Penelope, The Myth Of The Woman Who Waits Forever

The myth of Penelope is part of the epic poem The Odyssey , written by Homer. The function of an epic poem is, among other things, to build role models that people can emulate. Thus, the characters in this story are archetypal. In other words, they synthesize a range of values ​​and skills that make them the ideal models to follow in order to live in a society.

As is often the case with these mythical stories, the most interesting messages are those that lie between the lines. The story of Penelope is quite beautiful, but also revealing if you care to examine what it represents from a cultural point of view. It talks about the feminine and the woman’s position in relationships in particular.

Penelope is the symbol of devotion and self-sacrifice, but she also shows traits that appear in various mythologies. These traits are about being cunning and having the ability to cheat as means to an end. The feminine then appears as an ambiguous, unreliable and in the same way dangerous terrain.

The story of Penelope

According to Homer’s history, Penelope was born in Sparta by a water nymph and by the king of the region. Well, the story really begins when Odysseus, a brave warrior, feels lonely and decides to look for a spouse who can be his comfort and companion. His quest takes him to Sparta, where he meets the most beautiful woman he has ever seen: Helena (from Troy).

The woman is so beautiful that her suitors are many. Thus , her father and Odysseus fear that the battle for her attention will trigger chaos in Sparta. This is when the two agree to decide that the victorious suitor should be respected by those they defeat. However, Odysseus is worried about the situation.

It is at that time that another beautiful woman named Penelope arrives in Sparta. She is Helena’s cousin and has come to give her advice. Odysseus and Penelope fall in love immediately when they meet. It’s a quiet moment, and they just know they will never be apart.

Relocation to Ithaca and subsequent separation

Odysseus and Penelope move to Ithaca. Ikarios, her father, tries to keep her in Sparta, but she becomes sad, silent and covers her face with a veil. Thus, she suggests that she only wants to be with Odysseus (Ikarios later builds a temple dedicated to modesty at the place where this happened).

The new couple leaves, but not before giving each other a long kiss to seal the love. A year later she gives birth to Telemakos in Ithaca. Soon after, the Trojan War breaks out and Odysseus must leave. He spends 10 years in the war and another 10 on the way home. A nymph, a magician and a princess seduce him during that time, but he always had his wife and son in mind.

Meanwhile, Penelope has several suitors because she is a beautiful woman who lives alone. Some of them even take up residence in her house and eat and drink as they please. They all encourage her to accept one of them, as they believe Odysseus is dead. However, she knows that her husband is alive and will return soon.

Penelope’s cunning

To avoid having to accept any of her suitors, Penelope says she will choose one when she has finished weaving a tapestry. She starts weaving during the day and taking it apart at night, so she spends four years weaving it, and at the end of it, Odysseus finally returns. She puts him to the test through some tests and finally recognizes him. Only the presence of Odysseus causes the suitors to retire.

Of course, there are several versions of what is happening. The most common, and the one that people like the most, indicates “they lived happily ever after”. However, Odysseus rejects his wife in another version, mainly because he accused her of flirting in order to attract many suitors. He kills her or returns her to her father because he thinks she was unfaithful in other versions.

Penelope is the model of the self-sacrificing woman, who is silent and waits patiently. She is forced to do and pick apart her own work over and over again while her boyfriend who is gone returns. Her tapestry represents this vicious circle of resistance. Her attitude is what Western culture established as ideal for a wife.