Penelope: Helping The Suitors In Homer's The Odyssey

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In the ending chapters of The Odyssey Homer bring about many interesting points in which would bring us to believe that in fact Penelope had helped to slay the suitors. Penelope did not physically help to slay the suitors when Odysseus had been in the room killing them. It was Penelope’s actions leading up to this scene that may have helped Odysseus in his successful killing spree of the suitors. For the case of the argument we will discuss points in which it is believed that she had recognized him disguised as the old man, which gave her the ability to help Odysseus. On the other hand, the argument that she may have not recognized Odysseus would contribute us into believing that she did not help Odysseus to slay the suitors but that things …show more content…

Not only had Penelope mentioned her dream, but she also had asked Odysseus what he had been wearing the last time that he had seen him when entertained in Crete. Penelope had given him a test that would have proved most difficult for any man who may have actually seen what Odysseus had been wearing. Odysseus went on to describe that he had been wearing a mantle, a tunic, and also a golden pin. This golden pin was something that Penelope had given him right before he had left for war and was important to her. By Odysseus mentioning the pin it had signified to her that he may have still loved her for the 20 years he had been away. She had began weeping after the description had been given as she likely knew that it had been Odysseus in which the old man claimed to see. During this moment it is very likely for her to have recognized that the old man was Odysseus and that is why he was able to describe his outfit with such …show more content…

She was out of the room when the slaughter had begun but her actions leading up to that moment definitely contributed to his success. Had Penelope not stayed faithful the suitors would have gotten their way and Odysseus would have not been able to come back and reclaim his throne which he had left for war. There are many moments in the book where it is almost irrefutable that she had known it had been him and been able to act upon the situation in a beneficial way. Had their conversation not occurred it would have been much harder for one to argue that she had known it was him. Penelope asked questions which she knew almost nobody would know and after receiving some confirmation that it had been him decided to place the competition of the bow. The night of the contest gave him the perfect opportunity to lock all of the suitors in the room and to slay them so one could say that she had helped him to slay the

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