What is the summary of Penelope in the Odyssey?

She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Penelope is known for her fidelity to her husband Odysseus despite the attention of several suitors during his absence.

What does Odysseus learn from his mother’s ghost?

Odysseus learns that Anticlea died because she was so sad that Odysseus was away from her and at war. She tells him about how Penelope and Telemachus are suffering from the suitors.

What happens to Penelope at the end of the Odyssey?

Penelope, his wife, tests Odysseus with a secret that only the real Odysseus would know. Odysseus, knowing their bed cannot physically be moved, passes the test and is reunited with his faithful wife.

What is special about Odysseus and Penelope’s bed?

The bed is a permanent piece of furniture, representing the stability of the marriage between Odysseus and Penelope. Like a tree, solid and long-lasting, Odysseus and Penelope refuse to uproot themselves and join with another partner to create a new family.

How did Tiresias foretold the death of Odysseus?

Tiresias also foretold a peaceful death for Odysseus at a later date, at sea. Among the shades, Odysseus had seen earlier had been his mother, Anticlea. Odysseus gave the sacrificial blood to her next.

What did Odysseus tell his men to do on Thrinacia?

He warned Odysseus that if he and his men avoided the herds of Helios on Thrinacia, they would reach Ithaca safely. If instead, they landed on the island, his starving men would eat the cattle and be punished by the god. Odysseus, alone and after many years of delay, would reach home where he would find Penelope oppressed by suitors.

Why did Odysseus speak to the dead in the Odyssey?

Odysseus provided the seer with some of the sacrificial blood Circe had told him would permit the dead to speak; then he listened. Tiresias explained Poseidon’s anger as the result of Odysseus’ blinding Poseidon’s son (the Cyclops Polyphemus, who had found and eaten six members of Odysseus’ crew while they were taking shelter in his cave).

Why did Telemachus want to throw out Odysseus?

She has remained faithful to Odysseus. Prince Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, wants desperately to throw them out but does not have the confidence or experience to fight them. One of the suitors, Antinous, plans to assassinate the young prince, eliminating the only opposition to their dominion over the palace.