The Penelopiad Chapters xix–xxi Summary & Analysis

Chapters xix–xxi

Summary: Chapter xix. Yelp of Joy

Penelope recounts how Odysseus finally returned to Ithaca dressed as an old beggar, knowing if he returned as himself the Suitors would kill him. Penelope did not let on that she recognized him, both for Odysseus’s safety and his pride. She also knew Telemachus was working with Odysseus. Penelope did not tell her Maids of the beggar’s true identity, and they yelled insults at him along with the Suitors. That evening, Penelope met with the beggar, who said he had news that Odysseus would be home soon. Penelope sobbed and talked of how she missed her husband, knowing Odysseus would appreciate this. Penelope then suggested a plan: she would bring out Odysseus’s bow and challenge the Suitors to a shooting competition.

Penelope told the beggar of a dream she had, where her flock of beloved geese was killed by an eagle. Odysseus interpreted that the eagle was Penelope’s husband and the geese were the Suitors, ignoring Penelope’s description of her love for the geese. While the eagle was Odysseus, the geese were her Maids. Penelope then notes a story that is told in the songs. Penelope asked Eurycleia to clean the beggar’s feet. Upon recognizing his scar, Eurycleia yelped in joy. The songs claim that Penelope did not notice this, with Athena distracting her, though she had turned away to hide her laughter.

Summary: Chapter xx. Slanderous Gossip

Penelope addresses gossip that has been circulating for thousands of years, that she slept with the Suitors. These rumors partly stem from the fact that Anticleia did not mention the Suitors when Odysseus spoke with her on the Island of the Dead, as then she would have had to tell Odysseus of Penelope’s infidelity. However, Penelope believes Anticleia would have wanted to plant a false rumor because she disliked Penelope. These rumors are also based on the fact that Penelope never punished her Maids, leading gossipers to conclude that she must have been engaging in the same behavior as them. However, Penelope thinks that if Odysseus had heard these rumors while he was still alive, he would have ripped out the tongues of those spreading them.

Summary: Chapter xxi. The Chorus Line: The Perils of Penelope, A Drama

Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks begins by explaining the rumors that Penelope had sex with the Suitors, which she hid with her displays of grief. However, Melantho invites the audience to take a look at what really happened. One Maid plays Penelope and one plays Eurycleia, discussing how they recognized Odysseus in his disguise. Penelope says Odysseus will punish her for giving in to her desires, even though he had affairs himself. Eurycleia retorts that since Penelope was sleeping with the Suitors, Odysseus has reason to behead her. Penelope then urges a Suitor to hide as she feigns her grief. She asks Eurycleia which Maids know what has been going on. Eurycleia answers that the Twelve Maids know about her affairs and that they must be silenced or they will tell Odysseus. Penelope tells Eurycleia she must tell Odysseus that the Maids are liars who slept with the Suitors. Eurycleia says they can stop the Maids from talking by killing them, and Penelope says she will then be remembered as the ideal wife. The chorus line then performs a song and dance, saying to “blame it on the maids.”

Analysis: Chapters xix–xxi

Penelope shares several stories that show how one’s perspective impacts the interpretation of a story. She shares with Odysseus her dream about an eagle attacking a flock of geese. Odysseus, in his role as a masculine hero, sees himself as an eagle that must destroy the Suitors who have tried to usurp his place. By relying on his priorities as well as ego, he ignores key parts of Penelope’s dream, including the fact that she feels affection for the geese and was upset by the eagle killing them. This conflict in the way the dream is interpreted shows how a story told from only one perspective cannot tell the whole story. Similarly, Penelope recounts how in mythology, she was entirely unaware of Odysseus’s identity. While she feigned ignorance to bolster her husband’s pride, in reality, she was the one who suggested the idea that would help Odysseus take down the Suitors. Penelope’s version contrasts with traditional narratives, in which women’s roles are often suppressed. Penelope also “corrects” the traditional version of events in which she took no notice of Eurycleia recognizing Odysseus, which again downplays an active role for her as a woman.

The role of perspective is also revealed in how differently Penelope and the Maids address the rumors of Penelope sleeping with the Suitors. While Penelope insists that she never slept with the Suitors, she has been an unreliable narrator in the past. She has also admitted to enjoying their attention, as she has longed to be seen as beautiful like her cousin Helen. The Maids, meanwhile, seem to think Penelope did indeed have affairs with the Suitors and orchestrated their murders to cover up her infidelity. However, as the Maids structure their chapter as a play with the characters of Penelope and Eurycleia, it seems they never saw any firsthand evidence of Penelope sleeping with the Suitors. Objective truth can be difficult to access, even from those who insist of think they are speaking honestly.

Although Penelope has spoken of her closeness to the Maids, the reality is somewhat different. Tension in their relationship is revealed. From the Maids’ perspective, Penelope believed she could save her honor by having them murdered so that they could not tell Odysseus of her infidelity with the Suitors. While it is unclear whether this is the true version of events—those can never be known—Penelope did put the Maids in harm’s way for her benefit. She looked past the Suitors’ rape of the Maids so that she could get information on the Suitors. Both Penelope and the Maids know that had Penelope slept with the Suitors and had Odysseus found out, his anger would have been hypocritical given his infidelities during his travels. What Penelope and the Maids have in common, as women, is being at the receiving end of a man’s violence. However, given Penelope’s higher status, she can use her Maids as scapegoats to save herself. The Maids’ song about blames shows how, in a society that is cruel and violent toward women, women are further oppressed by being made to turn against each other.

Previous section Chapters xvi–xviii Next section Chapters xxii–xxiv