She uses her cunning to fend off 108 other suitors who are vying for her hand on the assumption that Odysseus is either dead or is never going to return. Penelope waits for Odysseus for twenty years. Penelope's Odyssey quotes give a great deal of insight into her character. Telemachus, Penelope and Odysseus' son, is finally able to get to know his father and all of them live happy lives. See an analysis of Penelope's character, read about Penelope weaving a shroud, and find her quotes. For Penelope, the Odyssey is a story of incredible patience. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, Odysseus was presumed dead. Odysseus is aware of all that a goddess could offer, Penelope has a very complex and interesting character. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Though Penelope often spends many nights weeping over the absence of her husband, it seems as if she never loses faith in her husband, and she truly believes that he will return to her and punish the suitors that have taken over their. Antinoos being aware of this, and admitting to it, is testament to Penelopes smarts. Penelope has featured in literary retellings of the Odysseus myth as well, such as Nikos Kazantzakis The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel (1938), Eyvind Johnsons Return to Ithaca (1946), and Glyn Iliffes Adventures of Odysseus series (20082017). Though this is a very ancient myth, the image of Penelope at the loom was not popularized in the visual arts until much later in European history. He first came to the palace disguised as a beggar, having learned from Athena that the place was crawling with suitors and that it would be dangerous for him to show himself. Penelope is also very kind, which we see when she interacts with the servants and her son. Telemachus leaves home to search for his father without telling his mother, which distresses her greatly. What experience do you need to become a teacher? She told the suitors that she would remarry after she finishes her weaving project, but each night she undoes everything she did that day. So she came up with a clever test: she told her servants to bring Odysseus bed outside to the main hall so that he could sleep there. In addition, the novel's main female character shares similar characteristics with Penelope. Free shipping for many products! She worries that Odysseus prefers Helen to her. Watch Penelope greet Odysseus in an excerpt of the reunion scene in Homer's Odyssey See all videos for this article But their happiness was short-lived. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Penelope from Homer's Odyssey at the best online prices at eBay! Her kleos is identified through the epithets associated with her, namely her virtue, noble thoughts, excellence, constancy, and clever schemes. 2 What are examples of epithets in the Odyssey? On Penelope in ancient art, see Christoph Hausmann, Penelope, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich: Artemis, 1994), 7:29195. London: I. Odysseus says this to Penelope about the archery contest, speaking of course about himself. Penelope characterizes Helen as vain, cruel, and flirtatious. Penelope. In Brills New Pauly, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, Christine F. Salazar, Manfred Landfester, and Francis G. Gentry. 123) His words express that not only has Penelope deceived them already, she is quite capable of doing it again. She does very little but lie in bed and weep. Unfortunately, when they finally met, the father and son did not recognize each other, and Telegonus killed Odysseus. Ten of those years were spent fighting the Trojan Warthe trick of the Trojan Horse, which led to a Greek victory, was his ideabut nobody had heard from him since. Epithets in the Odyssey. How did Penelope characterize Helen in The Penelopiad? When Penelope tells her story to the "beggar" (Odysseus in disguise), she cannot help boasting a little about her ability to deceive the suitors. Indeed, Odysseus return journey had been fraught with peril and setbacks: he spent ten years wandering the seas, losing all of his ships and men in the process. to establish order in world; represent civilization (olympians) vs nature (titans), assert eternal power of Olympians. Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 88 (cited in the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 1.101ff). She was saved, however, by ducks, which in Greek are called pnelopes. If Penelope would have given in, The Odyssey would not have ended with Odysseus returning to a loyal home. 17.16 subtle Odysseus. 