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Characters
• The maids (a ballad from their POV)
• “Dimwit Noblemen”
Plot of Chapter
• The maids sign about how sleep is the only rest they get – a time where they feel at peace. They do not have to mop the floors or wipe away the grease.
• They aren’t chased around the halls or tumbled in the dirt by the noblemen who try to pursue them.
• When they sleep, they like to dream of sailing on golden boats across the sea – so happy, clean and free.
• In their dreams, they are beautiful in their crimson dresses – sleeping with the men they love. Everything is full of mirth and kindness – there are no tears of pain.
• But when the morning wakes them up, once more they toil and slave. And have to hoist their skirts at the command of every “prick and knave.”
Effect on Overall Story
This ballad leads on from the boat references in the last chapter (when Telemachus sneaks off to try to find Odysseus) in terms of how the maids dream about sailing on their golden boats. However it gives the reader an insight from the maids POV as to how they were treated in the kingdom. With the suitors around, they were constantly raped and abused, and expected to complete so many tasks that the few hours they got to sleep were their only peace.

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Characters
Penelope tells her story from the time she was alive and mentions characters such as:
• Odysseus (she stills cries and prays for his return)
• Telemachus
• The Suitors trying to take Penelope’s widowed hand.
• Her 12 favourite maids
• Maid Eurycleia
• Medon the Herald
• Various monsters of her dreams
• Iphthime (Penelope’s older sister)
Plot of Chapter
• Penelope continues to cry over and pray for Odysseus’s return.
• Telemachus is now of an age to start ordering her around, wanting to assert authority as Odysseus’s son.
• He sneaks off on a ship to looking for news of his father without consulting her.
• Penelope’s maids then inform her that the suitors, having learned of Telemachus’s departure, were sending ships of their own to ambush him on his return.
• Her herald Medon confirms this to which Penelope has to act surprised, otherwise Medon would have known she has other sources of information.
• The head maid Eurycleia then confesses she aided Telemachus in his departure and kept it a secret to avoid Penelope fretting over it.
• That night, Penelope cried herself to sleep and dreamt. Her first few dreams were about the monsters Odysseus may have fought. And one was a nightmare about Odysseus making love to Helen, to which she awoke and prayed it was a false alarm.
• Her last dream as she fell back to sleep was of her sister, Iphthime, who came into her room stating that she had been sent by Athene herself, because the gods didn’t want Penelope to suffer. Her message was that Telemachus would return safely.
• Penelope questioned her about Odysseus, to which Iphthime refused to answer and slipped away.
Effect on Overall Story
This chapter really gives the reader a sense of time, in terms of how much time has passed with Odysseus’s failed return. Telemachus has come of age to take authority over the kingdom, indicating he is roughly 20 years old. The reader can remember back to earlier in the book that he was only a baby when Odysseus left for the war. Penelope continually stated that many years had gone past but that was only a vague description. When Telemachus sneaks off, it presents a new worry for Penelope and creates more narrative possibilities for the reader (i.e. does anything happen to Telemachus and will he return?) but it also proves that he has built the maturity to take matters into his own hands. This chapter also reveals that even with all the pressure of having to remarry, she is still sure that Odysseus is out there – though her belief is challenged when her own sister (in a dream) refuses to answer her question about Odysseus’s whereabouts.

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Characters

Penelope tells her story from the time she was alive and mentions characters such as:

·         Odysseus (in terms of Penelope talking about his failed return from the war at Troy)

·         Telemachus

·         King Icarius

·         Clytemnestra (Penelope’s cousin)

·         The Suitors trying to take Penelope’s widowed hand.

·         12 of her youngest maidservants

·         Maid Eurycleia

Plot of chapter

·         With the suitors wanting Penelope’s believed-to-be widowed hand in marriage, she aims to find a way to postpone her inevitable decision.

·         She comes up with the idea to weave a shroud – saying when the shroud is finished, she’d make her decision on which suitor to choose.

·         By day she works at her loom – by night she undoes everything she’d woven, causing the shroud to stay incomplete.

·         She got 12 maids – choosing her youngest as they would be more reliable for her tasks – to help with the undoing of the shroud and to get close with the suitors to sus out their plans.

·         This came with a lot of rape for those maids and in the end, the suitors found out of Penelope’s scheme.

·         She promised to finish the shroud as quickly as possible and then would without fail, choose a husband.

Effect on overall story
This was the chapter that, for the reader, pushed the idea that Odysseus was indeed dead or never returning home. Because the suitors were pushing Penelope into choosing a new husband, it made it seem to the reader that everyone in the kingdom either knew or believed that Odysseus was gone for good. Only Penelope still believed he was out there and prayed for him every night. This chapter also gave an insight into how royal women were treated in those times – in that the man was the only one who was allowed to pull the reins. And if the women became widowed (like Penelope), than it was thought they simply couldn’t run the kingdom like a man and therefore needed to remarry.

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Characters:
Penelope (discussing while she is dead), Penelope (discussing while she is alive), Antinous (Suitor - dead), Suitors, Maids,

Events:

Penelope meets Antinous in the afterlife on a walk. They discuss why the suitors ‘longed’ for her so much despite her age and looks.

Antinous bluntly explains that the suitors wanted the fortunes and palace, they also wished she would die soon so they owned it.

Back to the real world, Penelope discusses how the suitors slowly started inviting themselves to the palace once the information about Odysseus stopped coming.

The suitors ate all the food and wine.

The maids told Penelope all the horrible things the suitors would say behind her back.

Penelope kept the suitors because there were over 100 of them and she didn’t want a conflict to start.

She pretended to like the attention.

Impact:
We learn that the Suitors are killed by Odysseus at some point and despite the warnings of this from the gods, the suitors continued to pester Penelope. We also learn the real intentions of the suitors and how they are only fighting for the palace and its gold, not for Penelope herself.
It is also reiterated that Penelope is alone without Odysseus because she suspects that even the maids exaggerate the hurtful stories the suitors tell and that she feels she must pretend to like the attention she is given to delay anger in the suitors.

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Chapter 8- The chorus line: if I was a princess, a popular tune

This chapter is all about the maids and it is in the form of a song about how they want a hero to marry them. They are sick of slaving and feel that hope is the only thing that is keeping them afloat and sinking to their death.

Chapter 9- The Trusted Cackle-Hen

Characters- Penelope, odysseus and his mother (Anticleia), eurycleia (nurse) Telemachus (son) , her maid actoris (dies)
Helen

-Penelope moves to ithica and is unhappy there

-Odysseus’ mother is cold and distance towards her

-Eurycleia Is highly possessive towards odysseus

- Gives birth to Telemachus

Penelope does a lot of weeping while concealing from odysseus but eventually grows more fond of him

Eurycleia eventually becomes helpful and friendly towards Penelope

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Characters:
The twelve maids perform ‘A Sea Shanty’ about Odysseus

Events:

Odysseus leaves Troy with a boat full of gold

He stops at Lotus Shore, sailors got drunk and hauled back to the black ships.

Odysseus pulled out the cyclops eye and bragged about it.

Poseidon puts a curse on Odysseus for it.

They ran into Laestrygonians who ate most of Odysseus's men.

Odysseus ‘bedded’ the goddess on the Island of Circe, and ate all her food, drank all the wine.

Odysseus stopped at the Isle of the dead and filled the trenches with blood.

They passed the Sirens, Odysseus tied himself to the mast so he could listen.

Escaped the whirlpool of Charybdis and the snake-headed Scylla.

Odysseus’s men died in a storm, he made it to Calypso’s Isle.

He stayed 7 years and escaped on a raft, he was found on a beach.

Then he disguised himself and returned home.

Impact:
We learn the exact events that supposedly happened to Odysseus on his trip home from Troy. We also learned he isn’t loyal to Penelope and that he is in no hurry to make it home to her.

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Chapter 20:
- Taken from Penelope's perspective, she explains how the 'slanderous gossip' was not true, going into detail about her abstinence and explaining she did not give birth to Pan. She also explains that Odysseus trusted her but didn't want her to give away his identity.

Chapter 21:
This time it's a different perspective on Penelope's abstinence in Odysseus' absence, or lack thereof. In the maids tale, they explain that Penelope did have lovers who were secretly brought in, and the maids were executed as they knew the truth

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Characters: Penelope, Odysseus, Telemachus and Eurycleia
Events

·         Odysseus has returned but in disguise as a beggar, Penelope knows that it is her husband but doesn’t let on for his safety

·         Penelope sent her faithful maid Eurycleai to go clean his feet. She noticed his scar and couldn’t be happier

·         Penelope then set the challenge to the suitors (and odysseus) to shoot an arrow through 12 axe handles

·         This is a challenge that Penelope knew only Odysseus could win
Impacts:

This chapter showed the return of Odysseus after 20 years. This impacted the story by Penelope demonstrating her cleverness and independence of coming up with the plan. She made the important decision not to selfishly ruin her husband’s identity.

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Characters: Penelope, Telemachus, Piraeus and Theoclymenus (Telemachus’ friends) and Maids
Events
• Telemachus returns and Penelope had a rage and gave him an earful
• Penelope and Telemachus continued to have an argument around the idea that Telemachus wasn’t a child anymore that ended with Penelope in tears
• Over dinner they discussed the events of Telemachus’ travels, visited cousin Helen and her husband Menelaus
• Tecmachus praises Helens beauty but when prompted by his mother, proceeds to say that she is looking much older
• Once Penelope heard about his travels she praised him
Impacts: This chapter is important as Penelope’s son has returned. It also shows how Telemachus has grown up and the distant relationship they share is evident with their argument. Despite their troubled relationship, Techmachus demonstrates his connection with his mother as he lies to her about Helens beauty.
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CH6
Who was in the chapter? – Penelope, Odysseus, Helen, The Maids
What happened in the chapter?

·         Provides background information on marriages and weddings

·         Looking over the men that are competing to get her, maids gossiping

·         Describes Odysseus and his background

·         Helen comes and insults Penelope

·         Odysseus wins race by cheating

·         Wedding Ceremony takes place
What impact does this chapter have on the overall story e.g. what do we learn about the characters, is an important decision made, etc.

We learn about the role that marriage plays in this time period and how it is arranged. We also learn who Odysseus is and that he marries Penelope. We are also introduced to the rudeness of helen.
CH7
Who was in the chapter? Penelope, Odysseus, King(penelopes dad)
What happened in the chapter?

·         The post ceremony wedding feast

·         Mum gave a speech

·         Penelope and Odysseus go to the bridal chamber

·         Odysseus convinces Penelope to let out a few screams so they will be left alone

·         They consummate the marriage and then Odysseus begins telling stories and wants to become friends with Penelope

·         Penelope and Odysseus leave for Ithaca and her father chases the chariot begging her to stay
What impact does this chapter have on the overall story e.g. what do we learn about the characters, is an important decision made, etc.

We learn that Odysseus isn’t like most men and was respectful of Penelope. We also learn that Odysseus and Penelope are going back to Ithaca.

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Chapter 26 is a mock trial that delves deeper into the maid's perspective on the events of The Penelopiad. An attorney protects Odysseus, attempting to justify his actions, while the maids desperately try and make their voices heard to no avail. The judge declares that their deaths were in fact their own fault, suggesting that the suitors raping them was simply their fault, and no fault is pressed on either Penelope or the suitors, nor Odysseus for hanging them.

Chapter 27 serves as Penelope's conclusion to her story. She talks of how life is in Hades, and how the maids refuse to stop haunting their murderer. She fervently wishes for them to stop, but they refuse, forcing Penelope and Odysseus apart, as Penenlope continues to linger in Hades while Odysseus lives many more lives, forming a parallel between this life and the one Penelope lived and the one she lives dead.

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Characters:
Penelope (her POV) discussing all the other characters such as Telemachus, Odysseus, Minstrels, Helen, Penelope’s mother in law, Eurycleia, King Laertes and Penelope’s own mother.

Events:

Odysseus has left for Troy

Penelope gives a summary of the 10 years of war, the majority of the time only the sun rose and set.

It is told Minstrels travelled to the palace and sang songs about the war heroes including Odysseus.

Trojan War ends due to Odysseus’s horse idea.

Ships are sent home and no information is received.

Extreme rumours are told about what Odysseus has experienced on the way home along with other rumours giving a simple explanation for the extreme ones.

Minstrels were given gifts for the stories they told.

Penelope’s mother in law died.

King Laertes “lost interest in palace life” and went to live on a farm, he “went soft in the head.”

Penelope learnt how to run the palace without any previous advice or experience and found it very difficult and lonely.

Rumours stopped coming about Odysseus, he seemed to have vanished.

Impact:
We learn Penelope is loyal despite the rumours indicating her husband is not. Also, she is smart and a quick learner. She takes control of the palace and is so far successful which is unusual for the time in which the story is set.  The way the rumours are written and how Margaret Atwood has created a simple and more realistic explanation for each of the extreme stories told make Odysseus seem more human and less of a hero.

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chapter 22
Who are the characters involved?

-       Penelope

-       Helen

What happens in this chapter?

-       Penelope recounts a recent time when she ran into Helen who was being followed by a group of men while on her way to take a bath

-       Helen invites Penelope to join her and Penelope states that they are now spirits and don’t need to take baths

-       Helen announces that it is tiring having men fighting over her all the time and tells Penelope that she wouldn’t know what it was like

-       Penelope asks if Helen is going to take her robe off, and she replies that she prefers to bathe naked as swell as stating that Penelope id too modest and would keep the robe on to bathe. Penelope replies ‘that would explain the unusually large crowd of spectators you have attracted”

-       Helen continues to call Penelope ‘negative’ and ‘vulgar’ as Penelope is blaming Helen for causing so many deaths

-       Helen responds with asking how many men Odysseus killed for her, Penelope replies with “quite a lot”.

-       Helen then states that it probably made her feel more important and prettier

-       Then Helen leaves calling Penelope “little duck” as the men follow her.

We learn that Penelope’s and Helen’s rivalry seems to have continued into the afterlife and how according to Helen and Penelope, a princess needs men to actually die for her.

chapter 23
Who are the characters involved?

-       Penelope

-       Odysseus

-       Eurycelia

-       Telemachus

-       The Suitors

What happens in this chapter?

-       It begins with Penelope stating ‘she slept through the mayhem’ of the suitors being killed in the women’s quarters. Questioning if Eurycleia had put something in her drink to make her sleep through it all.

-       Eurycleia later described the whole thing to Penelope. Telling her how Odysseus was disguised as a beggar watched the suitors try to string his bow for the archery contest. They all had failed, then Odysseus successfully completed the archery challenge.

-       Then Odysseus shot Antinous in the throat and then continues to kill all the suitors with the help of his son and two herdsmen, while the women listened at the door of the women’s quarters

-       Odysseus then asked Eurycelia to tell him who were the disloyal maids. He made them bring the bodies of the suitors to the courtyard and wash the blood off of the floor.

-       Odysseus then told Telemachus to kill the maids. Telemachus decided to hang them even though his father told him to cut them into pieces.

-       Then Odysseus and Telemachus cut up a goatherd who had betrayed him.

-       Penelope cried asking which maids he had killed. Eurycleia told her he killed the twelve maids who had been rude. Penelope corrected her stating they were the rape victims. Stating that she didn’t add that they were also her spies.

-       Eurycleia then sent Penelope downstairs to see Odysseus. Penelope biting her tongue telling herself that she would say prayers for them in secret.

-       Penelope speculates that Eurycelia may have known the maids were spying for her and killed them because she felt left out.

The impact this chapter has on the novel is that it tells us the story of the events leading up to the 12 maids’ deaths, how Odysseus killed the Suitors and that Penelope speculates Eurycelia for the deaths of those 12 Maids.

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Penelopiad chapter 10-11

Characters

. The 12 maids

. Telemachus

. Three sisters of fate

. Penelopiad

. Odysseus

. Helen

. Paris

. Menelaus

. Agamemnon

. Thesus

. Perthous

Chapter 10

1.       Sailing oceans, also a metaphor for the birth of Telemachus

2.       Odysseus voyage to Ithaca

3.       Odysseus joins Telemachus and his mother and father

4.       Introduces a female and male prospective

5.       Boat used as a metaphor of the mothers whom

Chapter 11

1.       Penelopiad daid her life was ruined by Helen

2.       Killing of 12 maids and 100 suitors

3.       Penelopiad survives and Helen’s plan goes on that would leave Penelopiad alone for 20 years.

4.       Thesus  and Perthous abduct young Helen

5.       They discuss which one of them would marry her when she was old enough

6.       Her brothers rescued her

7.       There are two different stories of how the abducting happened but Helen’s story tells of her beauty being to intoxicating and she had both of them bowing before her feet. And this leads to her being able to memorise men.

Impact

There was a lot of metaphors and foreshadowing in the two chapters. This was highlighting the Trojan War and the birth of Telemachus. This also includes the involvement of Helen and what she did and how she is responsible for it.

This shows Helen as someone that uses her beauty to control others and this has an impact on the current Trojan war.

This also shows Penelopiad being held hostage by Helen and her actions that could leave her to be alone for 20 years. There were also other consequences, the 12 maids where killed in the actions of Helen and thus exposing the truth about Helens nature. But we also follow the voyage of  Odysseus and how he is being stopped by deadly obstacles. But he joins up with Telemachus and his mother and father. But we know the boat was a metaphor for his birth and we have an male and female prospective.

Also in chapter 10 we know that with the birth of Telemachus that he will be ordered by his father to kill the 12 maids. And this is all that ipacts the war the maids and the life of Odysseus and Penelopiad.

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Chapter 2-
The second chapter is from the perspective of the dead maids, “We are the maids, the ones you killed.” The rhyme is aimed at Odysseus, speaking about how he unfairly killed them and enjoyed doing it. They speak about how he had sex with “every goddess, queen and bitch” but then killed them for doing “much less”. This second chapter is also setting up the story and giving background on Odysseus’ murders/crimes.

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Chapter 1-
The narrator in the first chapter is Penelope. “Now that I’m dead I know everything.”- The first line shows us that she is dead.
Also introduces her husband and his role in her life, his lies, tricks, and “slipperiness” and how she never thought he would use his lies on her. But she turned a blind eye, because that seemed the best way to end up with a happy ending. But people were laughing at her, making jokes and telling stories about her, so she decides to “spin a thread of my own”. This first chapter is a good introduction to the story ahead and sets up a point of view.