Odysseus and Penelope By Maggie Di Vito Odysseus
Odysseus and Penelope By: Maggie Di Vito
• Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) was the son of Laertes. • He was the ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca. • Known for his cleverness and craftiness, Odysseus was an important Greek leader in the Trojan War. Odysseus
Penelope • Penelope was the wife of Odysseus. • She was the daughter of Icarius of Sparta and the cousin of Helen and Clytemnestra. • “Spindle-loosener” is the meaning of her name in Indo-European; she was a very loyal woman.
Their Situation • Penelope waited 20 years for the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War. • She wept and laid in her “bed of sorrows. ” • Penelope was forced to promise the marriage of a suitor. • Finishing the shroud of Laertes was the deadline; she wove during the day undid it in the night. • Odysseus went to Sparta to compete for the hand of Helen of Troy. • He made the Oath of Tyndareus, which stated that Tyndareus would help Odysseus win the hand of his niece, Penelope. • All princes of Hellas went to war with Troy, where Hellen was.
Odysseus’s Return • Odysseus arrived home disguised as a beggar (Athena had changed his appearance). • Penelope was unaware that it was her husband. • Euryclia, nurse of Odysseus, recognized him but was ordered not to say a word.
The Battle • Penelope gave the Bow of Odysseus to the Suitors and agreed to marry the one who could bend it. • When none of them were capable, Odysseus took the bow and shot the Suitors which turned into a great battle.
• Euryclia woke Penelope telling her that Odysseus had come home and killed the rogues. • When Odysseus described the process of constructing his bed out of an olive tree (a detail only known by the two of them), Penelope instantly knew it was him. Reunited
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