1.17 the lustrous goddess (Calypso) 1.19 when the wheeling seasons brought the year around. Also called the Homeric epithet, fixed epithets are commonly used in epic poetry. Penelope Character Analysis Athena Odysseus 's wife and Telemachus 's mother. b. Penelope summons the "beggar" Odysseus and questions him. Arnaka)[3], or Arnaea (Greek , translit. Penelope's scheme is eventually revealed by her traitorous maidservant Melantho, who developed a carnal relationship with one of the suitors. There were different versions of what exactly she did, as well as her ultimate fate. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 2022 Wasai LLC. Penelope has also been highlighted as the most faithful of wives, as it was said that Penelope waited 20 years for her husband to return to her. His family needs Odysseus, and he also needs them. . Penelope is the anchor that brings Odysseus home from his long journey. Who is Penelope? She does very little but lie in bed and weep. During this time, suitors came from far and wide to seek Penelopes hand in marriage, but she remained unwaveringly loyal to her husband (at least in the familiar tradition). The repeated use of a word or phrase for the same person, place, or object. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". After being away for twenty years, Odysseus finally returned to Ithaca, three years into the suitors bid to win his wife. The suitors pursued her, overtook her home and aggressively pushed her to remarry as she was supposed to. The Suitors are Slain When Odysseus finally makes. Book 1. When Odysseus succeeds in shooting the arrow through the axes, she has one more test for him. In the beginning of the story, Penelopes most prominent qualities are passivity, loyalty, and patience (along with beauty and skill at the loom) the age-old feminine virtues. As in "The Iliad", Homer makes frequent use of "epithets" in "The Odyssey", descriptive tags used regularly to fill out a line of verse as well as to provide detail about character, such as Odysseus "the raider of cities" and Menelaus "the red-haired captain". Study Odyssey Study Guide flashcards. Penelope also has epithets that are used throughout the poem. The story of the Trojan War is one of the foundational myths of Western culture. There are passages in the Odyssey that indicate Penelope was occasionally torn in her devotion to Odysseus, and was even considering choosing one of the suitors. During their conversation, Penelope told the disguised Odysseus that she planned to give the suitors one final test: she would marry whoever could string Odysseus old bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe rings. However, there was an obscure variant in which Penelopes father was called Icadius rather than Icarius and hailed from the island of Cephalonia rather than Sparta (Aristotle, Poetics 1671b). Without his father, Odysseus would not have the courage he possesses. Log in for more information. Penelope Though she has not seen Odysseus in twenty years, and despite pressure the suitors place on her to remarry, Penelope never loses faith in her husband. In Penelopes narrative, Helen runs away from Menelaus with Paris, a Trojan prince, inciting the Trojan War and causing Odysseus to leave Ithaca. Just as when rose-fingered Dawn took Orion for herself. The story follows the journey of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, who wandered for 10 years while trying to return home from the Trojan War. In some versions, Penelope slept with either Apollo, Hermes, or all of the suitors who came to court her in Odysseus absence. This is the moment when Penelope finally admits to Odysseus that she recognizes them and they manage to restart their lives together. Penelope. In The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th ed., edited by Simon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth, and Esther Eidinow, 11023. How Does Penelope Use Epithets In The Odyssey, All throughout history, the stories of heroes and their extraordinary accomplishes have been told in various different ways. But she is central to the Odyssey, which remains the most important source for her myth. One important element of all Homeric works is the inclusion of epithets, which are repeated phrases used to describe characters. Pindar, frag. In the Odyssey, she has several brothers (though Homer never specified their names or how many there were) and a sister named Iphthime;[11] according to Strabo, she had two brothers named Alyzeus and Leucadius;[12] according to Apollodorus, she had five brothers named Thoas, Damasippus, Imeusimus, Aletes, and Perilaus, but no sisters. Kapach, Avi. When Odysseus fails to return home promptly from the ten-year Trojan War, 108 other suitors try to win Penelope's hand in marriage. She spent her days weaving, only to unravel all of her work at night while the suitors slept. The Odyssey Epithet Chart for Major Characters/Gods and Goddesses As you read the Odyssey list all the epithets you find for the following characters. . In several books, Odysseus has the epithet "godlike", showing that he is in some way similar to the gods, and a tier higher than a regular mortal. This repetition of what come to be stock phrases create a. 1 Answer/Comment. "The Odyssey" is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Penelope is likewise unwilling to believe that Odysseus is dead, no matter how long she has to wait for him. