Through the character of Penelope in the odyssey we can see that Homeric society believes the values that shape an ideal women are beauty, skills, modesty, loyalty and intelligence. Penelope represents all of these values in the Odyssey. I would consider Penelope the 2nd hero in the Odyssey right behind her husband, Odysseus. Penelope is a moral agent in the Odyssey. This can be seen when she refuses to marry any of the suitors because she hopes that her husband will come back from the Trojan War. She fights the popular belief in ancient culture that women are dangerous and lead men to do crazy things. Penelope is the opposite of dangerous, she is stable and acts as the head of the household during Odysseus’ time away. Scholars