Final answer:
In Homer's epic, the suitors treat the disguised Odysseus poorly, with mockery and abuse, reflecting their disrespect for cultural norms of hospitality and foreshadowing their downfall.
Step-by-step explanation:
The suitors treat the beggar, who is actually Odysseus in disguise, with great disrespect and cruelty in Homer's epic, The Odyssey. Instead of showing hospitality, which was a deeply rooted cultural norm of the time, the suitors mock, insult, and physically abuse the beggar. They see him as beneath them, unworthy of basic kindness or consideration. This dishonorable behavior highlights the suitors' lack of virtue and foreshadows their ultimate downfall at the hands of the incognito Odysseus.