Character description of penelope from the book the odyssey. With odysseus disguised as a beggar, she asked him about odysseus travels, clothing and personality. Odysseus is said to have a younger sister, ctimene, who went to same to be married and is mentioned by the swineherd eumaeus, whom she grew up alongside, in book 15 of the odyssey. The more she spoke, the more a deep desire for tears welled up inside his breast he wept as he held the wife he loved, the soul of loyalty, in his arms at last 463. The nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar on odysseuss knee, but penelope refuses to believe the story. Athena cloaks odysseus and telemachus in darkness so that no one will see them as. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey.
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. Awake, penelope, dear child, that with thine own eyes thou mayest see what thou desirest all thy days. The contest of the bow and axes is another example of penelopes guile. Nov 25, 2012 the odyssey book 23 notes the nurse went upstairs to tell penelope that odysseus had finally returned home. Penelope tested odysseus three times in the odyssey. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. After odysseus returns to ithaca, the queen announces first to the visiting beggar, whom she suspects to be odysseus, that she will hold a contest in which the suitors will be asked to string the great bow of odysseus and shoot. Surely one of the gods has killed the noble suitors in anger, enraged by the depths of their insolence and their wickedness. As the steward of ithaca, penelope dominates those portions of the odyssey not focused on odysseus adventures.
Odysseus and penelopebook 23 by deryk atkins on prezi. About his shoulder he slung his sharp sword, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and went forth from his chamber like a god to look upon. For this reason, odysseus, telemachus, and athena often prefer to leave her in the dark about matters rather than upset her. The book begins with penelope choosing not to recognize odysseus. In book 22, odysseus kills penelopes suitors and in book 23 eurycleia, penelopes maidservant, awakens penelope, who has been sound asleep. Penelope doesnt believe her, thinking shes gone mad. Odysseus and penelope key events this resource contains. A reading of book 23 of the odyssey robert fitzgerald translation. What was odysseuss attitude towards this situation. Define and explain rebuke describe what odysseus tells penelope to do as soon. There is perhaps nothing in the odyssey which has sustained such varied criticism as the recognition scenes between penelope and odysseus. The reunion of odysseus and penelope in the odyssey by b.
We have traversed many trials alongside our hero, odysseus. Homer, odyssey book 23 theoi classical texts library. The battle is over, and the scene shifts to penelope, who. Why is book 23 of the odyssey called penelopes book and what is eurycleias role in. What was odysseus s attitude towards this situation. Odysseus and penelope are finally reunited, for real.
Odysseus the beggar interjects to say that it upsets him to hear about. What god or goddess gifted odysseus after his return. Athena hides odysseus and telemachus in darkness so that no one sees them as they pass. Her cares make her somewhat flighty and excitable, however. Penelope tells her not to play tricks on her and eurykleia is surprised that penelope would joke about such a thing. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Penelope orders their bed removed from their chamber so odysseus can sleep outside and he reacts with anger. The nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar on odysseus s knee, but penelope refuses to believe the story. Penelope warns her not to lose herself in happiness because it was the gods who struck down the suitors and odysseus hasnt come.
Penelope cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Mar 20, 2020 a reading of book 23 of the odyssey robert fitzgerald translation. In book 23, what instructions does penelope give to eruycleia. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Odysseuss recourting of penelope discussion question 1 follow the steps by which odysseus recourts or renegotiates his marriage relationship with penelope. Feb 18, 2015 holding back from her husband, home at last for her after bearing twenty years of brutal struggle. As much as penelope would like to believe that her husband has returned and vanquished the suitors, she is cautious and goes to the great.
She tells him to go looking for news of his missing father, so he heads to pylos to visit king nestor. Eurykleia goes to penelope with the news that odysseus is back. This uniting can be read with a view to a particular narrative controversy. When telemachus arrives at the farm, eumaeus asks him to take care of the stranger. In book 22, odysseus kills penelope s suitors and in book 23 eurycleia, penelope s maidservant, awakens penelope, who has been sound asleep. He angrily notices the maidservants as they sneak out to meet their lovers among the suitors. Penelope gets odysseuss bow out of the storeroom and announces that she will marry the suitor who can string it and then shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. In her second test, penelope retrieved odysseus bow, stating she will marry the man who strings it and makes a perfect shot. Book xxiii the trunk of the olive tree odysseus and penelope in bed. Book 23 eurycleia goes upstairs to call penelope, who has slept through the entire fight. What was penelope s test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey.
Odysseus shoots antinous through the throat just as the suitor is about to take a sip of wine. The nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar on odysseuss. The odyssey continues to be read in the homeric greek and translated. She tells penelope that her husband, odysseus, is back and has killed all the suitors. Back in ithaka, odysseus wife penelope is getting swarmed by a horde of unwanted suitors. He is about to succeed on his fourth try when odysseus privately signals him to back off. How welcome the sight of odysseus here would be to everyone, above all to me and our son, you know. Summary and analysis book 20 portents gather the odyssey. Penelopes room is nearby, and at dawn, he hears the end of her prayer. The greek warrior odysseus has returned home to ithaca after ten years fighting at troy and an additional ten years struggling to find his way home.
