A Roman View of Penelope

Paper Summary:

In the "Odyssey", Penelope is portrayed as an ideal of aristocratic Greek womanhood. She exemplifies the feminine virtues of hospitality, faithfulness, prudence, and above all weaving, the symbol of chaste, virtuous conduct in women in Greece as much as it was in Rome. The paper examines the way Penelope's character is portrayed by the Roman writer Ovid as opposed to the original Greek written by Homer. The paper claims that Ovid's depiction of Penelope was the exact opposite of the character described by Homer. The paper then examines the reasons for this Roman point of view.

From the Paper:

"Ovid's approach to Penelope in the Heroides is satirical of the traditional portrait given of her by Homer. Many factors conditioned this choice. Simple repetition of Homer's version of Penelope would not have been sufficiently interesting since that approach was well known. The use of Homer as a schoolbook in Roman education would have encouraged a juvenile and satirical attitude toward the Epics (not that this was the only possible Roman attitude toward Homer!) in the same way that famous events from American history are today commonly used as a basis for satire in various forms of popular culture such as cartoons. The very seriousness of the epic genre, perhaps even more exaggerated in the Roman world than in the Greek, would have invited humor as a kind of relief. Ovid's early works, in any case, tended to be satirical and subversive of genre. The satirical technique Ovid employed in the first poem of the Heroides, a letter supposedly sent by Penelope to Odysseus on the eve of his return to Ithaca, is quite straightforward. He describes Penelope's character, actions, and concerns, as simply being the opposite of what one would expect from reading the Odyssey. The disconnection between this presentation and the reader's expectation provokes a reflection that gives rise to humor. Homer's Penelope is steadfast and resourceful; Ovid's is fearful and whining. Homer's Penelope is faithful and deeply in love with her absent husband; Ovid's is a jealous shrew fearful of his deceiving her with other women. Throughout the poem, every expectation about Penelope that the reader might have is subverted."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Marrou, Henri-Irenee. A History of Education in Antiquity. George Lamb, trans. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1956. 25 Apr. 2008 <http://books.google.com/books?id=wv6kSdSFTgMC&printsec=frontcover&sig=xw5IKGFqpYWuvJYrmE0eiYrf1Bk#PPR5,M1>.
• Ovid. Heroides. Trans. A. S. Kline. 2001. 25 Apr. 2008 <http://www.tonykline.co.uk/PITBR/Latin/Heroides1-7.htm

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