Penelope and Clytemnestra: How does Homer’s Odyssey represent the ideal woman?
The Ideal Woman
To the ancient Greeks the idea of an ideal woman may differ between polis, however the ideal woman as represented by Homer has clear characteristics such as being cunning and more importantly faithful to their husbands. This is evident by the way Homer represents both Penelope (the ideal woman) and Clytemnestra (the improper woman). This makes it reasonable to assume that this may be the ideal woman around parts of Greece during the 8th century BCE.

Penelope

Odysseus and Penelope by Francesco Primaticcio (1563)
Who was Penelope?

Penelope, wife of Odysseus and Queen of Ithaca, was left alone for many years by her husband who left for the Trojan wars (see the Iliad) and when traveling back got lost (see the Odyssey). Throughout the many years left without her husband she never remarried, remaining faithful and loyal to him despite the many suitors. She also seemed cunning and generous, both would be seen as characteristics of an ideal woman and wife. She would later test Odysseus to prove his identity when he was in disguise.

Faithfulness

Whilst disguised as a beggar Odysseus is made aware of her faithfulness to him. The faithfulness of Penelope becomes a symbol for loyalty to one’s husband (read Penelope in the Odyssey by J. W. Mackail, 1916). Only at the behest of Athena would she appear in front of the suitors. There is however a debate in scholarship if Penelope actually knew that Odysseus was the beggar in disguise or if she came up with a challenge that only Odysseus could complete as another attempt to delay the suitors (read Penelope’s ‘Early Recognition’ of Odysseus from a Neoanalytic and Oral Perspective by Steve Reece 2011).

Cunning

Whilst attempting to remain loyal to Odysseus, she had to strategically delay marrying one of the over 100 suitors she was presented with (read Homer’s, Odyssey, Book 16). One such plot was to weave a burial shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’ elderly father, claiming to choose a suitor when finished however she’d then undo part of the shroud every night. This scheme would last 3 years before a slave reveals this to the suitors (read The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St. Clair, 2018).

Clytemnestra

Clytemnestra by John Collier, 1882
Who was Clytemnestra?

Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and queen of the Argives, is represented as a woman who was not ideal. from murdering her first husband to committing adultery. she would then later murder Agamemnon and the prisoner of war. she would then be murdered by Orestes, her son in vengeance for his father.

Disloyal to husband

The lack of loyalty towards her husband becomes evidently clear upon initial reading of the odyssey, especially when reading about how she was seduced by another man during the absence of her husband. This love affair with Aegisthus lasted for the during of the Trojan war as her husband was away.

Murderous

The more blood thirsty side of her comes out in her attempt to murder her own husband, Agamemnon. She began plotting the murder of her husband during the war and upon his return acted on it. This murder would benefit both of the conspirators, as she hated her husband and Aegisthus would then replace Agamemnon as king. They killed both Agamemnon and his prisoner of war Cassandra. While this murder to us may seem slightly justified by the way in which Agamemnon treated his wife, this however to the Greeks and especially Homer would be not be seen as the ideal in which a woman to act.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the contrast between these two figures is blatant throughout the entirety of the odyssey, with Penelope being the ideal woman and Clytemnestra being the opposite. This may in fact differ from what may be the modern or a person’s own ideals, however these are the ideals as represented by Homer. The completely faithful Penelope has become a figure of loyalty due to her waiting 20 long years for Odysseus’ return. Clytemnestra on the other hand had an affair during Agamemnon’s absence, and even further plotted to murder Agamemnon upon his return. These actions are seen as incredibly indecent of a woman by Homer. Depending on the source used one could assume that Clytemnestra, wasn’t even very wise and was lead into both being seduced by Aegisthus and murdering her husband, whereas Penelope is represented as cunning, devising plans to avoid the long list of suitors and discovering Odysseus, who was in disguise. The clear comparison makes it easy to understand what Homer, and possibly the rest of the Greek world, would consider to be ideal characteristics in women.