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Situational Irony
Book 4
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of The Odyssey is grand and formal, befitting its status as an epic poem. One feature that characterizes the style of the poem is its frequent use of epic epithets, or brief descriptions of characters that serve as titles and often take the place of names. Many of the hallmarks of the poem's grand style can be seen in Book 4, when Telemachus visits Menelaus, the King of Sparta:
The herald led the two guests on and so they slept
outside the palace under the forecourt’s colonnade,
young Prince Telemachus and Nestor’s shining son.
Menelaus retired to chambers deep in his lofty house
with Helen the pearl of women loosely gowned beside him.
When young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more
the lord of the warcry climbed from bed and dressed,
over his shoulder he slung his well-honed sword,
fastened rawhide sandals under his smooth feet,
stepped from his bedroom, handsome as a god,
and sat beside Telemachus [...]
Here, the poem employs a series of epic epithets as "young prince Telemachus" and "Nestor's shining son" (Pisistratus) retire to their chamber. Similarly, Helen, who played a central role in the Trojan War, is introduced as "the pearl of women," alluding to her famous beauty. Menelaus is described in a particularly grand fashion, as the "lord of the warcry" who bears a "well-honed sword" and appears to be "handsome as a god" in his power and grandeur. This passage also includes one of The Odyssey's most famous and frequently used epithets, which describes the pink morning sky as "Dawn with her rose-red fingers." The grand, formal style of the poem is appropriate to its depiction of such elevated figures as gods, legendary heroes, and royalty.
