Essay about The Role of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey, written by Homer, tells the story of Odysseus after the Trojan War. It not only includes an insight on the adventures and return of Odysseus, but it also includes the stories of Telemakhos and Penelope. Telemakhos is the courageous son of Odysseus who goes on a quest in search for information about his father’s whereabouts. Penelope is an extremely clever woman who could match Odysseus in his wit. Penelope is able manipulate the suitors that have come to pursue her in Odysseus’s absence. Though Penelope often spends many nights weeping over the absence of her husband, it seems as if she never loses faith in her husband, and she truly believes that he will return to her and punish the suitors that have taken over their

As we read The Odyssey by Homer, we get to see that Odysseus and Penelope are perfectly suited to each other. Penelope and Odysseus are a match made for each other because in The Odysseus, we can see how they both have similar traits in common, such as sharpness, trickery, loyalty, and faithfulness. As seen throughout the tales of the Sirens, Circe, and the Cyclops, Odysseus frequently defeats his enemies and escapes a horrible ending. In addition, Penelope uses trickery to mislead her multiple suitors while Odysseus is away from suffering and dealing with his own problems. In The Odyssey, Book 2 lines 90-95, it states, “‘We suitors have not done you wrong.

This juxtaposition shows the effects of faithfulness to a husband, and displays how fidelity to the husband can bring great benefits and unity to the family, while infidelity will bring many negative consequences. The juxtaposition between Penelope and Helen is used to teach Greek woman reasons on why to be loyal to the husband. Penelope lastly serves a role in inspiring Odysseus as well, in addition to her role of portraying the ideal Greek woman. Odysseus uses Penelope as a reason to continue repeatedly throughout the journey and in times of hardship, such as when leaving Calypso, when he mentions “My quiet Penelope-how well I know-/would seem a shade before your majesty,/ death and old age being unknown to you,/while

What happens when the person you love has gone off and been gone for over 20 years? Would you decide to get remarried or would you stay loyal and wait for the person you love? The Odyssey by Homer is about Odysseus’ journey home to his wife Penelope, who has been waiting for him to come back for over 20 years. In the Odyssey there are many questions to be debated on, but the one discussed today will be if Penelope is loyal to Odysseus. I believe that yes, Penelope is loyal to Odysseus throughout the whole book.

Greek mythology is the belief of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes and the significance of their own ritual practices. These stories have influenced many painters and poets throughout the centuries. Odysseus from “The Odyssey” was a Greek hero who just returned from a battle of Troy after twenty years. While he was gone his wife, Penelope, had to stay back with her son in their kingdom, Ithaca. She was doing her normal tasks, but the suitors kept on bugging her, demanding that she must have a new husband. In the painting Penelope and the Suitors, John William Waterhouse uses the cunningness of the business of Penelope to avoid the suitors to show that loyalty is a full time job, while in

As the request is made of his own mother she simply abides to her son’s wishes, “She bathed now, put on some fresh clothes,” (Homer l 17.60). All throughout the Odyssey Penelope shows her strength to ward off suitors and she manages to live without her husband for years. Remaining faithful the entire time to her husband Odysseus she discloses to her maid, “Eurynome, don’t try to coax me, care for me as you do, to bathe myself, refresh my face with oils. Whatever glow I had died long ago… the gods of Olympus snuffed it out that day my husband sailed away in the hollow ships,” (Homer ll 18.201-206) presenting to the reader that she lost all desire for anyone else when Odysseus’ left for war. This further substantiates the Greek view of how women should remain loyal at all times forsaking others. Lastly Penelope is rewarded for her lasting devotion to her husband with his return. In these characters and their specific roles in the Odyssey the Greeks’ insisted upon their women to accept such roles in their culture of certain hypocrisy when compared to that of their female counterpart. Without Athena’s support Odysseus would have never reached Ithaca and Telemachus would not have been pushed into becoming a man. Without Penelope’s loyalty, devotion, and support Odysseus’ efforts in his journey home would have held little merit of reward. What is most important to note is the male character of Odysseus plays the most prominent role in the epic but

In Homer’s Odyssey, we see a small side of Penelope as she greets her husband Odysseus after his return from his 20-year long journey; she is sweet and gentle, treating him as if he left for a day. In T.H.S. Wallace’s “So the Old Beggar with Bow Can Shoot Straight as Death” and Dorothy Parker’s “Penelope”, Penelope is transformed from a gentle woman into a harsher one. In The Odyssey, Penelope is described as a somber lady that misses her husband dearly. In the poems, however, she is depicted in a different light. The Penelope of T.H.S. Wallace’s and Dorothy Parker’s poems is different from Homer’s Penelope; she is harsh, vengeful, strong, and overall more complex.

