Anne Amory’s main argument is that Penelope’s decision to set the contest of the bow, an incredibly pivotal point in the theme of reunion and revenge against the suitors, cannot be understood except by interpreting surrounding omens and her dreams.
From the point Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, first sees Penelope to the point his identity is fully revealed, critical decisions are driven by omens. An important note is that omens are not always explicitly stated by Homer. The first comes during a discussion between Odysseus and Penelope while the nurse, Eurycleia, is giving Odysseus a bath. Penelope inquires as to Odysseus’s true identity.  Avoiding the question, Odysseus tells her that her fame has reached heaven. This can only be true if she is the worthy wife of Odysseus, who’s intellect is known among the gods. To maintain his disguise, he tells a story where he once saw Odysseus on his way to Troy, describing him in incredible detail. By this point, Eurycleia has recognized Odysseus from his scar, but Penelope is too caught up in her grief to fully accept this fact. She even tells him of her plan to pick a suitor and her dream of Odysseus returning to punish the suitors, a request for an omen. When the beggar confirms her dream, he is giving her the requested omen affirming he is Odysseus. Penelope is still too reluctant to accept Odysseus’s true identity and makes her reluctance clear. The beggar doesn’t just assure her of Odysseus’s return, but also urges her to get on with the contest, discretely maintaining cover while advancing his return. To keep the plot moving forward, and postpone the recognition scene, the poet has Penelope retire to bed. She is not ready to accept her recognition and gives up entirely for the night.
Amory believes Penelope does not immediately recognize Odysseus, but instead becomes more and more certain of his identity up until the final confirmation that takes place during the challenge. This is shown by her request for death when she goes to sleep, her dream of accepting Odysseus’s challenges in returning, and again her wish for freedom from pain when she wakes up. If she was confident the beggar was Odysseus, she would be excited and happy, the opposite of her actions in the poem. She explains her reasons to Odysseus after learning he has returned. For one, she hasn’t seen Odysseus in over 20 years and only has her last vivid memory of him, making an outright recognition difficult. She also explains her fear of falling in love with someone new by comparing herself to Helen, an important allusion to the Iliad. She demonstrates her comprehension of the consequences of falling in love.  Thousands of men did not return to their wives from the siege of Troy, and she had no way of knowing for sure if Odysseus would also be one to never return. Helen can be attributed as the reason Odysseus left in the first place. Penelope was scared of starting something new, even more scared than she was Odysseus would never return.