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Just, Penelope, just as Odysseus, portrayed the great human trait of patience. Penelope. Throughout the book we are told stories to show how wise Odysseus is, but is shown that he can be out smarted. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Scholia on Homers Odyssey 4.797; Eusthathius on Homers Odyssey 1.343. The Odyssey by Homer: Book 17 | Summary, Quotes & Analysis, The Odyssey by Homer: Book 11 | Summary & Quotes, The Odyssey by Homer | Greek Epic, Summary & Analysis, The Odyssey by Homer: Book 10 | Summary, Quotes & Analysis, The Odyssey by Homer | Book 1 Summary & Quotes, The Odyssey Book 9 | Summary, Analysis & Quotes, Themes in the Odyssey by Homer | Hospitality, Analysis & Quotes, Phaeacians in the Odyssey by Homer | Significance & Role, Helen of Troy in The Iliad by Homer | Quotes & Character Role, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Test Prep & Practice, GED Social Studies: Civics & Government, US History, Economics, Geography & World, Praxis Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081) Prep, ILTS Social Science - History (246): Test Practice and Study Guide, SAT Subject Test US History: Practice and Study Guide, SAT Subject Test World History: Practice and Study Guide, NY Regents Exam - US History and Government: Test Prep & Practice, High School World History: Homework Help Resource, Create an account to start this course today. All rights reserved. Being a woman in ancient Greece, she does not have the ability to force the suitors to leave her house, and neither does Telemachus. In the seventeenth year of his absence, the young men of Odysseus kingdom108 of them in total, according to Homer[26]flocked to his palace to seek Penelopes hand in marriage. Hall, Edith. She has also appeared in film and television adaptations of the Odyssey, including the film Ulysses (1954), the miniseries The Odyssey (1997), and several episodes of the 1990s television series Xena: Warrior Princess. The poem describes, through the characters of Telemachus, Odysseus, and Penelope, ways to live rich and heroic lives. She is the one that he thinks of when he is stranded at sea and it is the promise of their reunion that keeps him going. To further ensure that Penelope does not get in the way of the killing of the maids, Odysseus made sure that all the women were locked securely into the womens quarter, including Penelope. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, and he is the main protagonist in Homer's poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. In all of this she stayed strong and independent, and despite the pressure of the suitors she stayed loyal to Odysseus, even when she didnt even know if he was alive or not. He showed great bravery by going up against Hector in battle, but the epithets applied to him in The Iliad refer to him as dear to Zeus, great-hearted, and simply gentle. However, Penelope is not a pasteboard figure. It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the real name. Penelope is an extremely clever woman who could match Odysseus in his wit. Penelope Holding the Bow of Odysseus by Robert Hartley Cromek after Henry Fuseli (1806). Learn more about our mission. The Odyssey describes Odysseus' long. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. "(Page 20, Book 2). Penelope in the Odyssey, the poem by Homer, is the faithful wife of Odysseus (or Ulysses for the Romans). A. T. Murray. The use of similar adjectives is another . 17.624 the patient man (Odysseus) 17.667 the canny prince (Telemachus) What's more, Odysseus' cunning is almost matched by the intelligence of his wife Penelope, who manages to remain loyal to Odysseus and stave off her suitors in his absence through trickery and cunning. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Kapach, Avi. Penelope. In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 7, 29195. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you When Odysseus told her that this was impossible, as he had built the bed out of a living olive tree (a fact that only the real Odysseus could have known), Penelope knew it was really him.