Essay On Penelope In The Odyssey

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A real hero is a person who follows the seven virtues, one with strength and determination. A hero is polite and kind but, cunning and strategic when necessary. Only one person fulfills all these duties and that person is the one and only humble Penelope. Penelope is a woman who fooled worthless men for more than a decade and no matter how angry she was at these parasites or so-called-suitors, she had tremendous patience with them all.

In the short story “The Odyssey” by Homer, there were many heroes with many faults and to sum it all, most of them who were called heroes in reality weren’t. For example, Odysseus, Odysseus was a hero in the eyes of many people but, in reality he was a cocky, arrogant, and manipulative man. He didn’t save a single life but his own and that was because of his rash decisions and his clouded mind. Odysseus says, “Cyclops- if any man on the face of earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so - say Odysseus…”(9.500-505). The fact that Odysseus has the audacity to insult a powerful son of Poseidon reveals his naive persona. What he said not only put himself in danger but, also his comrades. …show more content…

She continued to fool men with her clever tricks and not once did she falter with her plans. She was heroic in her own way and her patience is what brought her far. Unlike Odysseus, Penelope had the patience of a god which is one of the many reasons why she is great. Aside from having patience Penelope was sharp-witted. She fooled men effortlessly with the same trick for a decade, weaving and unwinding everyday. Telemachus says, “Nay, go to thy chamber, and busy thyself with thine own tasks, the loom and the distaff…” (1.356-357). The fact that her suitors still fell for her tricks shows how incredibly strategic she really is. She used the role of women in her own favor and it worked

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