Penelope's Use Of Symbolism In The Odyssey

Penelope acknowledges that she can be forced to marry one of the suitors, consequently devising a plan to manipulate them. This “instance of trickery” is described by Penelope when she says, “‘...let me finish my weaving before I marry,/ or else my thread will have been spun in vain/ ... shroud I weave for Lord Laertes/ when cold death comes to lay him on his bier’” (2.93-2.101). Penelope’s weaving symbolizes her prolonging of another marriage, demonstrating that her scheming is often successful. She considers herself to still be loyal to Odysseus (her first husband) as stopping her work on the shroud would cause her to marry, which she describes as being “vain.” Nevertheless, by promising marriage after she finishes the shroud, she gives the

suitors an answer while allowing herself the time to make the shroud to avoid marriage. This is proven to work as Antinous (a dominant suitor) goes on to state, “‘We have men’s hearts; she touched them; we agreed’” (2.104). The course of action Penelope plans is thoroughly thought out as she understands what she must do to get her way. Although she isn’t able to physically fight the suitors to avoid marriage, she manipulates to the best of her ability with knowledge that her best chance is seduction or sympathy. She metaphorically manages to “touch” the hearts of the suitors, bringing them to agree to her compromise. All in all, the shroud Penelope weaves for Laertes allows an agreement she makes with the suitors while simultaneously symbolizing her crafty personality.
This symbolism of Penelope’s shroud for Laertes delves further into her cunning characteristics as well as her devoted ones.

In addition to making a manipulative compromise with the suitors, she manages to delay her completion of making the shroud, and therefore her marriage even further through secretive plots later described by Antinous as follows, “‘So every day she wove on the great loom/ but every night by torchlight she unwove it;/ and so for three years she deceived the Akhaians’” (2.110-2.112). Even though all this time has passed, Penelope continues to carry out her deceiving plot with the shroud. While she weaves it during the day, it proves that she understands the importance of the suitors seeing her progress as coming closer to the finish will allow her marriage. At night, Penelope’s unweaving of the shroud proves her utter devotion to her husband Odysseus even though he has disappeared and many people believe him to be dead. Everytime she unweaves the shroud, she spends enormous time, energy, and effort on metaphorically turning back time so that she doesn’t have to marry someone besides Odysseus. Penelope would easily be able to live a happy, easy life with one of the suitors; yet, she chooses a much harder path of life with Odysseus, who won’t necessarily come back. Hence, Penelope’s devoted character is portrayed through the symbolism of the shroud she weaves and unweaves for her father-in-law

Laertes.
Despite Penelope’s cunning and devoted qualities, Penelope’s is still ultimately unable to completely stop the suitors, symbolizing her inferior weakness. Her success in deceiving the suitors is short-lived as it is ultimately acknowledged by Antinous when he says, “‘Wits like Penelope’s never were before,/ but this time—well, she made poor use of them./ For here are suitors eating up your property/… She makes a name for herself,/ but you can feel the loss it means for you’” (2.127-2.132). Notwithstanding his admittance of her crafty ability to deceive him and the other suitors for so long, she ultimately is found and maintaining her pride and devotion to Odysseus is costing Penelope her home as suitors live off it and it’s resources. Her cunning character is unable to prevent the suitors from disrespecting her, symbolizing her inferior and weak character. Unlike Odysseus, she cannot fight the suitors off her land and despite her best efforts, they are slowly going to able to get past her manipulations. Overall, the suitors’ discourtesy towards Penelope symbolizes her inadequate strength through situations in the long haul.