Penelope proves herself to be a “mistress of her own heart” by (1) exercising commitment and loyalty to her departed love and (2) employing deceit and pity to manipulate her suitors, buying her time to remain independent from men other than Odysseus although she fears for the possibility of never reuniting with Odysseus and faces constant temptations from the suitors. To be a “mistress of her own heart” means that she is in control of her emotions. Penelope controls her emotions by remaining loyal to Odysseus, despite the many challenges presented to her.
Penelope exercises commitment and loyalty to Odysseus by demanding the respect for Odysseus and his counterparts and being skeptical of his return. Penelope is constantly seeking balance between being perceived as ready for marriage and taking
…show more content…
Gifts are especially tempting as they play with human natures desire to obtain value, yet she demands for them, controlling her temptation, to restore Odysseus’s house. Penelope compares the suitors abuse of her courtship to the minimum standards of manners, after making herself seem deprived of joy in life. When referring to the average woman who is courted she says, “Her friends out to be feasted, gifts are due to her; would any dare to live at her expense?” (18.346-348). By using the word “ought” she implies a moral obligation to provide her with splendors. In addition she uses the word “due” to insinuate that they are in debt to her, therefore, the house of Odysseus, and are obligated to repay this. The use of the rhetorical question accentuates the unlikelihood of this treatment in the abstract. Specifically, the use of the word “dare” implies that there is risk involved in their malpractice towards her which is an assertion of her confidence derived from her trust in either her ability to or that Odysseus’s son will be able to deal out