Penelope - Revision history

Irlandos: /* Suitors */

2007-02-23T15:44:55Z

Suitors

Irlandos at 15:27, November 27, 2006

2006-11-27T15:27:06Z

Irlandos at 09:43, March 12, 2006

2006-03-12T09:43:50Z

Irlandos: /* External links */

2006-03-12T09:43:20Z

External links

Irlandos: /* References */

2006-03-12T09:42:58Z

References

Irlandos: /* References */

2006-03-12T09:42:43Z

References

Irlandos at 14:55, December 28, 2005

2005-12-28T14:55:53Z

New page

'''Penelope''' (Πηνελό;πη) is a character of the ''[[Odyssey]],'' one of the two great epic poems (the other being the ''[[Iliad]]''; both are attributed to [[Homer]]) of ancient [[Greek literature]]. Her name is close to the Greek word for "duck," but is usually understood to be a combination of the greek word for "web" or "woof" (πηνη) and the word for "face" (ωψ), very appropriate for a weaver of cunning whose motivation is hard to decipher.

==Role in the Odyssey==

Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of [[Ithaca]] [[Odysseus]] and daughter of [[Icarius]] and his wife [[Periboea]]. She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband from the [[Trojan War]], while she has hard times in refusing marriage proposal from several princes (such as [[Agelaus]], [[Amphinomus]], [[Ctessippus]], [[Demoptolemus]], [[Elatus]], [[Euryades]], [[Eurymachus]], [[Irus]] and [[Peisandros]], led by [[Antinous son of Eupeithes|Antinous]]) for four years since the fall of [[Troy]]. Odysseus, disguised as an old beggar, sees that Penelope has remained faithful to him. She devises tricks to delay her suitors, one of which is pretending to weave a burial shroud for Odysseus' elderly father [[Laertes]] and claiming she will choose one suitor when she has finished. Every night for three years she undoes part of the shroud, until the suitors discover her plot.

Because of her efforts in putting off remarriage, she is often seen as a symbol of connubial fidelity. However, Penelope is getting restless (due, in part, to [[Athena]]'s meddling) and variously calling out for [[Artemis]] to kill her and (apparently) considering marrying one of the suitors. When the disguised Odysseus returns to his home, she announces that whoever can string a particularly rigid bow can have her hand. There is debate over whether or not she is aware that Odysseus is behind the disguise. By Penelope and the suitors' knowledge, Odysseus, were he in fact present, would clearly surpass any of the suitors in any test of masculine skill that could be contrived.

Odysseus watched the suitors drink and take advantage of his family's hospitality, and gets more and more angry. The contest of the bow begins, but none of the suitors can string the bow, and Odysseus wins the contest and proceeds to kill them all with help from his son [[Telemachus]], [[Athena]] and a servant, [[Eumaeus]]. Odysseus has now shown himself in all his glory, and it is standard (in terms of a recognition scene) for all to recognize him and be happy. Penelope, however, cannot believe her husband has really returned (she fears that perhaps it is some god in disguise as Odysseus, as in the story of [[Alcmene]]), and tests him by ordering her servant [[Euryclea]] to move the bed in their wedding-chamber. Odysseus protests that this can not be done since he had made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs was a living olive tree, and Penelope finally accepts that he is truly her husband. That moment highlights their homophrosyne (like-mindedness).

In one story, after Odysseus' death, she marries his son by [[Circe]], [[Telegonus]], with whom she was the mother of [[Italus]]. [[Telemachus]] also marries [[Circe]] when [[Penelope]] and [[Telemachus]] bring Odysseus' body to Circe's island.

==Suitors==
Some of Penelope's suitors are:
*[[Antinous son of Eupeithes|Antinous]]
*[[Eurymacus]]
*[[Amphinomus]]
*[[Agelaus]]
*[[Euronymus]]
*[[Amphimedon]]
*[[Demoptolemus]]
*[[Peisander]]
*[[Polybus]]
*[[Euryades]]
*[[Elatus]]
*[[Ctesippus]]
*[[Eurydamas]]
*[[Leocritus]]
*[[Leodes]]

===Location===

The 108 suitors' homelands and strength are:

*52 from [[Dulichum]] (with 6 serving-men)
*24 from [[Same]]
*12 from [[Ithaca]] (with [[Meldon]] the herald, [[Phemius]] the bard, and 2 other servants)

