turned he would, with his son, surely slay the suitors; Telemakhos let loose a great sneeze. This omen reinforces the previous one, and simultaneously prepares the reader for the carnage to follow. However, not all omens are effective. In the case of Telemakhos we see many bird omens signaling for him to do something about the suitors. Whether it was his immaturity to interpret the bird omens or blind arrogance Telemakhos does not act on them. In fact, it’s not until Athena comes to him that he thinks to take action against the suitors in his house. Signs are similar to omens, but differ in one crucial aspect; the prophecy is looking for a specific omen in order to decide whether he should or should not take some action. There is only one good example of a sign in the Odyssey, Odysseus asks Zeus for two divine signs to decide if it is time to slay the suitors. Zeus answers with a thunderclap from a cloudless sky and allows Odysseus to overhear a maid’s prayer for vengeance. Because of these signs, Odysseus begins his plan to slay the suitors. Later on, with a thunderclap Zeus actually signals for the precise time to strike. Signs are helpful devices; they allow not only a rationalization for when an event occurs but also shows the approval of the gods on such an action. Not only are signs and omens plentiful in the Odyssey, but also the type one usually associates with prophesying, strict prediction of the future, abounds as well. Penelope states that she will marry the man who can string Odysseus’s bow and perform his famous feat. Since Odysseus is the only one to do so, the prophecy is fulfilled. This "prophesy" is just a statement of the future; it contains no judgmental quality whatsoever. Theoklymenos’s prophecies to Penelope that Odysseus is at hand on the island and plotting vengeance on the suitors. This, of course, is already true, so the prophecy is technically true as well. However, it makes no judgmen...