On the other hand, any suggestion that penelope suspects or even recognizes that the beggar is odysseus, but wishes simply for him to prove that he is the same odysseus whose guile and cleverness dominates those around him, and whose intelligence naturally rules over men, is defeated by her sincere reluctance to reconcile with odysseus in book 23. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 23 summary. To assure herself of odysseus identity, penelope tests him. In book twentythree eurycleia runs up to tell penelope that her husband. The odyssey book 23 notes the nurse went upstairs to tell penelope that odysseus had finally returned home. Homer, odyssey book 2 theoi classical texts library. 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.
Now that the battle has ended and the house has been cleaned, good nurse eurycleia scurries up to penelope s quarters to tell her all that has happened. When the nurse told penelope that her husband had finally returned home, penelope didnt believe her. For sport, telemachus attempts to string the bow and fails three times. Penelope provides a rare example of a strong mortal woman in greek literature, as ancient writers usually.
Suddenly athena appears and assures him of vengeful victory. Her knees moved nimbly, but her feet trotted along beneath her. The contest of the bow and axes is another example of penelope s guile. We still have the families of the suitors to deal with. Odysseus is here, and has come home, late though his coming has been, and. Jun, 2017 odysseus wife, penelope, stands as one of ancient literatures most prominent female characters. What was penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. Now that the battle has ended and the house has been cleaned, good nurse eurycleia scurries up to penelopes quarters to tell her all that has happened. Holding back from her husband, home at last for her after bearing twenty years of brutal struggle. He tells telemachus to allow penelope to question her husband if she must in order for him to prove himself to her. Summary penelope announces the contest and retrieves odysseus great backsprung bow from a secret storeroom deep in the palace. The bridal bed of penelope and odysseus was a secret known only to them and one maid and it cannot be moved. The odyssey books 2324 summary the odyssey by homer books 2324 summary and analysis. Penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey. How does this serve as a trick for odysseus and what does odysseus reaction prove. Penelope does not believe that it is really her husband who has returned. She tells her that the old beggar was odysseus and he killed all the suitors. And with that penelope sees her chance to test odysseuss identity. Telemachus sets up the axes and then tries his own hand at the bow, but fails in his attempt to string it.
Book 23 is the next to last book of homers odyssey. Summary and analysis book 23 the great rooted bed summary now that the battle has ended and the house has been cleaned, good nurse eurycleia scurries up to penelopes quarters to tell her all that has happened. Penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey answers. What are your thoughts about odysseus testing penelope. She set up a great loom in her palace, and set to weaving a web of threads long and fine. Odysseus tells how he built their entire house around a great olive tree, the trunk of which formed the head of their bed. Young men, my suitors now that the great odysseus has perished, wait, though you are eager to marry me, until i finish this web, so that my weaving will not be useless and wasted. Book 23 of the odyssey begins after odysseus has cleaned the palace of the foulness of battle and fumigated it. The odyssey in book 23, what instructions does penelope give to eruycleia on page 461. Odysseus and penelope s son, telemachos, now a typically moody teenager, gets a visit from the goddess athene who was always chummy with odysseus. Penelope doesnt believe anything that eurycleia says, and she remains in disbelief even when she comes downstairs and sees her husband with her own eyes. Penelope resists odysseus because she fears that the gods want to trick her into disloyalty.
Odysseus, book 23, line 186190 and then he commands the maidservant to make him a separate bed to sleep alone. This was her way of putting her husband to the test. Odysseus lays low for a while, and then finally gets reacquainted with. Penelope was talking to odysseus and told her maid to move odysseus bed so this beggar odysseus could stay the night. Source wikipedia after the battle, eurycleia wakes penelope and tells her what happened. He tells penelope not to leave her room or receive any visitors. Telemachus gladly offers to give the stranger clothes and a sword.
Though she has not seen odysseus in twenty years, and despite pressure the suitors place on her to remarry, penelope never loses faith in her husband. Penelope had a right to be suspious of if it really was odysseus ody since so many beggars had come and told her untrue stories of the whereabouts of the real ody. He gives penelope instructions not to leave her room or receive any visitors. Odysseus and penelope s son, telemachos, now a typically moody teenager.
In his absence, it is assumed odysseus has died, and his wife penelope and son telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, the mnesteres greek. Eurycleia the nurse happily runs to penelopes room and wakes her up. Summary and analysis book 21 odysseus strings his bow the. Why was penelope unsure about speaking to odysseus. What was penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the. The odyssey books 23 24 summary the odyssey by homer books 23 24 summary and analysis.
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