Therefore, Penelope’s ability to trick numerous men through her simple weaving ruse attests to her sharp-mindedness and quick thinking. Through Odysseus, it is communicated that the Greeks valued brains as much as brawn in their heroes of old. There are also multiple other examples as the tale of the Odyssey progresses, involving the blinding of Polyphemus and the theft of Helios’ cattle. His most notable feat was the idea of the Trojan horse, which ultimately secured the victory over the Trojans. Throughout the Odyssey, we are repeatedly told that Odysseus is a clever and wily man. This is a first hint that Penelope was acting as a heroine.Ĭunning The blinding of drunk Polyphemus by Odysseus and his men, in the Museum of Archaeology in Sperlonga, via the Ministry of Heritage, Culture, and Tourism Lazio This way Penelope earned valuable time and did not marry one of the suitors before the return of her husband. Therefore, a project that should have taken a few months at most resulted in one that took three years. By night, she would unravel the progress that she made during the day. Penelope would weave by day to keep the pestering suitors at bay. However, as we learn, this was all a great ruse. She had been using the weaving of a great funeral shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes, as an excuse to avoid picking a new husband out of the suitors. In book 2 of the Odyssey, Penelope’s clever deception of the suitors is revealed. Penelope in the Odyssey Woman weavers at work, Amasis painter, 550-530 BC, via The Met Museum, New York They actively seek to have her hand in marriage on the assumption that Odysseus has already died, as he has been missing for twenty whole years. These include Penelope’s attempts to ward off a horde of eager suitors. While the Odysseyfocuses on the adventures of Odysseus as he journeys back home, some scenes examine life back in Ithaca. She raised their son while looking after their household, which incorporated a variety of responsibilities. Penelope raised Telemachus by herself while Odysseus was away with the Achaeans at war against Troy. Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, with whom she had a son named Telemachus. Who Was the Odyssey’s Penelope? Penelope being awakened by Euryclea, Angela Kauffman, 1773, via The British Museum, London
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