Characters (Atwood The Penelopiad)

The Naiad

-Penelope's mother

-naiad=water nymph/semi-goddess

-taught her to "behave like water" and flow around obstacles

Telemachus

-Penelope's son

-same age as the Maids(hangs them)

The Maids

-same age as Telemachus(choose not to drown him->their death)

Helen

-overwhelming beauty

-her abduction started the Trojan War(Odysseus left Penelope+Telemachus to fight in Trojan War/save Helen)

-Penelope jealous of Helen

Eurycleia

-Odysseus' old loyal maid

-takes over motherly duties in raising Telemachus

-gives Penelope something to make her sleep through the murder of the maids->cannot tell Telemachus/Odysseus that they were loyal

Penelope

-story is told after her death(text takes place in Hades)

-doesn't stand up for maids when they are called disloyal(sleeps through it=passive)

Melantho

-One of Penelope's main maids

-helps her deceive suitors

-gets sexually assaulted by suitor

-hung by Telemachus because Penelope didn't save her