Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Analyzing Character

Reread the section in which Odysseus’s identity is revealed to Penelope. Why doesn’t Penelope immediately accept her long-lost husband? What does her hesitation say about her character and her twenty-year ordeal?

46 comments:

#25 Albetus"HotSauce"Jones said...

She doesn't believe it is Odysseus.
She uses a test to prove that he is Odysseus. This shows that there has been a series of people who have tried to marry Penelope while acting like Odysseus.

Jordan said...

Penelope has has been trying for so long not to fall in love with another man and detect suitors disquised as odysseus.

Anonymous said...

If I was Penelope, I wouldn't believe it was him at first either.
and I probably would of had some kind of test to prove that it was really him.

Anonymous said...

He's been missing for 20 years, I'm pretty sure she had given up ever seeing her husband again. It also says that she has a hard time excepting something that has been hurting her for so long.

Anonymous said...

Because odysseus was turned into a begger and she never would have thought he would be a begger.
so she has to put him through a test

zach levendoski

Anonymous said...

Sabrina you did a good job at answering this ..

i agree with u too..

zach levendoski

Anonymous said...

She doesn't believe it is Odysseus.
She uses a test to prove that he is Odysseus. This shows that there has been a series of people who have tried to marry Penelope while acting like Odysseus.

Anonymous said...

You got it down pact jordan..

goo job!!

zach levendoski

wren said...

To my thoughts the reason Penelope didn't instantely go and accept Odysseus was because she was lost in thought and emotion, and this just shows that she has dought that he is alive or she has just lost faith in believing over the twenty year ordeal.

Anonymous said...

She doesn't immediately accept Odysseus because men have been claiming to be Odysseus for years. Her heart couldn't take another bit of false hope that Odysseus might be back. Her hesitation shows that she has been hurt deep inside.

Anonymous said...

Penelope doesn't accepth the fact of her husband is back home and life's going to be perfect again after 20 years..would you?

Anonymous said...

Good Job Darren!

matthewmcleod said...

Because she thinks he is a fake, or impostor. She tells how she kept the suitors away and how she hardened her heart to impostors. In other words... she kept the suitors from marrying her and she stopped any Odysseus impostors. Penelope really had a hard time dealing with the suitors, impostors, and her missing husband. And the fact that he was right there out of nowhere, dressed as a beggar.. she just couldn't believe it so she needed proof.

Anonymous said...

She doesn't believe that it is Odysseus because there were a number of people who wanted to marry her who were acting like Odysseus. Your husband wouldn't the same after 20 years would he?

matthewmcleod said...

I really agree with you Sabrina, thats exactly what i was trying to say :) GJ!!

olivia nichole said...

well she must have been pretty shocked because she hesitated to hug him because he looked soo different.

olivia nichole said...

well she must have been pretty shocked because she hesitated to hug him because he looked soo different.

Dr. Dre said...

I think she believes that Odysseus is dead. She had to quiz him to see if he was who he said he was. She was waiting on Odysseus to come to her once again.

Anonymous said...

Penelope doesnt immediatly accept her long lost husband because is probably didnt realize who he was until she started talking to him.Her hesitation means that she is a careful women and is looking for the right man.

Anonymous said...

TO mathew,
She probally did have to go through alot and she didnt want to be hurt again.

Anonymous said...

Penelope didn't accept it being Odysseus because she thought it was one of the suitors disguised as him. It show that others tried to be Odysseus to marry her.

Anonymous said...

At first Penelope didn't accept Odysseus because Athena changed his apperance. When Penelope said that she was going to give someone else his bed is when she found out that the man she was talking to was her husband.

Anonymous said...

Penelope does not immediately except that it was Odysseus because she thought that he saw all the stuff he did to all the people that were in his house and thought that he was someone else because she beleived that Odysseus would never do anything like that.
The hesitation to beleive that it was really Odysseus shows that she believes no one ever changes.

KEH said...

