A Wife Now Living

To what extent do you agree that Penelope is portrayed as completely without fault in  The Odyssey ? By Margaret The character of Penelope in  The Odyssey  is portrayed as a woman of the highest and purest moral order. Penelope is frequently commended by other characters for her ‘loyalty’ to Odysseus and described throughout the narrative as ‘prudent’ and ‘flawless.’ Thus, it is clear that Homer  presents  Penelope as completely without fault in  The Odyssey  and that his original audience would have received her as such. However, the questions persist as to whether Penelope possesses any implicit faults which remain unmentioned simply for narrative purposes, and whether Penelope’s apparent flawlessness is also timeless. Penelope’s character in her first appearance in  The Odyssey  could easily be considered without fault. Homer describes her as ‘gracious’, entering the room with her ‘waiting-women’ and standing with her ‘shining veil across her cheeks’, the picture of perfect womanhoo