Antinous and Eurymachus are men (suitors) who have
descended upon Odysseus' wife, Penelope, vying for her hand in marriage (and all that
comes with it) because Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, and they presume him
dead.
Odysseus' son and heir, Telemachus receives no
respect from these suitors. They will not leave the house (even though he is the "man
of the house"), they show him a clear disregard--not like their host or Odysseus' heir,
but with disdain. They are men who are egotistical and rude. They care for nothing but
what they think they can get from Odysseus' "estate." Even Penelope has to chide
Antinous about his poor manners as a guest of her son, when
Antinous insults Odysseus (in disguise); she tells him that had he any respect for
Telemachus, his host, he would never have opened his
mouth.
Even when Telemachus tells his servant Eumaeus to
take the bow to Odysseus (still in disguise) the suitors harass Telemachus, and when he
stands up to them, they laugh at him.
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