The Character Of Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

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Penelope is the cunning, faithful, and incredibly patient wife of our hero, Odysseus. She is also said to be, “a clever piece indeed!” for she spent many years, “deluding the wits of the whole nation.” (Homer 18). It is mentioned that Penelope is gifted with, “skill in beautiful work, and good intelligence, and cleverness such as never was heard of, even in the old stories- …” (Homer 18). Which supports our theory of her being cunning and shows she is rather resourceful and artistic.

The suitors are angry at Penelope because for three, almost four, years she had been putting off taking a new husband. This infuriated them because for that amount time, they have been, “waiting day after day, rivals for a great price, never look at another woman, when you would expect each man to go a-wooing for himself!” (Homer 18). Furthermore, they are also enraged toward Penelope because of the ruse she had them all under. …show more content…
To keep from remarrying, Penelope had devised a simple yet effective ruse. It began when she said to her suitors, “‘Young men that seek my hand, now that Odysseus is dead I know you are in a hurry for marriage; but wait until I finish this cloth, for I don’t want to waste all the thread I have spun.” (Homer 18). And so, the ruse set into motion, “There she was all day long, working away at the great web; but at night, she used to unravel it by torchlight.” (Homer 18). The men of Ithaca believed her for three years, but then, “the fourth year began, and a time came when one of her women told us, one who knew the secret;” (Homer 18). Thanks to a servant telling the men of Penelope’s nightly activities, her secret was discovered and she was forced to complete the burial

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