Helen Chen z3288358

To what extent do Penelopes character and actions, as told by Homer, make her similar or different to other women in Greek mythology?

Although Homers epic poem The Odyssey revolves around the Greek hero Odysseus journey home from the Trojan War, illustrating patriarchal dominion in the divine and human realms, it further portrays the significant role of women in the determination of the fate of men. Penelope, Odysseus wife, mother of his son Telemachus and daughter of Icarius of Sparta is portrayed as a most enigmatic woman endowed with a soul of loyalty, wisdom and beauty. She is comparable to the likes of Clytemnestra, Calypso, Circe, Hera, Nausicaa, Arete, Aphrodite, Athena, Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, Alkmene, Pandora, Helen and Anticlea. Back on the island of Ithaca, whilst mourning her separation from Odysseus, Penelope is threatened by over a hundred suitors swarming the palace to court her, feasting on and depleting the resources of King Odysseus and scheming to kill Telemachus.

The intimate and familial love shared between Penelope and Odysseus left her grief-stricken in his twenty-year absence yet simultaneously it empowered her to remain steadfastly faithful. Her fidelity and unwillingness to remarry enables her to anchor the kingship of Ithaca as her status as queen would have established her future husband as king. (Penelope, Virtuous Wife of Odysseus, 1999)

Penelopes devotion to Odysseus distinguishes her from her cousin Queen Clytemnestra who echoes her situation but is tempted into a love affair with Aegisthus, the son of Thyestes and Agamemnons cousin, ultimately killing Agamemnon upon his glorious return. Exploiting her personal superiority over Agamemnon, she forces him to walk the purple carpet, a symbol of royalty, thereby making him commit hubris and exposing him to the citizens of Argos as an excessively proud king who is in disharmony with the divine powers and will inevitably be destroyed. Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon as he steps out of a bath, kills Cassandra, the woman Agamemnon won as his Trojan War prize, and
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Helen Chen z3288358 subsequently rules in her own power as queen. Ambitious Clytemnestras motive for revenge is controversial, perhaps she despised Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis or she might have been driven by jealousy that Agamemnon brought back the beautiful and intelligent Cassandra.

Conversely, Penelope remains constantly faithful and accepts Odysseus affairs with Calypso and Circe without condemnation, possibly even regarding his eventual abandonment of the divine seductresses who exceed her in beauty as his act of loyalty. Their matchless mutual commitment is metaphorically represented by their immovable wedding bed.

It is arguable that the patriarchal norm and double standard that men are at the liberty of enjoying the intimate companionship of other women whilst married women are constrained to strict codes of devotion to husbands is unjust. Though both remain true to their husbands, Penelopes forgiving nature is contrasted with Heras vengeful spirit, as the goddess of women and marriage transforms Zeus mortal lover Io into a heifer and attempts to thwart the success of Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alkmena. Thus, graceful Penelope along with Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete, daughter and wife of King Alcinous, represent the ideal faithful woman for marriage who also respects social customs and familial values. Alternatively, the divine Aphrodite shamed all the goddesses with her lack of morals when was caught by her husband Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, in a web of treachery in bed with Ares, the god of war.

Penelopes steadfast loyalty to Odysseus is evident when upon being committed to remarry, she prays for Artemis to kill her and weeps until Athena appears in her dreams to comfort her. Hence, it is rather callous for Homer to cast doubt and suspicion over Penelopes intentions merely because of her dream whereby she expresses delight in observing her pet geese and experiences unrestrained sorrow when an eagle slaughters them, all prior to the eagle identifying himself as Odysseus and the pet geese as the suitors.

