Study 68 terms odyssey books 2324 flashcards quizlet. He meets his son telemachus and the father reveals himself to the son he last saw as an infant. For the first time in 20 years, they spend a blissful night together. Despite differences in aggressiveness, penelope and odysseus of homers the o. Because of this many suitors came who wanted to marry penelope, because then they would own her land and wealth, and become king of ithaca. Eurycleia tells penelope that odysseus has finally come home and killed the suitors. Its a very old story, one you may have heard before, but id like to tell it again because even though its just a.
More than this, however, penelope fears being abandoned once more for glory and namewinning. The beggar, named irus, gets angry and says listen to him. Being alone on this island for so many years has made me restless, desiring. Penelope, virtuous wife of odysseus the role of women in. Penelope was the wife of the hero odysseus in greek mythology. Penelope is angry that odysseus has stayed away for so long. I understand that there were 10 years from the abduction of helen and the start of the siege of troy. Odysseus frowns and tells him that there is room for both of them. Left alone for twenty years when odysseus goes off to fight in the trojan war after the abduction of helen, penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumours, to maintain the kingdom of ithaca. She tells penelope that her husband, odysseus, is back and has killed all the suitors. However, as i said, some critics think that she recognizes odysseus while hes still in disguisewhich is when she first sees him after twenty years. Penelope and odysseus, a devoted married couple, are alike in their methods of defending themselves against enemies, but odysseus, a male, is more hostile than penelope. Her name has therefore been traditionally associated with marital fidelity.
She became a symbol for the faithful wife when her husband odysseus was on his long journey home, many people thought he was dead. The war lasted ten years and odysseus did not return for ten years after that. Odysseus bids phemius play wedding music so that the suitors kin will not suspect the slaughter but will think, rather, that penelope has chosen a husband. She was able to prove her loyalty to her husband through her faithfulness and cunning plans that held her off from marrying a different man. All right, she tells him, i believe youre odysseus. But zeusborn odysseus recounted all the woes that he had brought on men. Holding back from her husband, home at last for her after bearing twenty years of brutal struggle. Penelope assumes that eurycleia is suffering from senile dementia. It is one of the newest lands that have beset me on my way back home to ithaca.
The beggar odysseus has impressive answers, citing a purple woolen cape and a gold clasp with a hound clenching a fawn. When odysseus finally lands in ithaca, athene magically disguises him as an old beggar man, to protect him from his wifes rapacious suitors. In penelope s hands, the bed also helps reveal the qualities that she and odysseus. Penelope says that this is ok because that way they will live a long life together. This is an edited series of clips from the odyssey for my 9th grade english class. Odysseus left his home for a ten year war and took another ten years to return home. The book begins with penelope choosing not to recognize odysseus. Odysseus s recourting of penelope discussion question 1 follow the steps by which odysseus recourts or renegotiates his marriage relationship with penelope. Penelope tests him by asking specific questions about the clothing and comrades of odysseus. While the homeric tradition describes penelope as a most chaste and faithful wife, later writers charge her with the very opposite vices, and relate that by hermes or by all the suitors together she became the mother of pan.
The myth of penelope and odysseus the story of penelope and odysseus is featured in the book entitled old greek folk stories by josephine preston peabody, published in 1907 by houghton mifflin company, new york. So when odysseus returned to ithaca in about 1166 bce, penelope was about 48 years old. In the odyssey, what happens when odysseus returns home. When told by penelope to take a footbath, odysseus refuses unless he can have it done by an old and wise maid, so penelope chooses eurykleia. Penelope on the other hand fears that the odysseus who has returned is not the same man who left twenty years ago. At last she was reunited with her husband after twenty years. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Penelope tells eurycleia to set his old bed up for him outside. Penelope, child, wake up and see for yourself with your own eyes, all you dreamed of, all your days. Penelopes recognition of odysseus as a beggar essay. Each day she weaves and each night she unravels her days work.
Its edited to only display penelope s and telemachus story during the 20 years that odysseus is away. Only penelope, odysseus and one servant were aware that their bed could not be moved as it had been partly carved from a tree homer odyssey 23. Penelope is overjoyed that odysseus has finally come home. From away games to frat parties, patroclus dances around odysseus fury, briseis irritation with achilles, and penelope s eager encouragement in order to find out for himself what, exactly, he hopes will happen between him and achilles. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 23 summary. Recently, the relationship between penelope and odysseus was impaled with unfaithfulness, leaving it in critical condition.
