the odyssey homer- humanities

Discuss the scene when Penelope reveals her plot to foil the suitors to Odysseus (pgs. 394-395, lines 137-184). Things to think about, but you can really talk about anything else if you'd like: 

--What does this reveal about Penelope and her cunningness? Does this make her an appropriate match for Odysseus?

--Why does she reveal this to him, a complete stranger? Do you think it's at all possible that she sense it's him? If so, why and how?

--What does this say about the plight of women at the time? What does Penelope's ability to outwit the suitors say about her as a woman? Does she conform to the stereotype of how women are described in the literature of the period?