Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Penelope explained
This chapter recounts the story of Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, celebrated for her fidelity and cleverness.
What happens
This chapter recounts the story of Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, celebrated for her fidelity and cleverness. It describes her marriage to Ulysses, her choice to remain loyal to him, and her cunning strategy of weaving and unweaving a shroud to delay remarrying the suitors who besieged her during his long absence at the Trojan War.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional peak of Tristram’s brief reunion with…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Fate and Free Will
Penelope exercises free will in choosing to remain faithful to Ulysses and in her clever delaying tactics, while the suitors' fate is tied to Ulysses' eventual return.
- Love and Transformation
Penelope's steadfast love for Ulysses transforms her into a symbol of marital fidelity and patience.
Characters to notice
- Penelope
Daughter of Icarius, wife of Ulysses, known for her fidelity and clever weaving trick.
- Ulysses
King of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, who left for the Trojan War.
- Icarius
Spartan prince, father of Penelope, who tried to keep her from leaving with Ulysses.
- Laertes
Father of Ulysses, for whose funeral canopy Penelope wove the shroud.
Key passages
“Penelope is another of those mythic heroines whose beauties were rather those of character and conduct than of person.”
Penelope is a legendary heroine admired more for her moral virtues and behavior than for physical appearance.
Introduces Penelope as a paragon of inner beauty.
“During the day she worked at the robe, but in the night she undid the work of the day.”
She wove the shroud by daylight and secretly unraveled it each night.
Describes Penelope's famous ruse to delay the suitors.
