I found Amory’s argument incredibly convincing. To say that Penelope immediately recognized Odysseus during his bath goes against the plethora of evidence present in the poem. Four books pass before the contest of the bow and the poet did not add these four books as a pointless way of extending the novel; they served the purpose of building the plot even higher before the climax that is the competition.
She was cautious enough not to marry a new man blindly and had the courage and love for Odysseus to await his return. And although Penelope’s decision was driven by omens, in the end she had to make the right choice at the right time, allowing the story to end with a successful homecoming for Odysseus.