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Helen Chen z3288358 In Odysseuss absence, Penelope is left in a precarious situation but her cunning and shrewd character as well as her skill as a dextrous textile weaver, interestingly linked to the etymological symbolisation of her name which means loom, enable her to socially resist her suitors and furthermore, deceive them in her schemes. (Penelope: Power of Women in Greek Society, 2008) Initially, Penelope declares that upon finishing a funeral shroud for Odysseus elderly father, Laertes, she would choose a new husband but for three years she wove during daylight and unravelled the work in the dark of the night until her ploy was exposed by a servant. The unravelling of her weaving can symbolically represent her resistance towards the governing societys system of marriage, heroically maintaining her loyalty towards Odysseus and defending his patriarchal rights over her. (Penelope: Power of Women in Greek Society, 2008) Penelopes cleverness and deceitful manipulation is

associated with the powers of Athena, the goddess of battle and wisdom, as the suitors state that Three whole years she [Penelope] deceived us blind, seduced us with this scheme (Odyssey, 2.117-8)

Despite Telemachus resentful attitude that she *Penelope+ neither rejects a marriage she despises nor can be bear to bring the courting to an end while they continue to bleed my household white, Penelopes overt refusal may lead the suitors to constitute an army to force her into matrimony. Until Telemachus reaches manhood, Penelope is vulnerable to the mighty suitors and she could only seduce each yet commit to none, manipulating the men surrounding her with hopes of marriage in order to delay her final choice of a new husband. Her seemingly flighty and easily excited nature may be regarded as a form of weakness but this is intrinsically her faade used to charm her suitors whilst manifesting her courageous, crafty, intelligent and stable thoughts. Considerably like the seductive Sirens who lure sailors with their enchanting music, Penelope is assisted by Athena who endows her with extra stature and beauty to inflame the hearts of the suitors as she encourages them with her charming promise of marriage without intending to fulfil it.

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Helen Chen z3288358 She also effectively acquires material gifts from the suitors upon enlightening them of the social custom and law of courting a lady her status by showering her with presents and riches and offering herds of cattle and flocks of sheep instead of depleting her wealth. Unlike the female monsters Scylla, Charybdis and the gigantic wife of the Laestrygonian cannibal king who robbed the lives of Odysseus sailors, Penelope opted for cunning over strength and managed to remain in charge of Odysseus household, keeping it solvent over two decades and even secretly guarding a storeroom piled with gold and bronze, lavish clothing, oil and the finest vintage, away from the pilfering suitors.

Ultimately, upon her dream of the slaughter of the suitors and the return of Odysseus symbolised by the eagle and the disguised Odysseus persuasion that Odysseus is on native soil plotting the destruction of the suitors, Penelope risks her life and offers to marry the suitor who successfully strings the bow of Odysseus and shoots an arrow through the line of twelve axes. This wise tactic represents Penelopes loyal attempt to wound the prestige of the inferior and weak men indulging in a luxurious life as well as to reveal Odysseus, precipitating his long-awaited triumph. Odysseus restores his status and flanked by Telemachus, Athena and loyal servants he slaughters the suitors for their dishonouring acts. However, as Odysseus equal in mental agility, loyal Penelope keeps her distance from him even after he bathes and drops his disguise as a beggar appearing in front of her in extravagant garments and the glory of an immortal. Wary and reserved, Penelope suspects the gods are tricking her with an imposter and unlike Alkmene, who slept with Zeus disguised as her husband Amphitryon, Penelope tests Odysseus with their secret signs. Usurping his role as the mastermind she tests his knowledge and plays with his emotions by ordering her maid Eurycleia to shift their immovable wedding bed, a metaphorical symbol of their mutual loyalty, leaving Odysseus agitated that she had committed infidelity, thus exposing his true self.

Meanwhile in Hades realm, Agamemnon questions the suitors about the cause of their death, and led by Amphimedon, they inform him that Penelope, whom they had courted for so long, she simply planned our death, our black doom! (Odysseus, 24.138) Just like the
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Helen Chen z3288358 first woman Zeus created in his third attempt to wipe out men, Pandora (full of gifts), who released the evils of plague and disease into the world from her box, beautiful Penelope had tempted the suitors with gifts of marriage and feasting and in turn received riches and the gift of their demise. Both women appear bashful yet arouse cruel longing in the men and are full of deceptive lies and beautiful traps placing death sentences on the men surrounding them, the only difference being Penelopes righteousness and loyalty to Odysseus.

