The Odyssey, Book 16

Arrival of Telemachos at the swineherd's; Eumaios greets him as a father would, and Telemachos reciprocates. Eumaios introduces the stranger, Telemachos welcomes him to his home. Odysseus grills him on the status of the estate, says he would fight the suitors to the death over his honor. Telemachos says he can't do it alone, as much as he'd like to. Send Eumaios to give Penelope word of his return, and send a messenger to tell Laertes as well-- all in secret.

Athene removes Odysseus's disguise, and he appears as a god. O: "Telemachos, I am your father." T: "No, that's not true! That's impossible!" Much weeping. O: "The gods make me this way. I've come now to take on the suitors. Do we have a chance?" T: "There's even more than I let on-- hundreds." O: "What if Athene and Zeus fight with us?" T: "Uh, yeah, that'd help." O: "I'll go into the palace. Even let them abuse me. You hide the suitors' weapons. When I give the signal, it's go time. Pay close attention-- we'll decide from their reactions if we'll spare the women and servants."

Telemachos's companions arrive at the palace the same time as Eumaios, and announce Telemachos's return to Penelope, in public. Eurymachos: "We'd better bring back the ambush ship." But it has already come into harbor. E: "What the hell happened?" Antinoos: "He must have been under the protection of the gods. We missed him." Amphimonos: "Well we can't kill him now, unless the gods really really want us to."

Penelope shows herself and rebukes the suitors for their schemes against her son. Eurymachos: "I swear we won't lay a hand on Telemachos. On the other hand, if the gods were to kill him, it wouldn't exactly be our fault, would it."

Odysseus returned to his humble disguise, Eumaios comes back to the hut. E: "I saw a black ship in harbor, loaded with weapons. Were they trying to kill you, Telemachos?" Telemachos and Odysseus share a knowing glance. [Seriously, it's in there.]

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More than any other, this chapter actually read like a movie script. All the previous action is coalescing into a climactic confrontation scene. Previously muted characters (Penelope) are becoming emboldened. Wry lines are tossed off left and right. And Homer even writes in reaction shots captured by Camera B. Wild.