Introduction
Everyone knows the ancient Greek myth of the Odyssey. During his wanderings, his wife Penelope got rid of the obsession with suitors. She announced that she would marry only when she finished weaving the ritual cloth (The Odyssey 32). Still, at night she unraveled everything weaved during the day until Odysseus returned. Bribed maids betrayed the secret of her ongoing work to suitors. Penelope had a hard time in the face of angry fans, but Odysseus returned in time (The Odyssey 28). The gods thanked Penelope well for her devotion to her husband (and weaving, too), making her the patroness of weaving.
Discussion
The Penelope image is associated with the goddess of the house, the keeper of the hearth, and all households. Direct or literary understanding of the weaving implies that Penelope rejects that she weaves a funeral veil for her father-in-law Laertes (The Odyssey 30). By dissolving it, she strives to delay the choice of a new husband.
The weaving in the poem symbolizes the recreation of the fate of a loved Odyssey. In other words, in Penelope’s hands, the thread of her beloved’s life. Finishing the canvas means cutting the thread, stopping believing, and waiting for the one whose life pattern is in her will.
Conclusion
Therefore, the mythological significance of waving is deeply connected with preservation and protection as a beautiful image of a woman. That is why Odysseus wants Penelope to wave a scheme that can express his gratitude to Athena. During his wanderings, the goddess is the patroness of Odysseus. She helps Odysseus even after returning to his homeland when he has to fight against Penelope’s impudent and shameless suitors. All three mentioned characters are connected by fate which is weaved in the canvas of Penelope, who puts enormous efforts into being dedicated and faithful to her husband and the will of the gods.
Work Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, 1999.