How Is Penelope A Hero In The Odyssey

Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, is often overlooked because of her absence during the majority of The Odyssey. However, she is vital in the death of the suitors and the completion of Odysseus’ nostos. Penelope can even be considered a hero equal to Odysseus because of her clever tact for reasons of good virtue and because of her own journey for nostos. Merriam Webster defines a hero as “a person admired for... noble qualities” and through her well-crafted tactics and stories about her trickery, her noble qualities are clearly seen. The first time any sort of trickery by Penelope is mentioned, it is told to Telemachus by Antinous. He says that “she set up a great loom in the royal halls” in order to weave a “shroud for old lord Laertes” and

Penelope is “luring gifts from her suitors”, which is clever enough in itself, not to mention she has “something else in mind”, namely, Odysseus (18.317-9). This not only shows how clever she is and a possible reason for keeping the suitors in the house, but also shows her unfailing loyalty as previously noted. All the while, it is believed that she was only keeping the suitors around because she is indecisive but really she is more clever than she seems. The fact that she got gifts as a sort of repayment for the damage the suitors were inflicting on her household is something that requires a lot of forethought. She must also be a clever manipulator in order to repeatedly convince the suitors to give her presents, even though she did not choose one to marry. Yet, her manipulation is inspired by her loyalty to Odysseus and to the keeping of his household. Loyalty, as previously mentioned, is one of the most admired virtues in Homeric times. Not only is she expressing her loyalty, but Odysseus admires her trick himself. He “glowed with joy” when he finds out about it, further proving that what she does is