[33]. Penelope is an incredibly loyal character, willing to wait any amount of time in order to see her husband again, as evidenced by her refusal to marry. pnelops.. Epithets tell us how characters are similar to each other, when they have epithets show more content Homer expresses this in a few different ways. Others have argued that Penelopes name came from the Greek word pnelops, which is a kind of duck. Penelope rejects all the offers of marriage from her suitors because they believe that Odysseus died on his way back from the Trojan War. B. Tauris, 2008. The contest of the bow and axes is another example of Penelopes guile; it also illustrates her wry sense of destiny. 1.30 the Sea-lord (Poseidon) 1.33 the father of men and gods (Zeus) 1.34 handsome Aegisthus. By clark February 11, 2022. Chaucers Wife of Bath has similar independence and cunning, but she makes her name as a domineering lady that chooses who she wants, and when she wants them. Furthermore, an additional element can be added to Simonides presentation of the myth of Idas and Marpessa on the basis of the, , At that time in their house her father and her lady mother, When Penelope laments and prays to Artemis on the day of Apollos festival and when she mentions abduction by the snatching winds, a fall into Okeanos, death by an arrow of Artemis, separation from Odysseus, and the daughters of Pandareos, it seems that she does much more than simply re-enact her role as a bride. After the wedding, Odysseus brought Penelope to his modest island kingdom of Ithaca. She undergoes many years of hardship, but eventually she finds happiness again. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The couple lived together in Odysseus' small island kingdom of Ithaca, where they had a son named Telemachus. Penelope plays a very important role in Odysseuss journey home, in fact, she is the main reason for his return to Ithaca. Penelope did not have any idea whether her husband was alive for most of the twenty-years he was gone. There is an island called Syria, perhaps you have heard of it. I have tried above to tease out possible pointers to a connection between Apollo and the Pandareids, suggesting that their myths are suited to appear in the context of Apollos festival in the, For her part, Artemis also has ties to the themes important in the mythology of the halcyon and, in all likelihood, of the. Athena in the Odyssey by Homer | Character Analysis & Role. Through epithets and cultural aspects, "The Odyssey" by Homer, Robert Fitzgerald's translation, illustrates an opposition between the [Cyclops] and hospitable men. From this union, she gave birth to Pan, a half-goat woodland deity. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Women are important to the plot and overall theme of the Odyssey. 1) Great - his bravery was known to many; 2) Versatile - he quickly adjusted to new situations; 3) Strategist - he was exceptional at the art of war; 4) Master Mariner - he could captain a ship any where in the world; 5) Raider of Cities - he conquered the city of Troy. > Godlike, wise, goodly, noble, divine, Zeus-born, glorious, great-hearted, hapless, enduring, 'of many wiles', 'son of Laertes', 'sacker of cities', 'of many devices', renowned, cunning, resour. As in the familiar ancient tradition, these modern Penelopes are defined by their virtue and faithfulness. Cite Book and line number Character Epithet - Book and line # _____ _____ Odysseus: -"the man of twists and turns" (I.1) -"Great Odysseus" (I.228) -"King Odysseus" (I.456) -"godlike man" (II.261) -"Odysseus of Ithaca" (II . Homer, Odyssey 18.2025, trans. Penelope. Mythopedia, 8 Dec. 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/penelope. March 31, 2022 by zahsya salsabila sa. London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. The epithets associated with Penelope throughout the poem include: These epithets, some of which are repeated many times, give a good sense of her personality. Book II Summary: At daybreak, Telemachus calls an assembly of the suitors and other islanders. She is mortal after all and you, you never age or dieNevertheless I long-I pine, all my days-to travel home and see the dawn of my return (Book V, lines 239-243). Penelope and Odysseus by Ugo da Carpi after Raphael (ca. Like. Suitors in The Odyssey by Homer | List, Characters & Traits, The Odyssey by Homer: Book 21 | Summary, Quotes & Analysis, Nausicaa in the Odyssey | Princess, Greek Mythology & Significance, Calypso in the Odyssey | Character, Analysis & Role in Greek Mythology, Eumaeus in the Odyssey by Homer | Character Role & Description, The Odyssey by Homer: Book 22 | Summary, Quotes & Analysis. King of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, and father of Telemachus, former commander in the Trojan War, Odysseus is the flawed, beloved hero of this tale of homecoming and revenge. Penelope was left behind when Odysseus left for the trojan war, but he didnt come back after that. Penelope says this about Odysseus to the man she has not yet recognized as Odysseus when he is sitting inside his own home. Two of the world's oldest poems, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, take it as their inspiration. For example her determination to wait and to mislead the suitors for so long shows that she had great intelligence and perseverance. 