Thoughts on Odysseus and Penelope that might kill me from the inside if I don’t let them out
The reason why I insist on the idea that Odysseus doubted Penelope when he arrived in Ithaca is (not only, but also) because doubting Penelope means acknowledging her autonomy and her capacity for choice.
Sorry, but coming back after twenty years as if nothing had happened, expecting that Penelope had nothing better to do than wait for him, would be ridiculous: the sacrifices she made for him would be diminished, her proof of love ignored. Penelope is beautiful, desirable, and desiring: Odysseus does not take it for granted that she has remained frozen in place.
In fact, he asks his mother whether Penelope has remarried or intends to do so; he tells Telemachus that he will speak to her in order to put her to the test… He is not 100% certain, in the first case, that she remained faithful, nor, in the second case, of her intentions.
Obviously, we must also take into account the social and cultural context in which Odysseus operates: reading the Odyssey, we realize that many characters suggest the idea that women are naturally inclined to betray their husbands — or, if not to betray, at least to forget them easily when they’re not around to keep an eye on them. This notion is made quite explicit — and not without irritation — by Agamemnon, but also by Telemachus, and most authoritatively by Athena, who tells us that once women remarry, they forget their former home and husband, forget their children, and focus only on enriching the new household they’ve joined.
That said, I think the role Odysseus takes on when faced with these famous doubts is far from irrelevant: Odysseus effectively becomes another suitor of Penelope. He knows that in order to have her back he must fight and win; indeed, he accepts and wins the contest of the bow, and does not consider himself above the effort.
I must also add something about my all-time favorite scene: the moment when Penelope uses sweet words and lies to obtain gifts from the suitors. Odysseus understands that she is deceiving them and takes pleasure in it—we know this. But she is not only deceiving them; she is also seducing them. Seduction is an integral part of her deception. Not by chance has Penelope sometimes been compared to Circe, who enchants men and then turns them into animals. Penelope here is no different.
I truly believe that this scene should give us a chance to reflect on Odysseus’ attitude toward Penelope, which I would not define as possessive so much as competitive. Let her receive whatever gifts she wants from her disposable young men, let her enjoy seducing them and playing with them—he accepts the competition and accepts the challenge. I mean, let's not forget how much Odysseus enjoys winning.
There is no real moment in which Odysseus claims her; instead he wins her back. We see this in the way he speaks to her while pretending to be a beggar, a way of speaking that gives her such pleasure that she could listen to him all night. We see it in the fact that he does not immediately step forward at the moment of recognition (as he could, as her legitimate husband), but waits for her to speak first. And in the fact that he tells Telemachus not to rush her and then sends him out of the way—very elegantly—so that the recognition can be private.
He assumes the role of the suitor, not that of the husband-owner. And in order to accept this role, doubt about Penelope’s intentions and deepest desires is a necessary condition.
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