Penelope In The Odyssey

Words: 596

Pages: 3

Open Document

The Odyssey is an epic poem written in twenty-four chapters, traditionally said to have been written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The poem tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanders for ten years trying to get home after the Trojan War. The epic is filled with a multitude of characters, but none quite as interesting as Penelope. Although some readers might say that Penelope is fatuous, Penelope actually demonstrates intelligence because she is able to come up with creative ways to avoid getting married again, and sticks by Odysseus for years even though she is unsure of his location, and maintains her home for herself and her son smartly.

First, Penelope can think of several strategies to avoid being married again. For example, she tricked the suitors by claiming that she would remarry after weaving her web, but she unweaves it every night. This shows that she was intelligent enough to think up such a brilliant concept without actually doing so. This is important because she is demonstrating that she is not as stupid as people think. In addition, it proves that she is just as wise as Odysseus, a crafty and clever lady who, in her own way, is securing her house until …show more content…
For example, in the first book, during Telemachus' explanation to Athena of the situation in his household, he states, "My mother rejects marriage proposals, and all the nobles who rule the islands around Dulichion, including Zacynthus, down to the last man, they all court her." This shows that she never accepts a proposal, regardless of the condition of her home or the fact that she is single. She consistently turns them down time and time again, and this is a sign of her loyalty to Odysseus. This is important because, having refused to step down from her marriage to Odyssey, she is still holding down his home and she is still being loyal to Odysseus and is clever in doing

Penelope In The Odyssey

the Odyssey through Odysseus’s wife Penelope’s eyes. The story shows Penelope questioning odysseus’s faithfulness. Penelope also is not faithful herself throughout the story. Penelope was conflicted when others were viewing her as a faithful loyal wife even though she was not. Penelope also questioned Odysseus’s faithfulness throughout the book and she was correct about him. The protagonist in my story is, Penelope Odysseus’s wife. This book is about Penelope supporting feminism. Penelope had…

Words 1185 - Pages 5

Penelope In The Odyssey

remarkable birth of his child, he embarked on a journey with his men to battle in a brutal and callous war. The Odyssey is a Greek epic written by Homer which captures the boundless journey of Odysseus, as he strived to return to Ithaca after battling in the Trojan War. Homer had been a prominent writer who expressed the legends and myths of Greek goddesses throughout his epic, The Odyssey. As Odysseus embarked on an endless journey filled with agony, to battle in the Trojan War, he had been greatly…

Words 807 - Pages 4

Penelope In Homer's The Odyssey

Homer’s poem The Odyssey is an exciting tale of a hero going through the trails of life to get back to his loving wife and son. The hero of the story is Odysseus. Soon after the birth of his son Telemachus to fight in Trojan War, leaving his wife Penelope to take care of the palace, his parents, and his child. He was held captive for 7 years by Calypso, and with the help of Athena,Zeus, and Hermes he escaped and began his journey. Starting with the Cyclops, continuing to Circe, and losing most…

Words 653 - Pages 3

The Role Of Penelope In The Odyssey

#3. Through the character of Penelope in the odyssey we can see that Homeric society believes the values that shape an ideal women are beauty, skills, modesty, loyalty and intelligence. Penelope represents all of these values in the Odyssey. I would consider Penelope the 2nd hero in the Odyssey right behind her husband, Odysseus. Penelope is a moral agent in the Odyssey. This can be seen when she refuses to marry any of the suitors because she hopes that her husband will come back from the…

Words 377 - Pages 2

Penelope Cunning In The Odyssey

In the Odyssey, Penelope is much more than just the wife of the great Odysseus. Despite a lack of focus on penelopes inner turmoil from the absence of her husband throughout majority of the poem, her methods of dealing with both the absence and return of Odysseus reveal the true nature of her cunning as the wife of the notoriously crafty hero. There are two mediums in which penelopes cunning thought is expressed, the plot progression and comparisons between her and Odysseus in the text structure…

Words 812 - Pages 4

Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

somewhere else. Now imagine that you had to wait 20 years to be able to be seated. This is the story of Penelope in the Odyssey. Penelope’s spouse King Odysseus was taken by Sparta to fight in the Trojan War. After the war Odysseus and his crew were setting sail for home but ended up on the wrong track and resulted in delaying Odysseus’ return by several years. All the while Queen Penelope is at the palace…

Words 659 - Pages 3

Odysseus Love For Penelope In The Odyssey

The Odyssey a compelling read. From his narrow escape from Scylla and Charybdis to his long stay with Calypso, the narrative never lulls on a dull moment and instead explores Odysseus’s resolve on his journey back to Ithaca. Seeing the epic’s focal point is the journey, this prompts the question, what exactly is urging Odysseus back home? Popular claims state Odysseus’s love for Penelope is the driving force behind his motivation, but I beg to differ. I will argue Odysseus’s love for Penelope, is…

Words 379 - Pages 2

Penelope Exerts Authority In The Odyssey

woman throughout history. When comparing two articles on the Odyssey, it shows similarities and differences on how the two genders are portrayed. In Lilian E. Dorathy’s article, “Athena and Penelope as foils for Odysseus in the Odyssey” it explores how the two contrasting female characters are introduced to highlight the good and bad qualities of Odysseus. In “Three Models of Authority in the Odyssey” by Colleen Chaston, it explores how Penelope exerts authority in the three areas that are traditionally…

Words 447 - Pages 2

The Heroic Traits Of Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

Primarily, one of the most prominently shown heroic traits of Penelope throughout her appearances in the story is loyalty. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca in book 19 of the epic poem by Homer, The Odyssey, he is disguised as an old beggar, and he gets brought to Penelope who questions him and tells him that she’s, “Wasted with longing for Odysseus, while here they press for marriage” (Homer 606). Penelope reveals that she still longs for Odysseus, and it shows that she refuses to consider him dead…

Words 221 - Pages 1

Who Is Penelope Cleverness In Homer's Odyssey

in The Odyssey Homer’s age-old story, The Odyssey, bears many resemblances to an epic; the plot starts right in the thick of it, the setting is vast covering many countries, the story uses epithets for nearly every character, and divine intervention is a significant plot device, among other things. Another driving force in the epic is Penelope. Penelope is one of the main reasons why Odysseus wants to get back to Ithaca, even after all of the years he’s been gone. However, for Penelope to make…

Words 618 - Pages 3