15201527). In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus is repeatedly referred to as "many-minded," Penelope as "prudent," and Telemachus as "sound-minded." After Odysseus becomes enraged when Penelope asks the maid to make his bed outside, she realizes that he knows the secret that only Odysseus and her share. All Rights Reserved. A characteristic of Homers style is the use of epithets, as in rosy-fingered Dawn or swift-footed Achilles. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. d. Argus is killed. She upholds the Greek values, as her role as a woman is clearly defined, as shown through how she does what Telemachus tells her to do and does not come between the males problems and affairs. When Penelope announced the test of the bow, none of the suitors could accomplish the task. Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.12.2, 3.13.6. Once again, Penelope is wise and patient in her decision-making. She understands that she may not be able to physically fight the suitors but she can trick them until Telemachus or Odysseus are able to. In his Introduction to Robert Fagles' translation of The Odyssey, Bernard Knox describes The Odyssey as "an epic with a thoroughly domestic base. Patroclus. Question|Asked by monkeylikesbananas. In Penelope's narrative, Helen runs away from Menelaus with Paris, a Trojan prince, inciting the Trojan War and causing Odysseus to leave Ithaca. Homer, Odyssey 1.329 and passim; Apollodorus, Library 3.10.6; etc. It was probably composed near the end of the 8th Century BCE and is, in part, a sequel to "The Iliad". [13], Other sources listed her brothers (or half-brothers) as Amasichus, Phalereus, Thoon, Pheremmelias, and Perilaus, while her sister, called Iphthime in the Odyssey, was either Hypsipyle, Mede, Laodamia, or Laodice. Penelope, his wife, is greatly affected; as many greedy suitors disrespect her and move into their home to try and win her hand in marriage. However, both of these methods eventually lose their effectiveness, so she tries something else. This shows us two ways Penelope is like her husband: first, she's a skilled deceiver, and second, she's proud of it. However, that argument is challenged several times throughout the epic. Even when she was mourning Odysseus, she was able to raise and love Telemakhos. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. With his true identity revealed, Odysseus and Telemachus proceeded to slaughter all the suitors.[32]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She is also honorable, as she is never unfaithful to Odysseus during his twenty-year absence. "There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.". Apollodorus (first century BCE or the first few centuries CE): The myths of Penelope (and their variants) are summarized in the Library and Epitome, representing a single mythological handbook incorrectly attributed to the scholar Apollodorus of Athens. Answer (1 of 5): Well, this is a question for Google/Wikipedia/reading the poem if ever I saw one..! After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Wilson does the same with the stock epithets of all the characters of the Odyssey, major as . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Nonnus, Dionysiaca 14.92, where Pans mother is named as Penelope of Mantinea (who may or may not be the same Penelope who married Odysseus). An error occurred trying to load this video. Only Odysseusstill disguised as a lowly beggarwas able to string the bow and shoot an arrow through the axe rings. Homer, The Odyssey. Patroclus was Achilles dear friend and quite different from him. Misfortunes befall him on numerous occasions, turning what should have been a journey of a few months into ten years. She asks a servant to move the bed that she and Odysseus once shared, but Odysseus interrupts and says that moving the bed will be impossible, because one of its legs is a living olive tree. https://mythopedia.com/topics/penelope, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. By crafting a lie that delays the suitors from marrying her immediately, Penelope restrains the suitors from seizing Ithaca, her household, and posing a threat to Telemachus or Odysseus. At the moment, both possibilities are open, though the solar theme implicit in the scene presages, at least for the external audience, the outcome of the coming trial. The epithets used throughout the poem show how Penelopes strength and cleverness that allow her to manipulate the suitors and avoid marriage. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture. When the suitors begin invading her house and asking, then demanding, her hand in marriage, Penelope knows she must handle them herself. For example, The Odyssey's writing has a lot of repetitions and formu Scholia on Homers Odyssey 1.275, 1.277, 4.797. This remains the most important source for her myth. Achilles. She has been teaching English in Canada and Taiwan for seven years. Telegony (fragments); Hyginus, Fabulae 127. The use of epithets in the poem allow, 1) The choice of words alludes to the fact that Penelope, even though she spent twenty years mourning and wishing for her husband, is still able to think and use her mind in an extraordinary way. [31], With this information, Odysseus and Telemachus began plotting. Throughout 'The Odyssey', the greed and folly of men play a huge part in increasing the difficulty and severity of Odysseus's situations and ultimately change his fate and the directions of his journey. Privacy Policy, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e912970, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DP%3Aentry+group%3D13%3Aentry%3Dpenelope-bio-1. All in all, she was able to keep outsmarting people when she needed to stall some time or to find out the truth, Penelope is a mortal woman, the wife of Odysseus. Odysseus doesnt simply utter his name; rather, he attaches to it an epithet, or short, descriptive title (raider of cities), his immediate paternal ancestry (Laertess son), and a reference to his homeland (who makes his home in Ithaca) ( 9 . 0F The Odyssey is 'epic' in (at least) two senses: Grand scale A narrative poem in the genre of 'epic' BUT NOT in the modern sense a 'national' epic 'Epic' (epos in Greek) Can be almost synonymous with 'myth' - any story told It can also mean a specic genre of poetry - any . It is perhaps noteworthy that our earliest evidence for the linking of the sun with Apollo comes from Euripides, The first thing to observe about this myth is its striking structural similarity to the story of Odysseus and Penelope, if the latter story is considered as a chronological whole, including parts that are not mentioned in the. Her kleos is identified through the epithets associated with her, namely her virtue, noble thoughts, excellence, constancy, and clever schemes. Another reason this shows we can trust Penelope is because before this scene Odysseus went through all the trouble to find out if she was faithful or not and then she continues with the same thing that Odysseus had found out. In time, Penelope would become strongly associated with weaving and the loom, due to the memorable myth in which she delayed her unwanted suitors by promising to marry one of them only after she had finished weaving a shroud. She is the daughter of Icarius and Perioboea and the mother of Telemachus. What happens to Eumaeus in this setting is abduction by a Sidonian woman. Poseidon in the Odyssey Traits & Myth | Who is the Son of Poseidon? tags: 11-379 , sleep. Theopompus of Chios, FHG 1 F 114 (cited in John Tzetzes on Lycophrons Alexandra 806); Servius on Virgils Aeneid 2.44. Familiar Homeric Epithet examples include phrases like rosy fingered dawn and wine dark sea, white-armed Hera, and Odysseus the great teller of tales.. Rather, she gives voice to the themes that are constituent of her own mythic persona, some of them even signaled by her very name. Pnelpeia) has been disputed since antiquity. Penelope (pnlp), in Greek mythology [1], wife of Odysseus and the mother of Telemachus. I feel like its a lifeline. The Iliad is set in the 10th year of the war, the Odyssey in the aftermath as its hero, Odysseus, spends 10 more years trying to get home.These epics are both stories of men and each one begins with an appeal to tell the . In fact Penelope's narration takes place during a crucial moment in the plot: the audience is Odysseus himself. Fixed epithet. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Despite those great hero traits Odysseus embodies, he demonstrates great weaknesses humans have in commonpride, irresponsibility toward his crews, and revengeful heart, these flaws ultimately brought demise and trouble to his men and himself, which constantly reminds the audience that Homer represents Odysseus as another human, rather than a hero. Mackail, J. W. Penelope in the Odyssey. At the beginning of Homers Odyssey, Odysseus has been absent from Ithaca for twenty years. Penelope feels that she is living in Helens shadow and often compares herself to her. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Once again, Odysseus was absent from Ithaca for many years, though he eventually returned. He then took Penelope and Telemachus with him to his mothers island of Aeaea.