Penelope´s Cleverness In Homer's 'Odyssey'

Penelope’s Cleverness
In the Odyssey, written by, Homer Penelope seems, at first, to be portrayed as someone constantly weeping for her husband, while being oblivious to the struggles of her kingdom. However, the story actually portrays her as someone who is in control of her surroundings. Penelope is torn at the thought of not seeing her husband again. Back when Penelope was alive it was not proper for a lady to be with more than one man and Penelope knew this. She did not wish to be with more than one man, so she used her weeping to distract her suitors so she would not be looked at with disgrace in her century. After twenty years Penelope is given strength, while pretending to be oblivious, in a categorical way Penelope demonstrates her

With confidence, Penelope speaks up “if only Odysseus came back home to on native soil now, he and his son would avenge the outrage of these men—like that!” (17.600-01). In the Quote one is able to notice that Penelope is trying to get a spark out of her son, to see how he would reply to her after having found out that her husband is said to be on the island from the god Theoclymenus. Penelope realizes that her son said that he did not speak to Odysseus but she senses that her son may be lying to her. Moments after Penelope voiced how she wished for her husband to be home her son “shock with a lusty sneeze like a thunderclap resounding up and down the halls” (17.602-03). At this point in the book Penelope has already been told about the arrival of a beggar and she has formed an idea that the beggar may be her husband. Penelope speaks in response to the sneeze, “bring me this stranger now, face –to-face! You hear how my son sealed all I said with a sneeze?” (17.606-07). This response shows that Penelope got what she wanted, which was to get her son to reveal what she believed to be true this whole time. The belief was that the beggar is her husband which is confirmed when she said: “bring me the stranger now” (17.606). Homer portrayed Penelope as oblivious but the sneeze shows that she is able to pick up on the little things

Penelope sent the swineherd Eumaeus to get the beggar so she could speak to him, Eumaeus returns alone but she does not take this negatively instead she notes that the stranger is being smart. She Points out that the stranger is “nobody’s fool” (17. 653) and that “he sees how things could go” (17.654). At this moment readers, along with Penelope are able to realize that if the beggar was a true beggar he would have come the instant he was directed but instead the beggar chooses to say no and tells Penelope when they will meet up. For a beggar to say not to Penelope, back in the time of the Odysseus it was unheard of. when a visitor or beggar was instructed to meet with the head of the household they are directed to do so the instant they are asked. The beggar did not do this and Penelope is able to pick up on it. Penelope at this point is intrigued and curious to the possibility that the beggar is her husband, due to what the god Theoclymemus told her. With confidence Penelope uses her words carefully due to not wanting to reveal too much, she says, “surely no men on earth can match that gang for reckless, deadly schemes” (17.654-55). She says that the suitors are the worst men she will face and that the stranger can be no worse than them so she will wait like the stranger instructed. This critique was not portrayed by