Book 19

Though you did a good job with the epic simile you examined, I was most impressed with the discussion of dreams that “are hard to unravel” (19.631). The verb “unravel” triggered the association with the theme of weaving. Dreams, which come from the gods, are intricately woven; their patterns create beautiful pictures, like the geese of which Penelope says, “’I love to watch them all’” (19.604). However, the individual threads of meaning are hard to separate. Penelope remarks, “Two gates there are for our evanescent dreams,/one is made of ivory, the other made of horn” (19.632-3). The ivory door leads to confusion and the horn gate leads to truth. You could have paid more attention to this remarkable passage, but you at least noted that the difficulty with dreams is figuring out what is mere diversion and what is truth.

Also, Penelope has spent two decades weaving a dream of Odysseus’s return, and she’s having a hard time unraveling it.

Currently, Odysseus and Penelope are weaving plans of their own, plans that they hope will be difficult for their foes to unravel. You underscored this connection between the two by noting that Homer describes Penelope with the epithets “wise” and “seasoned,” which he also uses to describe Odysseus.

Lastly, I want to reiterate my question of whether or not Penelope suspects she is talking to Odysseus when she orders Eurycleia to “come and wash your master’s…” (19.407). I want to Penelope to recognize Odysseus. If she doesn’t, she remains the overly emotional and passive woman who doesn’t earn the epithet, “wise.” If she does recognize Odysseus, then her choice of contest—one she knows that only he can win—shows that she wants to set the stage for his return. She wisely keeps quiet because otherwise Odysseus might become suspicious about how easily she might believe every stranger claiming to be Odysseus.