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.
How does Penelope keep the suitors at bay?
Penelope stalls the suitors for three years by saying that she would marry when she is finished weaving a shroud for Odysseus's family . She would weave during the day and undo her work at night, so she would never finish.
Why does Penelope allow the suitors to stay?
Odysseus' wife, Penelope, has suitors because she is physically attractive and possesses great wealth . In other words, she is both beautiful and rich. There is another reason Penelope has suitors, and it is cultural in nature. ... So, another reason Penelope has suitors is because she is expected to remarry.
Why won't the suitors leave the home of Odysseus?
Q. Why won't the suitors leave the home of Odysseus? They are waiting to hear which one of them Penelope will marry. They want to persuade Telemachus to go to war with the Spartans.
Why does Penelope Odysseus wife have suitors?
Odysseus' wife has suitors because they all want the wealth and power that comes with being married to her . ... Odysseus' wife Penelope has suitors because of Odysseus' long absence. They assume that he is dead, and they hope to marry Penelope to inherit all that she has.
How did Penelope deceive the suitors?
Many suitors had come to woo “the widow”. ... She put them off with a ruse, persuading them to wait until she had finished a funeral shroud for Laertes, Odysseus's father, which she wove by day and secretly unravelled by night. In this way she managed to deceive them for three years.
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.
How has Penelope avoid choosing a new husband until now?
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 . Each day she weaves and each night she unravels her day's work. Thus she delays for three years until a treacherous maid spills the beans.
Why does Penelope unravel her weaving?
She promised to marry one of them after she completed a shroud for her father-in-law. Steadfastly loyal to her absent husband, Penelope unraveled her weaving at the end of each day to avoid remarrying .
What test does Penelope plan to give the suitors?
The test was that Penelope says that she will marry whichever suitor can string the bow and then shoot an arrow through 12 axe handles . None of the suitors can even string the bow so none of them even gets a shot at the axe handles. So this is a way of showing that Odysseus is much stronger than any of the suitors.
What finally makes Odysseus angry with Penelope?
Odysseus gets angry. He explains that he built their bedroom around an ancient olive tree, and used the top of the tree to make their bedpost. He is angry because he believes Penelope must have replaced this bed with a movable one .
Why does Penelope feel the need to test Odysseus even though he has abandoned his disguise?
She wants to move her bed and his response is that it is rooted to the ground so he can't move it. Why does Penelope feel the need to test Odysseus even though he has abandoned his disguise? Because she wants to make sure it wasn't a prank the gods were playing on her and she couldn't trust the men .
Should Odysseus have killed the suitors?
All they did was aide the suitors. They fed them to no end and this is not what their master would want them do to. They made no effort to get the suitors out of the house. This is why Odysseus was justified to kill them .
What happened to Penelope after Odysseus died?
With this gentle suitor, they say, Penelope had a love affair, 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 .
Should Penelope stay married to Odysseus?
Yes, Penelope remained a faithful wife to Odysseus while he was away . Despite the large amount of suitors, Penelope never betrayed her husband. They remain with her for all of Odysseus' journey, but she always finds a way to put them off until a later time.
How does Athena help Penelope?
Athena quickly thinks of one more way to help Penelope, by becoming a phantom of Iphthime , sister of Penelope: “Courage! Don't be overwhelmed by all your direst fears. He travels with such an escort, one that others would pray to stand beside them” (B4:L928-930).
