![]() She is often depicted as involved in domestic tasks such as washing clothes. Along with Penelope, she is one of the only female characters that is not portrayed in a negative, sexually tainted light. Nausicaa is observed as the embodiment of innocence and purity. She takes him to her father, King Alcinous, who agrees to provide him with a ship and crew to help him complete his journey. Nausicaa, impressed by Odysseus’s story, offers to help him return to his home in Ithaca. In return, Odysseus recounts his journey and tells them of his long and arduous journey home from the Trojan War. After washing up on the island’s shore, Odysseus is taken in by Nausicaa and her attendants, who provide him with clothes and food. The sixth book of the Odyssey introduces the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians. Nausicaa: The Virgin Maiden Nausicaa by Frederick Leighton, 1878, via Art Renewal Centre She also devises a contest for the suitors, challenging them to string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through a row of twelve axes, knowing that only her husband will be able to perform the task. Thus, for years she guilefully weaves and significantly unravels the shroud of Laertes to delay the inevitable decision to remarry. Once she has woven a shroud for her deceased father-in-law, Laertes, Penelope promises to marry a suitor. However, she has the resourcefulness to devise a plan ensuring that her household position and loyalty to her husband remain intact through a socially acceptable purpose. ![]() These two conflicting traditional duties -fidelity to Odysseus and hospitality to the suitors - bind Penelope. Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, she uses her wit and intelligence to keep the suitors at bay and preserve her marriage to Odysseus. Penelope is renowned for her cunningness, exemplified in how she deals with the suitors who have come to Ithaca seeking her hand in marriage. Penelope: The Cunning Queen Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse, 1912, via Wikimedia Commons Penelope is often referred to as ‘wise’, ‘noble’, ‘prudent’ and ‘loyal’, demonstrating her virtuous character. ![]() The differentiation between female characters can also be observed through their epithets - repeated adjectives or phrases used to exemplify a character’s personality. In this sense, Penelope served as a symbol of the ideal wife in ancient Greek culture and is revered for her virtuous qualities and unwavering devotion to her husband.Ī true example of unwavering fidelity, she is established in direct contrast with other Homeric women like the treacherous Helen of Troy and deviant seductresses such as Calypso and Circe. Her unwavering faithfulness to Odysseus is a key factor in his eventual return home to reclaim his throne, and she is celebrated for her wisdom, strength, and moral integrity. Queen of Ithaca and wife of Odysseus, Penelope awaited her husband’s return for twenty years, devising clever schemes to avoid remarriage. Penelope has become enshrined within literature as the paradigm of the dutiful and devoted wife, the epitome of ‘moral goodness’. Penelope: The Stereotypical Loyal Wife of the Odyssey Penelope being awakened by Euryclea, Angela Kauffman, 1773, via Britannica ![]()
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