==References==
*[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]''
*{{Book reference | Author=Seth L. Schein, ed. | Title=Reading the Odyssey: Selected Interpretive Essays'' | Publisher=Princeton University Press | Year=1996 | ID=0-691-04440-6}}

==External links==
*[http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136 ''Odyssey'' in English on the Perseus Project]

[[Category:Greek mythological people]]
[[Category:Characters in the Odyssey]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:43, March 12, 2006
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''Penelope''' (Πηνελό;πη) is a character of the ''[[Odyssey]],'' one of the two great epic poems (the other being the ''[[Iliad]]''; both are attributed to [[Homer]]) of ancient [[Greek literature]]. Her name is close to the Greek word for "duck," but is usually understood to be a combination of the greek word for "web" or "woof" (πηνη) and the word for "face" (ωψ), very appropriate for a weaver of cunning whose motivation is hard to decipher.	+	'''Penelope''' (Πηνελόπη) is a character of the ''[[Odyssey]],'' one of the two great epic poems (the other being the ''[[Iliad]]''; both are attributed to [[Homer]]) of ancient [[Greek literature]]. Her name is close to the Greek word for "duck," but is usually understood to be a combination of the greek word for "web" or "woof" (πηνη) and the word for "face" (ωψ), very appropriate for a weaver of cunning whose motivation is hard to decipher.

	==Role in the Odyssey==		==Role in the Odyssey==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Some of Penelope's suitors are:
 *[[Antinous]]
-*[[Eurymacus]]
+*[[Eurymachus]]
 *[[Amphinomus]]
 *[[Agelaus]]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Role in the Odyssey==
-Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of [[Ithaca]] [[Odysseus]] and daughter of [[Icarius]] and his wife [[Periboea]]. She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband from the [[Trojan War]], while she has hard times in refusing marriage proposal from several princes (such as [[Agelaus]], [[Amphinomus]], [[Ctessippus]], [[Demoptolemus]], [[Elatus]], [[Euryades]], [[Eurymachus]], [[Irus]] and [[Peisandros]], led by [[Antinous son of Eupeithes|Antinous]]) for four years since the fall of [[Troy]]. Odysseus, disguised as an old beggar, sees that Penelope has remained faithful to him.  She devises tricks to delay her suitors, one of which is pretending to weave a burial shroud for Odysseus' elderly father [[Laertes]] and claiming she will choose one suitor when she has finished.  Every night for three years she undoes part of the shroud, until the suitors discover her plot.
+Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of [[Ithaca]] [[Odysseus]] and daughter of [[Icarius]] and his wife [[Periboea]]. She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband from the [[Trojan War]], while she has hard times in refusing marriage proposal from several princes (such as [[Agelaus]], [[Amphinomus]], [[Ctessippus]], [[Demoptolemus]], [[Elatus]], [[Euryades]], [[Eurymachus]], [[Irus]] and [[Peisandros]], led by [[Antinous]]) for four years since the fall of [[Troy]]. Odysseus, disguised as an old beggar, sees that Penelope has remained faithful to him.  She devises tricks to delay her suitors, one of which is pretending to weave a burial shroud for Odysseus' elderly father [[Laertes]] and claiming she will choose one suitor when she has finished.  Every night for three years she undoes part of the shroud, until the suitors discover her plot.
 Because of her efforts in putting off remarriage, she is often seen as a symbol of connubial fidelity. However, Penelope is getting restless (due, in part, to [[Athena]]'s meddling) and variously calling out for [[Artemis]] to kill her and (apparently) considering marrying one of the suitors. When the disguised Odysseus returns to his home, she announces that whoever can string a particularly rigid bow can have her hand. There is debate over whether or not she is aware that Odysseus is behind the disguise. By Penelope and the suitors' knowledge, Odysseus, were he in fact present, would clearly surpass any of the suitors in any test of masculine skill that could be contrived.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==Suitors==
 Some of Penelope's suitors are:
-*[[Antinous son of Eupeithes|Antinous]]
+*[[Antinous]]
 *[[Eurymacus]]
 *[[Amphinomus]]

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 *[http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136 ''Odyssey'' in English on the Perseus Project]
 [[Category:Greek mythological people]]
 [[Category:Characters in the Odyssey]]

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ==References==
 *[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]''
-*Seth L. Schein, ''Reading the Odyssey: Selected Interpretive Essays'' Princeton University Press (1996) ID=0-691-04440-6}}
+*Seth L. Schein, ''Reading the Odyssey: Selected Interpretive Essays'' Princeton University Press (1996) ID=0-691-04440-6
 ==External links==