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Motifs
Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Book 18
Explanation and Analysis—Beggar-King:
The poem uses an oxymoron, “beggar-king,” in a scene in which Odysseus fights a rude beggar named Arnaeus, nicknamed “Irus”:
Grabbing him by the leg, Odysseus hauled him
through the porch, across the yard to the outer gate,
heaped him against the courtyard wall, sitting slumped,
stuck his stick in his hand and gave him a parting shot:
“Now hold your post—play the scarecrow to all the pigs and dogs!
But no more lording it over strangers, no more playing
the beggar-king for you, you loathsome fool,
or you’ll bring down something worse around your neck!”
He threw his beggar’s sack across his shoulders —
torn and tattered [...]
At the advice of both Telemachus and Athena, Odysseus returns to his palace, disguised as a beggar, in order to “test” the suitors. While he is treated kindly by some, including Amphinomus, Antinous throws a stool at him, an act condemned by the others. Shortly after, Odysseus is accosted by Arnaeus, who insults and threatens him. The other suitors, hoping for entertainment, encourage them to fight, offering a sausage as a reward for the victor. Odysseus swiftly defeats Arnaeus, but conceals his full power, hauling the man out of the palace and condemning him as a “beggar-king.” This oxymoronic phrase, which contrasts the status of a beggar with that of a king, suggests that Arnaeus is arrogant, lording it over others, including Odysseus, whom he (falsely) perceives to be a beggar. However, the phrase also carries additional meaning. Odysseus is also, in some sense, a “beggar-king” insofar as he is the rightful king of Ithaca, temporarily assuming the guise of a beggar in order to conceal his identity.
Related Themes:
