She was waiting for Odysseus to come home because she knew he was alive and would soon come home to defend her honor. So she prolonged it.
Sources: Homer's The Odyssey
Penelope tells the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) that at night she unravels a burial shroud she is making intended for Laertes every night in order to keep the would-be suitors at bay until her husband returns .
Penelope was a hero for many reasons: 1) She stayed loyal to her husband. 2) She managed to trick the suitors. 3) She questioned Odysseus till the end. She was cautious and proceeded carefully. 4) She managed to raise her son alone and keep her estate.
Penelope pretends to be weaving a burial cloak for Odysseus's father, Laertes. And she tells the men when she is done she will pick her new husband. But every night she would unravel part of it. She kept this up until one of the maids, who fell in love with a suitor, betrayed her.
Odysseus was away from Ithaca for 20 years, but it stands to reason that no one would have expected her to remarry until AFTER the return of the majority of the Greek forces from Troy, which was a 10 year long war. At most it would have been 10 years, but it truth it would have been something less than that. Probably more like 5 to 7.
She told the suitors that when she was finished weaving a particular tapestry, she would marry one of them. She wove the tapesty by day and unravelled it by night, so that it was never completed.
Penelope tells the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) that at night she unravels a burial shroud she is making intended for Laertes every night in order to keep the would-be suitors at bay until her husband returns .
Penelope promised to decide which one of the suitors to marry when she finished her death shroud for Laertes. But, she secretly unraveled the parts she weaved every night. This continued until one of her maids, who fell in love with one of the suitors, betrayed Penelope.
distraught
Penelope asks the minstrel Phemius to stop singing the song about the Trojan War, as it brings back memories of her husband Odysseus who has been missing for years. She is trying to keep her composure in front of the suitors who are vying for her hand in marriage.
Odysseus told Penelope to make sure the suitors did not gain control of their household, to stay faithful to him, and to keep their son Telemachus safe.
Penelope was a hero for many reasons: 1) She stayed loyal to her husband. 2) She managed to trick the suitors. 3) She questioned Odysseus till the end. She was cautious and proceeded carefully. 4) She managed to raise her son alone and keep her estate.
Penelope pretends to be weaving a burial cloak for Odysseus's father, Laertes. And she tells the men when she is done she will pick her new husband. But every night she would unravel part of it. She kept this up until one of the maids, who fell in love with a suitor, betrayed her.
In the Odyssey, Penelope unravels the robe she weaves during the day, so she never finishes it. She uses this as a ploy to delay remarrying and to ward off suitors who are pressuring her to choose a new husband. By promising to pick a suitor once she completes the robe, she buys herself time to keep Odysseus' identity hidden.
Odysseus was away from Ithaca for 20 years, but it stands to reason that no one would have expected her to remarry until AFTER the return of the majority of the Greek forces from Troy, which was a 10 year long war. At most it would have been 10 years, but it truth it would have been something less than that. Probably more like 5 to 7.
Odysseus was displeased with Penelope because she continued to entertain suitors in his absence, despite him being away for many years. He was upset that she did not have faith in his return and feared that she might betray him.
Penelope tests Eurycleia by asking her to move her bed to the hallway to see her reaction. Penelope wants to gauge if Eurycleia will uphold her loyalty and not reveal her secret about the suitors. By asking her to move the bed, Penelope is also trying to confirm if Eurycleia can keep her plans confidential.
Penelope's ostensible offer of marriage and her solicitation of gifts constitute a dolos with a double aim: to keep the suitors off guard and to reassure Odysseus of her loyalty, in the well-founded belief that he has today returned in the guise of the stranger.