Penelope has a very active conscious and sub-conscious. At times, it is difficult to distinguish which acts are being committed by her consciously and which are being committed subconsciously. With this in mind, it is beneficial to think of her cleverness being illustrated on both levels. Penelope exhibits at several different points that she is incredibly clever and manipulative. Although, to see these acts as acts of cleverness, you have to take an inferred viewpoint that Penelope recognizes the beggar as possibly being Odysseus. The acts include: telling suitors to bring her gifts to prove themselves to her, when she tells the suitors that she will wed the one who wins the archery competition, and when she tests Odysseus by attempting …show more content…
to move their bridal bed. In book 18, Penelope scolds the suitors for their behaviors by saying: “…the way you suitors now behave is not the way that wooers are to take when they would vie in courting one who is a noblewoman (p. 370).” Up until now, Penelope had been rather quiet about the suitors. It can be argued that she may actually have a feeling that Odysseus is back, and that she is now using the suitors like they have been using her, for her wealth. This act of cleverness can be observed by Odysseus being pleased by his wife beguiling the suitors with suave words “while she had other things in mind (p. 370).” This second example of cleverness on Penelope’s part is illustrated in book 19 when Penelope tells Odysseus that she will wed the one who wins the nearly impossible archery contest; “…this test will try the suitors’ craft… (p.
398).” If it is assumed by the last example that Penelope may have a curiosity that she is in fact talking to Odysseus, then this can be interpreted the in the same manner. It is at this point that we also recognize Penelope becoming highly manipulative of the suitors. She is ready to welcome Odysseus home, but she has to stage it so that he can triumph over the suitors and announce that he has arrived at the same time. This was also clever because with this type of contest, there will be no doubts as to whether or not this beggar is in fact Odysseus. By Penelope setting the stage for this contest, the argument can also be made that Penelope is thinking the in the exact same manner as Odysseus, that he has to re-emerge into society in a very triumphant …show more content…
scenario. The third example of Penelope’s cleverness occurs after Odysseus has won the archery contest and proven to everyone (except Penelope, who was asleep) that he has come home.
After she was awakened, Penelope is confronted by Odysseus and asks Eurycleia to move the bridal bed in book 23. She had very slyly mentioned this mid-sentence, and thus made it very difficult to notice; the bed’s permanent fixture was a secret only known to Odysseus. This was Penelope’s final test to Odysseus to see if he was really who he said he was. With his answer concerning the manner in which the bed was made, Penelope was assured that her curiosities were
correct. All together, these three instances illustrating Penelope’s cleverness show that she may not be as flighty and excitable as many think. At some times, her actions were just a cover for her to protect the fact that Odysseus had in fact returned so that he could make his grand entry back into the society. Had Penelope actually been as flighty as her suitors thought, she probably would have blown Odysseus’ cover as a beggar, which could have led to his death at the hands of the suitors. Instead, she used her cleverness and ‘covertly’ set the stage for Odysseus’ return.
Penelope tests Odysseus to make sure that he is really her husband. Penelope asks Odysseus to tell one secret of their marriage. Odysseus is outraged that she doesn’t believe him, but he tells her that their bedroom was made out of part of a tree. Penelope felt the need to test Odysseus because she was not sure it was him. She show this when she says, “Think what difficulty the gods gave: they denied us life
Upon hearing of the travels of the beggar, Penelope is very interested to question him as to whether he has ever crossed paths with her husband Odysseus. The story that Odysseus tells her is for the most part untrue. However, he does give specific details as to what clothes he had worn, so that Penelope would believe that the story was truthful. The beggar then goes on to tell her that Odysseus is coming back to Ithaka in the very near future. It is at this point that Penelope first thought that the beggar could actually be her husband Odysseus, as she was overcome with emotions, and began to cry. From this point on ...
...to be true about Odysseus' whereabouts. It is this former aspect of her thought process in making the decision to present the bow to the suitors as a more pressing concern to Penelope and ultimately makes her decision for her.
Odysseus could’ve came home, and demanded that the suitors leave which would have most likely ended in a blood bath. However, instead he decided to be more calculating in his return. He stayed disguised, and enlisted the help of his household servants to take his house back. He prepares his son, and attending a feast with the many suitors. After much planning and playing the role of a beggar, he enters the contest to win Penelope’s hand. The suitors argue and ridicule him, but he takes the bow and successfully strings it. Telemachus order’s the women inside to prevent them from hearing the soon to occur sounds of battle, and Odysseus shoots his arrow through the twelve axe heads. He then reveals his identity, and begins slaughtering the suitors. Although he did use strength in the end in battle to win Penelope back, Odysseus used careful planning and was very careful in developing a plan to succeed in his goal. This is the largest example in the poem of the theme of using the mind over physical strength, because without using his mind and wit Odysseus would not have succeeded in his
Homer also makes her seem clever when she gets all of the suitors to bring her gifts before she “chooses one” knowing that they are in a short supply of resources. In another instance, he portrays her as clever in the way that she keeps the suitor away by weaving the tunic for Odysseus and secretly taking it apart every night. The role Penelope plays is very important because she is seen as a person, not a possession. Finally, there are the goddesses. They represent women in all their glory.
