When reading “The Odyssey,” at first glance this epic poem appears as if Odysseus is the hero of the story, because of his questing, and ability to escape beguiling, vile, and enticing adversaries. However, upon closer insight into the epic poem, this is not completely true. Penelope is the true hero of The Odyssey for several reasons.
One reason that Penelope is a hero is because she follows arete. For example, whilst Odysseus is off receiving nemesis for committing hubris, Penelope is left on her own for 20 years. Odysseus’ palace “Is overrun by more than 100 suitors who, believing Odysseus is dead, want to marry Penelope and take over his fortune.” This shows that, although Penelope disdains proposals towards her, she is still hospitable towards her suitors and follows Greek society standards, even though her money is dwindling because of it. This also shows that she is keeping arete, by keeping Odysseus’ fortune safe so that Telemachus can inherit it when he comes of age.
Penelope is a hero because of her ability to outsmart her suitors, without committing hubris. For example, in book II of “The Odyssey,” it is shown that Penelope agrees to marry one of her suitors once she finishes weaving her tapestry as a shroud to Laertes. This shows that she knew that she would have to marry someone eventually, or else she would run out of money for herself and Telemachus. She had foreseen this, so makes a plan to weave the tapestry. This also shows that Penelope is very intelligent, as she weaves the tapestry by day, and unravels it by night to stall having to marry.
The last reason that Penelope is a hero is that she knows how to make sure that Odysseus wasn't a fraud pretending to be him by saying to her maid while he was with her “Make up his bed… place it outside the bedchamber my lord built with his own hands.” This shows that Penelope tests Odysseus, because only she and him know about how their bed was built from the trunk of an olive tree; it is their secret. This also shows that Penelope does not trust people easily, a characteristic shared by many heroes. This allows Penelope to make sure that Odysseus is not one of her adversaries.
In conclusion, Penelope is the true hero of the Odyssey. She protects her home, and Odysseus’ fortune, she outsmarts her suitors, and tests Odysseus to make sure that it is actually him. Penelope is the one character from the epic poem, “The Odyssey,” who shows the true characteristics of a hero.
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