Penelope in "The Odyssey"

Paper Summary:

This paper details the significance of Penelope's character in the Greek classic "The Odyssey," by Homer. The writer contends and explains how Penelope's cleverness and cunning works to her advantage in dealing with her suitors, which she divides and pits against one another. This brief yet concise paper details the plot of Homer's poem while illustrating Penelope's personality as a clever manipulator.

From the Paper:

"Penelope's first reaction to the stranger is curiosity. The first thing she must know about him is exactly who he is. She asks to know about his family and his hometown. When he recounts that he once knew Odysseus, she becomes sorrowful and also speculative. She then asks him to tell her what "sort of clothes her wore; what the man himself was like, and the comrades who were with him." As he answers her question, she becomes more tearful and he attitudes toward the stranger changes. She tells him that he will be "one beloved and honored" in her halls. She also tells him that of all the stranger that have made their way to her, none have seemed so much like Odysseus in "form, voice, and feet." Here it seems as though Penelope may be aware that the stranger is indeed Odysseus but she never acknowledges this fact forthright."

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