from “Book 23”
of Homer’s The Odyssey
translated by Stanley Lombardo
In tears, she ran straight to him, threw her arms
Around him, kissed his face, and said:
“Don’t be angry with me, Odysseus. You,
Of all men, know how the world goes.
It is the gods who gave us sorrow, the gods
Who begrudged us a life together, enjoying
Our youth and arriving side by side
To the threshold (1) of old age. Don’t hold it against me
That when I first saw you I didn’t welcome you
As I do now. My heart has been cold with fear
That an imposter (2) would come and deceive me.
There are many who scheme (3) for ill-gotten gains.” (4)
1 threshold: The place one steps across when one enters a room; a point of transition
2 imposter: Someone pretending to be someone else
3 scheme: Make a plan or plot
4 ill-gotten gains: Things one has gotten in a dishonest or illegal way
Homer. “Book 23.” The Odyssey. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Hackett Publishing, 2007, pp. 221–222.
from “Book 23”
of Homer’s The Odyssey
translated by Stanley Lombardo
In tears, she ran straight to him, threw her arms
Around him, kissed his face, and said:
“Don’t be angry with me, Odysseus. You,
Of all men, know how the world goes.
It is the gods who gave us sorrow, the gods
Who begrudged us a life together, enjoying
Our youth and arriving side by side
To the threshold (1) of old age. Don’t hold it against me
That when I first saw you I didn’t welcome you
As I do now. My heart has been cold with fear
That an imposter (2) would come and deceive me.
There are many who scheme (3) for ill-gotten gains.” (4)
1 threshold: The place one steps across when one enters a room; a point of transition
2 imposter: Someone pretending to be someone else
3 scheme: Make a plan or plot
4 ill-gotten gains: Things one has gotten in a dishonest or illegal way
Homer. “Book 23.” The Odyssey. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Hackett Publishing, 2007, pp. 221–222.
This item has two parts. Answer PART A; then answer PART B.
Read these lines from the passage.
“It is the gods who gave us sorrow, the gods Who begrudged us a life together”
PART A: What does the phrase begrudged us mean in this context?
PART B: Which evidence best supports this meaning?
Why does Penelope not welcome Odysseus at first?
Which statement best summarizes this passage from The Odyssey?