The Penelopiad

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This sharp and tender revision of the myths surrounding Penelope and Odysseus offers a fresh perspective on their story. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope is depicted as the faithful wife who, after twenty years apart, manages to fend off numerous suitors while raising her son and maintaining her kingdom. Upon Odysseus's return, he kills her suitors and, notably, twelve of her maids, a brutal act that Homer mentions only briefly. Atwood, haunted by these deaths, begins her narrative with two questions: what led to the maids' hanging, and what was Penelope truly doing during Odysseus's absence? Told from Hades, Penelope narrates her story with wry humor, while her maids serve as a chorus, providing commentary through poems, songs, and even a trial. The narrative explores themes of sexual violence and gender prejudice, interrogating Homer’s original tale and introducing counter-narratives that challenge its assumptions. The maids’ voices add emotional depth, bringing marginalized perspectives to the forefront. Penelope emerges as a complex figure, offering scathing insights that reshape our understanding of her character and our own society. Atwood’s storytelling is both haunting and entertaining, weaving together themes of murder, memory, guilt, and deceit in a way that resonates powerfully today.