Penelope: In the opening chapters of The Odyssey Penelope is angry, frustrated, and helpless. She misses her husband, Odysseus. She worries about the safety of her son, Telemakhos. Her house is overrun with arrogant men who are making love to her servants and eating her out of house and home, all the while saying that they are courting her. She doesn't want to marry any of them, and their rude behavior can hardly be called proper courtship. She has wealth and position; she has beauty and intelligence; most of all she has loyalty to her husband. But against this corrupt horde who gather in her courtyard shooting dice, throwing the discus, killing her husband's cattle for their feasts, and drinking his wine, she is powerless.

Compare and Contrast: In The Odyssey it seems that Penelope has lost all hope. She prays: “O honored goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus, strike now I pray an arrow in my breast and take away my life this very instant…” (Homer 250). Her prayer sends off a chain of events. Odysseus wakes up and also prays, but he prays to Zeus, who thunders although there are no clouds (Homer 251). A woman outside then foreshadows the end of the suitors. These are crucial events in the story that warn the reader of what will happen, all started by Penelope’s prayer to Artemis. In Mythology neither Penelope’s dream nor any of these events are mentioned. Hamilton once again sticks to only main events. She probably does this to keep the story moving since the facts of the story can remain the same without these events. Hamilton should have mentioned Penelope’s dream though, because she is asking to be killed and although it doesn’t affect the story it is still an important part that shows how Penelope is feeling. Homer moves the story along smoother while Hamilton keeps out small details like these to quickly summarize the story.

While traditional readers of Homer’s, The Odyssey, view Odysseus as a hero, they often reduce Penelope to Odysseus’s helpless wife, but Penelope is more than just a damsel-in-distress. Penelope proves to be Odysseus’s heroic equal, as through her resilient, witty and strategic actions she ensures Odysseus fighting advantages over the suitors.

The Odyssey is a classic epic poem that consists of twenty-four chapters. It is traditionally believed to have been written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The poem narrates the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who spends ten years wandering in an attempt to return home after the Trojan War. The epic features numerous characters, but none are as interesting as Penelope. Although some readers may say Penelope is gullible, Penelope can truly be seen to be discerning because she shows her intelligence by coming up with various ways to avoid getting remarried, remaining loyal to Odysseus for years even when she didn't have any information about his whereabouts, and being the anchor that held the palace and her son together for many years.

When Odysseus is at war, Penelope remains faithful to him. He is fighting for ten years, but Penelope never gives up on him. She patiently awaits his return, even when the world is telling her to move on. Penelope makes it clear to everyone that she will never give up on her husband. Even when she is tempted by the suitors, she remains strong in her decision. Nothing the suitors say influences her stance.

Despite these few instances, Odysseus remains faithful to Penelope in their twenty years apart.  He does not love either Calypso or Circe as he did Penelope, and thusly chooses not to stay with either of the two.  Although the principle might get lost in the tale, Penelope played the part of the goal for Odysseus to obtain, or re-obtain by the end of the

Penelope is also important because she (along with Telemachus) is the main reason for Odysseus to return home. Odysseus shows his great love and determination when goddess Calypso offers him immortality (Book 5) on the condition that he remains on Ogygia as her husband. At Odysseus's first opportunity he builds a raft and sails away, leaving the lonely Calypso behind. When he reaches Phaeacia, he is then offered the hand of King Alcinous daughter, Nausicaa, who must have been beautiful because Odysseus had mistaken her for the goddess Artemis on first site. Instead Odysseus wished to return to Penelope.

This is the final test that Penelope gives her husband. She is holding onto her control throughout this entire test. She is showing that she has never lost control of her homeland during the time that Odysseus has been away. This is where Odysseus becomes aware that his wife is testing him. He of coarse passes this test, because he knows that the bed cannot be moved. He becomes angry that his wife is testing him however; he wanted her to take his word and actions against the suitors as proof of his identity. Instead of taking everything at face value however Penelope decides to prove her own strength and test her husband one last time. Who is in control during this scene? Personally I believe Penelope is, because is she wanted to have Odysseus