The first conversation between Penelope and Odysseus begins with Odysseus still disguised as a beggar. He told Eumaeus in book fourteen that he had heard word of Odysseus coming home soon with mass amounts of treasure in tow (pg 454, line 350, book 14). The swineherd refuses to believe him, but Penelope has been said to be listening to every wanderer who claims to have seen him in their travels (pg 450, line 141, book 14). Like with the others, Penelope meets with him herself, desperate for any word of her long lost husband. She admits to this so-called stranger that she can no longer “escape marriage,” further proving her loyalty to her husband (pg 515, line 170, book 19).
He tells Penelope that he met Odysseus in Crete while he was on his way to Troy, and she responds by quickly questioning him, asking what her husband was wearing when they met (pg 516, line 233, book 19). This proves that she is at the very least wary of his story, and of him. After all, it has been said multiple times before that many travellers have come to her
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She orders Eurycleia to “rise and wash you master’s- that is, wash the feet of this man who is your master’s age (pg 519, line 388, book 19).” She seems to slip up, calling the still disguised Odysseus Eurycleia’s master- which, incidentally, he is, but she’s not supposed to know that. She fumbles for a few lines more, trying to cover for her mistake. It is for this reason that she tells him of her dream, although she continuously denies any possibility of it being true; perhaps she is still trying to keep her oblivious cover by seeming hopeless. She then tells him of her plan to weed out the suitors, a task that Odysseus would do regularly that would be more than troublesome to many, and he encourages her to have the contest soon, wishing to be rid of the suitors. All signs point to Penelope being aware of her guest’s true identity, or at least, her actions very heavily indicate