The Importance Of Penelope As A Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

In Homer’s The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles, the strength of characters is truly tested through the hardships that Odysseus and those who love him endure as he tries to journey home after being lost at sea for over twenty years. Penelope, perhaps, bears the majority of these hardships. Throughout the Odyssey, grief is commonly expressed through the memories of the characters. In the epic, the shedding of tears in the name of a departed or lost friend is considered respectable. However, grief simply as an expression of one’s own selfishness for fear of death or loss is deemed dishonorable. Penelope’s grief shows much more than just her own desire to escape a difficult situation. Penelope’s grief is often rooted in her memories of Odysseus’ …show more content…
Women in epics are traditionally thought to be less powerful or less of a hero than the male protagonist. However, in The Odyssey, Penelope proves quite the contrary. Though on the surface Odysseus does fit the description of a traditional hero more clearly than Penelope, Penelope does, in fact, have a journey of her own. It is through this journey that she proves to be a hero. The journey of Penelope is much more implied than that of Odysseus but, Penelope nonetheless shows her claim to the title of a hero through her compassion, mental strength, and loyalty. These traits that Penelope possesses are further emphasized through her grief over …show more content…
The grief that is expressed by Penelope over Odysseus shows that sorrow does not necessarily make one weak. Penelope’s grief is the root of her motivation to maintain what Odysseus left behind and through the use of her internal characteristics, Penelope was able to find the strength to hold on until Odysseus returned. Through using her grief to fuel her will, Penelope provides an alternative perspective in which a mortal woman is as much of a hero as a man. Penelope being a mortal woman is also extremely significant as throughout the epic, goddesses play a key role in the lives of the people and Penelope possesses no supernatural powers to help aid her while Odysseus is away. It is not so common in epics for a woman to be deemed a hero of any sort and the text can be even further understood when one realizes that the journey of Odysseus, though more physically and mentally taxing, is comparable to Penelope’s more internal journey in protecting Ithaca. In The Odyssey, Penelope proves to be a hero in her own right through her compassion, mental strength, and determination to remain loyal until Odysseus’ return. It is upon Odysseus’ return that Penelope’s heroism is truly revealed because although she did not have to overcome the physically strenuous trials of Odysseus, Penelope had to utilize many of the same skills as her husband who is considered