Indisputably, Penelopes beauty enables her to fall into the seductress model of femininity in order to control the rowdy suitors lacking in propriety, forestall her marriage to another man and maintain the hegemonic structure of Odysseus palace until Telemachus reaches manhood. Inevitably, Penelope would have been flattered by the suitors zealous courtship but she reduces Odysseus suffering by staying faithful unlike Helen, the Face that Launched a Thousand Ships, who under the influence of Aphrodite was seduced and eloped with Paris, causing the destruction of myriads of men in the Trojan war. Nonetheless, Penelope possesses characteristics attributed to the seductresses Circe and Calypso. Circe, a beautiful goddess with seductive songs and the power of transformation, could not manipulate Odysseus with her magic but fell in love with him just like Penelope had and Calypso tempts Odysseus with her beauty and intimate companionship just as Penelope entices the suitors, though less sincerely. However, unlike Circe, who advises Odysseus on how to visit Hades and escape the Sirens seduction and the monstrous Scylla, unlike Calypso, who offers Odysseus immortality and salvation from his sufferings, unlike Athena, who gives Odysseus and Telemachus practical instructions and magic protection, Penelope is a mortal woman incapable of supporting her son and husband in their battles or personal quests.

Portrayed as a combination of a seductress as well as a wife and mother, Penelope experiences inconsolable sorrow over the absence of Odysseus and becomes further distraught when she learns of the suitors plans to murder Telemachus. Fiercely protective of her son, she speaks out against the main culprit, Antinous, and denounces him publicly. Similarly, Telemachus offers her protection and refuses the suitors demands to send her back to her father Icarius without her consent. However, Telemachus does occasionally
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Helen Chen z3288358 assert his male dominance in the presence of the suitors, dismissively commanding his mother to tend to her feminine tasks with the loom. This can be attributed to his deeprooted suspicions of his mothers intentions to remarry and perhaps resentment for the maternal reproof of his loving single mother during his adolescence. Overall, Penelope is depicted as a grief-stricken wife and a protective, loving mother similar to Odysseus mother Anticlea. Both are respected women with values of morality, commitment and familial love yet the distinction is that Anticleas entire purpose of existence is to nurture and protect Odysseus, her absolute emotional dependence on him instigates her death, whereas Penelope too longs for his return but with an extra audacity that helps her overcome twenty-years of sorrow. (Pomeroy, 1995)

Accordingly, Homers The Odyssey offers readers a complex portrait of Penelope, presenting her as the faithful wife of Odysseus and the ultimate role model for Greek women, one who honours intense familial love and self-sacrificing motherhood, disgracing the disloyal wives Clytemnestra, Helen and Aphrodite. Penelope also shares numerous similarities and disparities with various women in Greek mythology, and can perhaps be considered as a manifestation of the undeniably influential role of women in Greek society. Through her shrewd tactics and sexual charm she captivates the suitors, exhibiting deceptive and seductive traits like Calypso, Circe and the Sirens, bringing destruction upon them like Pandora upon mankind. Simultaneously, she is a perfect woman for marriage, supporting and staying loyal to her husband, earning herself a name amongst the ideals of Queen Arete and Queen Anticlea.

Word Count: 1796

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Helen Chen z3288358

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Homers Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles, introduction and notes by Bernard Knox (Penguin), 1997.

Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, whores, wives, and slaves: women in classical antiquity. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.

WEBSITES
Kluth, Frederick John. 1999. Penelope, the Virtuous Wife of Odysseus, viewed 22 January 2011, <http://www.fjkluth.com/penelope.htm>.

Decode. 2008. Penelope: Power of Women in Greek Society, viewed 23 January 2011, <http://bookstove.com/classics/penelope-power-of-women-in-greek-society/>.

Gill, N.s. 2000. Odysseus II: The Wily Penelope, viewed 24 January 2011, <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekwomen/a/wilypenelope.htm>.

LECTURES/LECTURE MATERIALS
I acknowledge the valuable and much appreciated teachings of the Greek anthology and The Odyssey by Dr Maria Zarimis, Dr Alfred Vincent and other teaching staff of ARTS 2542.

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