At a very young age, Penelope, daughter of Icarus and a Naiad, was thrown into the sea by her father, for an unknown reason. Luckily, being the daughter of a naiad, she was swiftly rescued by a flock of ducks, hence earning her the nickname “duck.”
As she is often called “duckie” by her cousin, the beautiful Helen of Sparta, she believes that the nickname is used to mock her. Unlike Helen, Penelope was not as comfortable in social situations and wasn’t able to seduce the men, which would also bring the awkwardness of the duck. She believed that no one would actually love her as they loved Helen because Helen was beautiful and she was plain. She sees herself as the second choice as many men in Ancient Greece were falling head over heels for her cousin. When Helen did get married, Penelope was merely a consolation prize. This may have been true at the time, Penelope has developed a reputation that makes her seem equal or maybe even better than Helen.
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The duck is often shown as being resourceful because of its ability to walk, swim and fly. Using what she believed was her father’s motive for throwing her into the water, she crafts the story of having to weave a shroud for Odysseus’ father Laertes. Another trait of the duck is that it has a great sense of family. Despite Odysseus’ beliefs, she did not run off with a suitor and leave her son and husband. She stayed and waited for Odysseus, remaining loyal to who she was already in love with instead of forming new bonds. The symbolism of the duck shows how Penelope is able to react and adapt to different situations and shouldn 't be overlooked because she is less