Sara Casola
Wendy Thatcher
English Literature and Culture
11/11/2014
Penelope’s Marital Troubles As of her early married life, Penelope encounters emotional troubles. From The very instance that Penelope laid eyes on Odysseus, when she was watching her suitors who were competing for her hand in marriage, he was said to be manipulative and sneaky. Penelope’s maids at the time, heard that “he had the manners of a small-town big shot however; he was clever, too clever for his own good” (Atwood31). Therefore, the maids were implying that his cleverness would get him into trouble so he can be considered as one to play with danger. The other men even joked that one should not “gamble with Odysseus, the friend of Hermes” who is quick and cunning as well as the protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen, thieves etc. (Atwood 31). Thus, the other men linked Odysseus to the god who symbolizes theft and trickery and they warned to beware Odysseus. So, from understanding this we can foreshadow that Odysseus may use his abilities against Penelope. Despite these warnings he won her hand and they married. He may have been attentive and considerate at first however, “his manner was that of an older person to a child” (Atwood 57). Consequently, he was infantilizing her instead of treating her as an equal which causes an imbalance of importance between couples. This inequality was just one of the troubles Penelope faced. Another was her inclination that Odysseus was constantly thinking
