Who Does Penelope Say She Will Marry?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In the Odyssey, Penelope says that she will marry

whoever is able to shoot an arrow through twelve ax heads using Odysseus's bow

.

Did Penelope remarry in the Odyssey?

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. … Though her love for Odysseus is unyielding, she responds to the suitors with some indecision. She never refuses to remarry outright.

Who does Penelope marry in the Odyssey?

Penelope, in Greek mythology, a daughter of Icarius of Sparta and the nymph Periboea and wife of the hero

Odysseus

. They had one son, Telemachus

Does Telemachus marry Penelope?

Telemachus, in Greek mythology, son of the Greek hero Odysseus and

his wife, Penelope

. When Telemachus reached manhood, he visited Pylos and Sparta in search of his wandering father. On his return, he found that Odysseus had reached home before him. Then father and son slew the suitors who had gathered around Penelope.

How did Penelope marry Odysseus?

But then Penelope's ruse was discovered and the suitors demanded a decision. She came up with another ruse, an archery contest. She would marry

whoever could string Odysseus's bow and fire it through 12 axes

.

Does Penelope cheat on Odysseus?

Pausanias records the story that

Penelope had in fact been unfaithful to Odysseus

, who banished her to Mantineia upon his return. … Other sources report that Penelope had sex with all 108 suitors in Odysseus' absence, and gave birth to Pan as a result.

Why does Penelope chide the suitors?

The goddess gives her extra stature and beauty to inflame their hearts. When Penelope speaks to the suitors,

she leads them on by telling them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if

he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair.

Why did Penelope not remarry?


Penelope didn't have a choice

. She may have been Queen of Ithaca, but she had little actual power. All men loyal to Odysseus had followed him to Troy, she simply had no way of forcing the suitors to leave the palace. And of course she feared that antagonizing the suitors in any way would put Telemachus' life in danger.

Why did Penelope remarry?

Widows were in a more precarious position.

Bereft of their husbands

, they were expected to remarry. If they chose to remain single, their sons (as in The Odyssey) would become their de facto guardians. So, another reason Penelope has suitors is because she is expected to remarry.

Does Penelope want to remarry?

1. On the one hand

she does not want to remarry

: (a) respect for Odysseus, who may just be alive: (b) respect for public opinion -the public do disapprove when they think she has remarried (344):

What happened to Penelope after Odysseus died?

With this gentle suitor, they say, Penelope had a love , and for that reason, they add, she was killed by her own husband. … They also affirm that after Odysseus' death,

Penelope was made immortal by Circe and sent

to the Islands of the Blest together with Telegonus

3

.

Does Odysseus really love Penelope?


Penelope and Odysseus love each other

. Though they are separated for twenty years, they remain focused on reuniting. Odysseus uses his wits to get home to Penelope, and Penelope uses her wits to avoid marrying any of the many suitors who hope to take Odysseus's place. Penelope is the emblem of the faithful wife.

What is Penelope a symbol of?

Penelope has traditionally been viewed as a symbol of

faithfulness and fidelity

. The theme of fidelity is an important part of the myth of Penelope, and is shown in her refusal to entertain other suitors in the twenty years her husband is gone.

Are Helen and Penelope sisters?

Penelope. Penelope is

Helen's

(and therefore also Clytemnestra's) cousin, and Odysseus was originally one of Helen's suitors. Odysseus uses his superior wisdom to solve the potential conflict over Helen's hand by convincing Helen's father, Tyndareus*, that all the suitors most vow to protect whichever man Helen chooses …

Does Odysseus cheat on his wife?

He was also married to Penelope the whole time he was trying to make his way back home. During this time Odysseus met a witch named Circe and then a nymph named Calypso. … Not only

did he cheat with Calypso

in addition to Circe, but he stayed on her island for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.

What happened to Odysseus and Penelope?

A large and rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun Odysseus's palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife, Penelope. She has remained faithful to Odysseus. … Unknown to the suitors, Odysseus is still alive. The beautiful nymph Calypso, possessed by love for him, has imprisoned him on her island, Ogygia.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.