Firstly, Penelope who plays Odysseus’s wife is alone tending to her city Ithica until her husband returns. Meanwhile Odysseus is out fighting in the Trojan War and against many of the Greek God’s who are trying to make his trip back home as eventful and hard as possible; “…work out his journey home so Odysseus can return” (Homer 276). While King Odysseus is away Penelope is to deal with a bunch of suitors who are eating and trashing out Ithica, “…if those suitors have truly paid in blood for all their reckless outrage” (559). In order for Penelope to keep peace until Odysseus returns she has to come up with a clever plan to keep the suitors from completely taking over. For almost 2 years Penelope was able to keep the suitors from getting out of hand by saying she will find someone to marry and replace Odysseus after she is d...
Not only had Penelope mentioned her dream, but she also had asked Odysseus what he had been wearing the last time that he had seen him when entertained in Crete. Penelope had given him a test that would have proved most difficult for any man who may have actually seen what Odysseus had been wearing. Odysseus went on to describe that he had been wearing a mantle, a tunic, and also a golden pin. This golden pin was something that Penelope had given him right before he had left for war and was important to her. By Odysseus mentioning the pin it had signified to her that he may have still loved her for the 20 years he had been away. She had began weeping after the description had been given as she likely knew that it had been Odysseus in which the old man claimed to see. During this moment it is very likely for her to have recognized that the old man was Odysseus and that is why he was able to describe his outfit with such
...lyphemus knows who blinded him so Odysseus calls back to the Cyclops to tell him that his name is Odysseus despite his men begging him not to. Because of his arrogance Poseidon punished Odysseus and his men and delayed their journey back home and caused a storm that made Odysseus shipwrecked. His arrogance also portrayed by Homer when he decided to listen to the Sirens instead of putting wax in his ears. He took a risky decision and his decision could have put him and his men in harms way. In contrast, throughout the story, Penelope appears to be humble. Instead of acting like Odysseus, Penelope never intends to make her name well known throughout the suitors. Instead she stays calm and encourages the suitors to stay home and make them think that they are welcome. Of course she hate the suitors but she never tells them to leave. This behavior contrast with Odysseus.
Penelope uses this to determine if the beggar is really her husband “…Odysseus come home to me, we two shall certainly know one another without questioning: we’ve secret signs, unknown to all but us. (23.460).” Odysseus smiles, and encouraged Penelope to test him, replying that she might not be familiar with him in his dirty rags. In the following lines after she finds that she and Odysseus are mentally perfect for each other. After Odysseus replies to her question she undoubtedly knows that it is her husband “These were his words; her knees and heart went weak; the secret signs that he revealed were certain proof. She ran to greet Odysseus, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his head… (23.463-464).” Because of the homoprosyne Penelope has with Odysseus she is still in love with him even after 20 years of being apart. This explicitly shows that mental likeness is the most important thing in a relationship. If singles can find this in a partner, then they can enjoy life with them better even more than being physically attracted to each other.
The tone in the beginning of this book is very frantic; it starts out with Eurycleia rushing through the hallways and into Penelope’s room to inform her of the good news. The old nurse tells Penelope that Odysseus is indeed back home to Ithaca. At first Penelope couldn’t believe it but when she was reassured she cry tears of joy. The tone then shifts to a calmer one, even a little harsh. When Penelope sees Odysseus in person she seems to show no emotion at all. The reason for all this is because she fears the Gods are playing a trick on her or maybe Odysseus is no longer the man he used to be. With these assumptions she keeps a distance from her husband. But then Odysseus proves himself to his wife by describing their bedstead in deep detail, with this Penelope is reassure that Odysseus has not changed after all these years. The tone then changes to a more happy and joyful one to go along with their reunion as husband and wife.
...t get close to Penelope, only her true love. This statement proves that it is in fact Odysseus and that he has returned. Penelope knows he is the only one to know how he made the room. Odysseus used his knowledge and intelligence to win back his love. No other person was ever able to move the bed except for Odysseus. He and Penelope were the only two people who knew how the bed was made. Odysseus again conquers his task through his intelligence.
However, his journey isn’t over yet. This last leg of Odysseus’s journey is perhaps the most important and crucial. Odysseus’s nurse and maidservant, Eurycleia is the first woman in Ithaca to know that Odysseus is back after she recognizes the scar on his leg while she is washing him. Eurycleia vows to keep his identity a secret. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope has stayed faithful to Odysseus for all the years that he was gone. Penelope was consistently unweaving her web to the delay the suitors. The reader even grows sympathetic for Penelope as “we see her struggle to make the virtuous choice about her marriage, despite pressures from her suitors, her son’s endangered situation, and her own uncertainty about Odysseus’s survival” (Foley ). Finally, Odysseus reveals his identity and Penelope is bewildered, but quickly embraces her husband after he tells her the secret of their immovable bed. It is the faithfulness of Penelope and nurse Eurycleia that insures Odysseus’s survival to the very end.
First of all, Odysseus is not truly faithful to Penélopê because he chooses to dawdle on Kirkê’s island. He only leaves when he is reminded by his shipmates to go home to Ithaka after “a year grew fat”; “Captain, shake off this trance, and think of home,” (page 179). Odysseus was so enticed by Kirkê that he forgot to even go home. Divinity aside, Kirkê is just one woman and Odysseus had one very faithful one waiting at home for him. Meanwhile, Penélopê manages to evade the suitors many times. She is shown to be cunning and faithful by giving the suitors a
moment that a sudden idea came to Penelope to confront her Suitors in all their