Why does Odysseus lie to Penelope?

Why does Odysseus fail to reveal his identity to Penelope when they are first reunited? Having been away from home for twenty years, Odyssey doesn't immediately reveal his identity to Penelope because he needs to ensure that he can trust her and that she remains loyal to him.

Why does Odysseus lie so much?

In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus uses lies as a protective disguise against strangers. Not only does Odysseus utilize lies to keep his identity a secret but also, through the use of specific language, he conveys unspoken points. These points invoke different feelings and opinions in the people to whom he lies.

What lies does Odysseus tell?

He also lies about who he is to Athena, the swineherd Eumaeus, Telemachus, and Penelope, claiming to be a shipwrecked man from Crete who fought in the Trojan War and spent years in Egypt. These deceitful stories allow Odysseus to work his way back into his household and test the suitors and servants' hospitality.

What is the secret between Penelope and Odysseus?

Odysseus himself had shaped the corner post of that bed from the trunk of a living olive tree, around which they built their home. Only he would know that the bed cannot be moved—unless a tree be severed. Reacting with dismay to Penelope's command to move the bed, Odysseus passes the test, showing his identity.

Who betrayed Penelope in the Odyssey?

Melantho is not a well-known character in the poem. She is Penelope's maid and the sister of Melanthius in Odyssey. In the poem, Melantho betrays Penelope. She appears to be more loyal to the suitors.

Penelope: The Faithful Wife of Odysseus - Mythology Dictionary - See U in History

Why did Odysseus cheat on his wife?

He already had a good woman at home who did not give in to the suitors and stayed faithful to him. Plus, he was supposed to be on a journey that would return him to his wife. Instead, he made the wrong decision to cheat on her with women that could not compare to his wife.

Does Odysseus cheat on Penelope in The Odyssey?

Odysseus has sex with several women (Hecuba, Circe, Calypso) but Penelope remains loyal to his husband. Odysseus' infidelity is not chastised in the story, so how commonplace was this ideology of sex in ancient Greece?

What finally makes Odysseus mad at 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. His anger, and the fact that he knows the story of the bed, proves his identity.

What is so 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 does Odysseus finally convince Penelope to accept him?

How does Odysseus finally convince Penelope that he is truly Odysseus? He proves himself by telling Penelope about the bed he made that no one knows about. You just studied 97 terms!

Is Odysseus a good liar?

Odysseus is a chronic liar. Homer repeatedly calls him resourceful, but in fact, there are many occasions where he just presents a most fabricated lie and gets everyone to believe him. In some of the cases, the lie could be justified.

How does Odysseus betray his crew?

Odysseus never trusts his crew with steering the ship and therefore doesn't trust them with the bag of “gold”. He decides to “[work] the vessel's sheet [himself], no letup, never trusting the ropes to any other mate” which should not be the case with your crewmembers.

Why did Odysseus lie to Athena?

b)When Odysseus lies to Athena, he does so because he does not want to reveal his identity. When he first sees Athena, she does not appear in her true goddess form. She looks like a simple shepherd from the land.

How is Odysseus careless?

Odysseus makes a selfish decision when he leads his crew to stay in Polyphemus's cave thinking he would offer gifts and Odysseus would “accept (his) help, or any gifts/” he had to “give” (9.726-727). This is a selfish act because he is putting his crew in danger for something that would only benefit himself.

How does Odysseus show cunning?

Cunning is Odysseus's greatest trait and it serves him well throughout the poem, perhaps nowhere more famously than in his triumph over the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Having introduced himself as “Nobody,” Odysseus subdues the giant with wine and blinds him by piercing his one large eye with a pointed stake.

What is the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope?

Penelope a remarkable character and the perfect mate for a hero like Odysseus. They are lovers and partners; Homer (at least from my reading) makes it clear that they relate with one another as equals, and by the end, they are left in marital bliss — or so I like to imagine!

Does Odysseus end up with Penelope?

What follows this scene has troubled Homeric scholars for over two thousand years. Some believe that the epic originally ended with Odysseus and Penelope returning at last together to their marriage bed. The end of this scene gives the story nice closure, while the scenes that follow seem un-Homeric.

What does Odysseus tell Penelope about himself?

What does Odysseus tell Penelope about himself? Odysseus initially tells Penelope that he is a wanderer with a past too painful to reveal. Why does Odysseus choose not to reveal his identity to his wife? He may feel that he is not yet ready to trust that his wife has been loyal to him.

What motivates Odysseus to tell a lie to the Cyclops?

What motivates Odysseus to tell a lie to the Cyclops? Odysseus knows that Poseidon is the Cyclops' father. Odysseus is afraid the Cyclops will steal their ship. Odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape.

Why did the gods punish Odysseus so that he was lost for 20 years on his way to Ithaca his home?

After the destruction of Troy, he and his men left for home without paying proper respect to Poseidon. For this, Poseidon punished Odysseus with what turned out to be a ten year journey home to Ithaca. Further insults against Poseidon complicated this journey.

What does Odysseus do after he and Penelope are reunited?

Finally they retire to bed. Before he leaves the following dawn, Odysseus tells Penelope to stay with her maids in her room, because men might come to avenge the suitors. He sets out with Telemachus, the swineherd, and the cowherd. Now that he has restored honor to his household, Odysseus must make amends to Poseidon.

What was Odysseus biggest mistake?

Odysseus has made some mistakes. No one's saying otherwise. He blinded a Cyclops, he invoked the wrath of Poseidon, and remember that time he got distracted by a sexy sea-witch for an entire year? (Full disclosure, he also stole some cheese.) But by far his biggest mistake was hiring his crew.

Who did Odysseus love the most?

Calypso is an immortal goddess who holds Odysseus prisoner for seven years on the island where she lives and forces him to be her lover.

How is Odysseus Unloyal?

Odysseus is very disloyal to Penelope. For an example, he has sex with Calypso when he really had no reason to, he also stayed with Calypso for a very long time, and never even tried to get off of her island.