wagged his tail... though he now lacked the strength to approaching his master." This touching reunion shows the degradation that has taken place in Odysseus' absence and serves to advance the plot as well as being highly emotional. It is the beginning of a series of scenes of recognition, and there is a sense of tragic irony in the fact that the dog cannot be fooled by the disguise of a goddess. The dog is the most humble of all of Odysseus' subjects, yet is still loyal to him (like Eumaeus), creating more irony, and when "the black hand of Death" descends upon him, a great deal of pathos is created in the audience . The 'battle' of Ulysses and Irus is also a highly effective piece of writing. As he takes down Irus, he comes at it.