Throughout the beginning of book thirteen in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, He often utilizes literary devices such as Motifs and foreshadowing. Many motifs are shown centered around disguise and divine intervention, which ties into the foreshadowing for the second half of the Odyssey. For example, when Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca but cannot figure out exactly where he is. The reason is that Athena has disguised Ithaca as a foreign land to Odysseus so that she can later help him conceal his identity. As he wakes up, he cries out: “Whose country have I come to this time? Rough/savages and outlaws, are they, or/god-fearing people, friendly to castaways?” (13. 252-254). This quote displays uncertainty and desperation from Odysseus highlighting …show more content…
He chooses to lie and says he is a man from a land called Krete. However, Athena later reveals her identity to him and informs Odysseus of all the troubles happening in his house with the suitors. This later results in Athena and Odysseus planning on how to deal with the suitors. An example of foreshadowing for the second half of the Odyssey while Athena and Odysseus are discussing the future is when Athena is telling Odysseus that “[n]ow for a while,/I shall transform you; not a soul will know you,/the clear skin of your arms and legs shriveled,/your chestnut hair all gone, your body dressed/in sacking that a man would gag to see...” (13.499-503). Athena disguises Odysseus as a beggar so that he can attain information about the progress Ithaka has made during his time at sea. It can also help him learn more about the suitors and possibly how the people of Ithaka act to strangers. Knowing all this information could also help him get close to the suitors to enact his revenge. This also infers that Odysseus’ new presence is a test for, not only the suitors and the people of Ithaka but for Penelope to see if she will remain faithful to her marriage with