The Odyssey is a classic epic that was written almost 3,000 years ago. This myth brings up many questions that may be more important than the actual stories it tells. Such as, what roles did women play in ancient Greek societies? What makes someone a true hero/heroine? Even though Odysseus is often named the hero of this myth, there are also powerful women who play important roles. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope was a true heroine in The Odyssey. She was smart, virtuous, and loyal to her husband.
Being clever is a common characteristic of a hero/heroine. And in The Oddysey, Penelope is often described by the narrator as “ Wise Penelope”. This shows how being cunning and intelligent defines her character. She comes up with a smart plan to put off marriage. She tells the suitors that she won’t marry until she finishes weaving a burial shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’ father. Every day she would weave at her loom, but then unwove her progress at night. “ So every day she wove on the great loom – but every night by torchlight she unwove it; and so for three years she deceived the Akhaians.” (Pg. 22). Her plan was later exposed to the suitors by her maid, Meleantho, but still, it allowed her to keep from marrying for a long time. Later, after Odysseus had strung the bow and revealed his identity, Penelope was still cautious in accepting the fact that he really was her husband. To test him, Penelope asked the nurse Eurkyleia to move Odysseus’ bed out of the bedchamber. Odysseus had built their bed onto an olive tree trunk and knew that it couldn’t be moved. Penelope knew that if he was actually Odysseus he would get upset, and he did. “ Woman, by heaven you’ve stung me now! Who dared to move my bed?… An old trunk of olive grew like a pillar on the building plot, and I laid out our bedroom round that tree,”(Pg. 435). Penelope used her wits to avoid marrying one of the suitors for as long as she could. When Odysseus finally returned, she tested him to make sure he really was Odysseus.
Penelope has high moral standards and is incredibly kind. As her palace is being taken over by suitors who are desperate to marry her Penelope doesn’t kick them out but instead tries to avoid them. Penelope even says that she would rather die than succumb to the suitors. “ O gracious divine lady Artemis, daughter of Zeus, if you could only make an end now quickly, let the arrow fly, stop my heart…”(Pg. 377). She would rather die than marry one of the suitors and cheat on her husband. Penelope’s virtue is magnified by the story of Clytemnestra, who ends up killing her husband, Agamemnon when he comes home from the war. She is also a very generous woman who treats other people well. When Odysseus first comes to her palace disguised as a beggar, she feeds him and gives him a place to sleep. “… if I can see this man has told the truth, I promise him a warm new cloak and tunic.” (Pg. 329). She treats the other beggar that came to the castle with similar respect.
Penelope is unwaveringly faithful towards her husband, Odysseus and believes that he will return home against all odds. Although Penelope has the opportunity to remarry, she chooses to remain loyal to Odysseus, even though he has been gone for almost 20 years. She takes care of her husband’s kingdom while he is away and raises Telemakhos as a single mother. She also never even considers cheating on Odysseus, because she believes deep in her heart that he is still alive. When Odysseus goes into the underworld, he sees his mother who tells him about Penelope’s current state: “ Still with your child indeed she is, poor heart, still in your palace hall. Forlorn her nights and days go by, her life used up in weeping. But no man takes your honored place” She was miserable without her husband and truly devoted to him.
Penelope is a true heroine in the Odyssey because she had the classic heroic characteristics and was able to overcome difficult times. The specific struggles she faced may also make her a more relatable hero to the readers. While Odysseus was fighting monsters, she was trying to raise their son singlehandedly, while dealing with the pressure to remarry. Additionally, Penelope has many of the common heroic qualities of 21st-century female heroes. She proves herself to be independent by raising Telemakhos and taking care of Odysseus’ kingdom while he is gone. She is confident and strong-willed enough to deal with the suitors and creates clever plans to avoid marriage. While Odysseus is the obvious choice for a classic hero. Penelope and Odysseus both endured trials and hardships of very different types, but of equal difficulty. Both of them overcame obstacles and ended up happy in end. Overall, although Odysseus remains an obvious hero of this story, Penelope is just as much a hero as he is, if not more so.
