Penelope in The Odyssey
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Penelope in The Odyssey
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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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.
After the beggar--Odysseus in disguise--arrives at Ithaka, we see more of Penelope's warmth, intelligence, and
beauty. Within the limits of behavior available to her as a woman at that time, she is extraordinary. She is a match
for Odysseus.
Odysseus: The name Odysseus has been translated a number of ways. Odysseus' grandfather, a notorious thief
and thus not a popular fellow, gave him the name. It means "the person people love to hate." Once while telling
one of his false stories Odysseus introduces himself as "Quarrelman." One scholar says his name means "trouble,"
but the usual translation is "Victim of Enmity." The word odyssey means the journey of Odysseus, long and full of
adventure, rich with people and places, never in a straight line--a life.
Odysseus is an epic hero. He's a legendary figure with more than the usual amount of brains and muscle.
Sometimes he's almost superhuman. At the end of the story, with only his inexperienced son and two farmhands
to help, he kills more than a hundred of Penelope's suitors. He's able to do it because he has the help of the
goddess Athena. He embodies the ideals Homeric Greeks aspired to: manly valor, loyalty, piety, and intelligence.
Piety means being respectful of the gods, acknowledging their control of fate, knowing you need their help.
Odysseus' intelligence is a mix of keen observation, instinct, and street smarts. He's extremely cautious. He's good
at disguises and at concealing his feelings. He's a fast, inventive liar.
Odysseus is also very human, and you get to see him in many roles. He is often moved to tears. He makes
Odysseus is also very human, and you get to see him in many roles. He is often moved to tears. He makes
mistakes, gets in...
essay penelope odyssey