OK people, I mean, think about it. Your husband/wife leaves you for
20-someodd years, FINALLY returns, the just out of the blue says "Hey babe. I'm back. How are the kids". It'd be PRETTY hard to believe. Especially since everyone was telling Penelope "Oh, forget him. He's dead. But, hey, I'm available"
I have to admit, though, atleast she uses a test instead of just banishing him from her life. (The test which led to the 'sign')

Anonymous said...

She has lost hope. Believes Odysseus is dead. ONly the begger is a god, not Odysseus. Its hard to accept anything and does not see Odysseus in the begger but the begger is supposed to be Odysseus.. so she is uncertain.

Anonymous said...

She probably believes that that isn't Odysseus. She uses a test and tries to prove that that is Odysseus.

Anonymous said...

i agree with albertus.

Anonymous said...

♦She hesitates because it is hard to believe that her husband who has been gone for 20 years is back from his long journey. This shows that even though she has waited for this day she still doesn't know how to react.

sarah said...

She probbaly has second thoughts, i mean your true loveis gone for 20 years and then all of a sudden appears again thats a little suspision and she probably thought that something happened and he died. She just is unsure and maybe a little shocked!

sarah said...

Bj.
I agree with you alot of people probably tried and for her and her husband sake she didn't want to give in easily wihtout reasoning

sarah said...

Jordan.
That is true it could possibly be a suitor

britbratdacoolcat said...

Penelope doesn't immediately accept Odysseus for himself because she has not seen him for 20years. In this time, many men have tried to marry her and she tried her hardest not to fall in love with them. I think she believed Odysseus was one of those men in disguise so she did not accept him.

britbratdacoolcat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
britbratdacoolcat said...

Penelope doesn't immediately accept Odysseus for himself because she has not seen him for 20years. In this time, many men have tried to marry her and she tried her hardest not to fall in love with them. I think she believed Odysseus was one of those men in disguise so she did not accept him.

KEH said...

By the way, KEH is Kayla E. Huhs!!

Ke'onna said...

because penelope doesnt believe that is odysseus and she doesnt want to fall in love with another man so she hesitated because he is in disquise.

Anonymous said...

After 20 years it is kinda hard to believe that he's back. It says that she is careful about what she believes and what she trust after 20 years of men trying to marry her.

Anonymous said...

Well, since many people were claiming to be Odysseus and none were now she doesn't belive that Odysseus is any different from the other guys that claim to be who there not. She just doesn't believe that it could be Odysseus.

-Zach Geddings

Anonymous said...

jordan
youre right.
she has to test the guys first before she can believe or trust anything.

Anonymous said...

Jordan,

I agree because she has had to make sure that none of the fake suitors weren't faking who they really were just to marry Penelope. So now it has become a job for her to recognize who she used to love.

-Zach Geddings

britbratdacoolcat said...

Jordan i think you are right because it took so long for odysseus to make it home that penelope didnt even realize who he was at first.

Anonymous said...

sabrina
you make alot of sense.
it would be hard to see him again after so long and itd be almost unbelievable.

britbratdacoolcat said...

albertus, i think that penelope thought odysseus was one of those guys that had to get with her previously too.

Anonymous said...

He is dressed as a begger. She never thought that Odysseus would be a begger.And that she wasent trying to fall in love with someone else.So she gave them all tests to prove if they were Odysseus or not.

Anonymous said...

Any other woman would have thought, "Oh, that's right- Odysseus was always extremely clever and thoughful and sneaky! This is exactlythe kind of thing he would do!" But not Penelope. She was always in love with Odysseus.
Doesn't love do that? It tampers with our minds- the pain especially. It might affect any part of you, but overall, the head is where it can work its magic best at. I can only imagine her weariness, the tired refuses she must make to so many men calling themselves Odysseus. The emptiness, the numbness she must have felt when she was sure she lost him can not have truly worn off.
To me, this is certain proof that Penelope loves Odysseus more than anything. She would not live correctly without the meaning of her existence by her side.

Anonymous said...

Penelope doesn't immediately accept her husband becasue she has many men after her, how can she be sure he isnt just another suitor. Her hesitation says her character is curious yet smart and that she misses her husband.







Michaela F.