Penelope after not knowing where her husband is, has had to deal with the suitors trying to win her over. Eurycleia wakes up penelope to tell her odysseus has returned and killed the suitors. Ruth benander 2 october 2012 penelope although odysseus is the obvious hero when reading the odyssey, his wife penelope personifies heroic qualities as well. The reunion of odysseus and penelope in the odyssey by b. The cinematic orchestra this is a place were i feel at home. Penelope is still wary, afraid that a god is playing a trick on her. In fact, two scholars from ancient alexandria claimed that the ending of the odyssey came in line 296of book xxiii. Odysseus and his wife penelope do experience a happy ending. When the suitors for the hand of helen were gathered at the court of tyndareus, odysseus realised that the odds were very slim that he would become helen s future husband. She has 10 years experience working in higher education. Even though there was a time that odysseus was away from penelope, he remained faithful to his wife, and penelope remained faithful as well and waited until odysseus came back. Odysseus answers with a fictitious autobiography that includes a friendship with her husband. Another local beggar comes into the room and tries to move odysseus. Odysseus left his wife penelope behind twenty years ago when he went to fight in the trojan war, putting a thriving marriage on hold.
Homer, odyssey book 23 theoi classical texts library. Helen did not leave with paris until about 1195 bce. In what ways are penelope and odysseus similar and. She is the wife of odysseus of ithaca and mother of telemachos.
According to these wise guys, everything after odysseus and penelope go to bed togetherincluding all of book xxivwas added later by somebody. The sequence of scenes which lead finally to recognition. How does penelope react when she first sees odysseus after. Penelope, realizing that odysseus knew the signs, rushed to his arms, tears of joy streaming down her face. Studies in austrian literature, culture, and thought. Inge merkel, renate latimer translator, renate latimer translator. Book 23 eurycleia informs penelope of odysseus return and tells of his deeds, but penelope remains suspicious lest the stranger be some other or a god but not her husband.
For three years, penelope has put off choosing a husband among the suitors by saying that she must first finish weaving a shroud for laertes. They both use similar traits and characteristics to overcome their hardships, but the one thing overall that connects penelope and odysseus is their passion. The siege lasted 10 years and the voyage to ithaca took other 10 years. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey. One of the more telling pieces of evidence that penelope knew odysseus from the beginning, has to do with the bathing of odysseus feet in book 19. I still remember how the distance tricked us, and lead us helpless by the wrist. In book 23 of the odyssey, when eurycleia tells penelope that odysseus is home and has killed the suitors, what is penelope s response. Meeting of ulysses and penelope penelope, speaking now to odysseus, said that it was the gods who willed that they suffer so much sorrow, but that the time for sorrow was now over. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Penelope, in greek mythology, a daughter of icarius of sparta and the nymph periboea and wife of the hero odysseus. Homers odyssey tells the story of how, during her husbands long absence after the trojan war, many chieftains of ithaca and nearby islands become her. I believe that odysseus was 2530 years old when helen was abducted. Odysseus has spent 20 years trying to return to his home in ithaka after the end of the trojan war.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. With nearly two decades of rest, the relationship turned unfaithful as odysseus worked his sweettalking. For over two thousand years, homeric scholars are divided over the ending. This trick is a key moment in the work as although other characters accept odysseus without question penelope is much more cautious. Even though they are finally reunited, odysseus has one final task to complete. An open letter to penelope from odysseus what would this classic greek hero have to say. The trunk of the olive tree so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband, her white arms around him pressed although forever penelope is being compared to forever in this passage symbol the tree symbolizes the unity between penelope and odysseus and how. That night penelopetells odysseus that he can sleep outside herroom on the bed he had carved years age. So penelope was about 28 at the start of the trojan war. Odysseus protests that this cannot be done since he made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs is a living olive tree.
This reaction finally convinces penelope that odysseus is indeed home. Odysseus, book 23, line 186190 and then he commands the maidservant to make him a separate bed to sleep alone. In what ways are penelopes struggles similar to and. Odysseus and penelope reunited, book xxiii eurycleia made her way to the queens chambers, looking forward to tell the good news of odysseus return to her mistress. The perils of dream interpretation id like to illustrate some basic principles of dream interpretation by telling a story. To assure herself of odysseus identity, penelope tests him. Get an answer for describe the relationship between odysseus and his wife penelope both before and after the war in the odyssey.
Thus she delays for three years until a treacherous maid spills the beans. Odysseus of course is a little put off by the lack of response. I guess telemachus had 20 years when odysseus returned, telemachus was becoming a man. Penelope remains wary, afraid that a god is playing a trick on her. In homers account in the odyssey, penelope wife of odysseus and cousin of the beautiful helen of troyis portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages.
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