The Odyssey Essay Body Paragraph 1

Thesis Statement: In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope portrays a strong woman.

Step 1: Topic Sentence Undoubtedly, Penelope is a portrayed as strong woman in The Odyssey because she is clever.

Set-up/Concrete Details First, Penelope shows cleverness with the suitors. Penelope tells the suitors that she will choose a husband after she finishes weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. One of the suitors, acknowledging her cleverness states, “she’d weave at her great and growing web—by night, by the light/…/she would unravel all she’d done” (Homer, 2.116, 118).

Step 4: Commentary Commentary #1: Explains the topic sentence. This shows that her clever wits are putting the suitors at bay until they discover her plan. This also shows that Penelope is a strong woman because she is not only tricking the suitors for numerous years, but she is doing so to put off marrying someone in hopes that Odysseus will return. Commentary #1: Explains the topic sentence. Commentary #2: Explains how the quote relates to the thesis.

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Closing Sentence Despite Penelope’s troubles, she is able to use cleverness in many situations.

Final Paragraph Undoubtedly, Penelope portrays a strong woman in The Odyssey because she is clever. First, Penelope shows cleverness with the suitors. Penelope tells the suitors that she will choose a husband after she finishes weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. One of the suitors, acknowledging her cleverness states, “she’d weave at her great and growing web—by night, by the light/…/she would unravel all she’d done” (Homer, 2.116, 118). This shows that her clever wits are putting the suitors at bay until they discover her plan. This also shows that Penelope is a strong woman because she is not only tricking the suitors for numerous years, but she is doing so to put off marrying someone in hopes that Odysseus will return. Second, Penelope shows her cleverness when she states to the suitors that she will marry whoever is able to string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axes. Telling the suitors about the competition, Penelope states, “The hand that can string the bow with greatest ease,/ that shoots an arrow clean through all twelve axes-/ he’s the man I follow, yes…” (19.464-7). This is important because Penelope is clever enough to know that the likelihood of anyone accomplishing this task is very low. This is also important because Penelope is showing her strength by accepting the fact that Odysseus may never return home and she needs to choose a husband soon. Lastly, Penelope shows that she is clever by challenging Odysseus to move her bed. Penelope is telling Odysseus that he must sleep outside her room and says to the nurse, “Eurycleia, move the sturdy bedstead out of the bridal chamber- / that room the master built with his own hands” (23.323-4). By stating this, Penelope is being clever because she knows that only a few are aware that the bed cannot be moved. Penelope is showing her strength by making sure this is indeed Odysseus. Despite Penelope’s troubles, she is able to use cleverness in many situations throughout the book.

The Odyssey Essay Body Paragraph 2

Thesis Statement: In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope portrays a strong woman. Body Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence In addition to Topic Sentence Example: In addition to Penelope being clever, she is also devoted. Begin your next paragraph with a transitional phrase. Connect paragraph 1 to paragraph 2.