In book 2 of the Odyssey, Antinous a suitor scolds Telemachus for speaking poorly of his mother (Penelope) he goes on to educate Telemachus of his mother, through this we learn a lot about Penelope’s character. Through lines 86 to 129 we learn that she is intelligent and cunning just like her husband Odysseus. More specifically, that Penelope is in a difficult position. She is loyal to her husband and does not want to remarry while there is still hope of his return. She also does not want to openly defy the suitors, as this could lead to conflict and violence. So, she comes up with a clever ruse to keep the suitors at bay. She tells them that she will choose a new husband once she finishes weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus’s father, Laertes. However, she secretly unravels the shroud every night, delaying the task. This passage shows the reader many of Penelope’s characteristics her loyalty, cunning, and cleverness. Lines 116 to 117 has Antinous ranting of how smart Penelope is saying her intelligence was a gift from Athena, and that she has a “finer mind than anyone before.” While reading this I felt that Antinous was fed up with being played by Penelope for so long but also that he could acknowledge her intelligence because she had played him for that long. Another quote from book 19 about Penelope I found interesting was “Hear me, friend, for I would speak to you; it is by heaven that you know, I think, that my sire is Laertes, and that he is not rich, but has a hard life. As for us, we live in a house that is by no means splendid, for my father has not a great many people working for him, and I’m the only son he has—hardly strong enough to make sure when I hold a plough.” In this passage, Penelope is subtly testing the beggar’s knowledge of her family and home life. Her questions are designed to see if the beggar truly knows the details of her family and household. Her shrewdness in this scene is indicative of her intelligence and her cautious approach in the face of the suitors’ advances. In conclusion, Penelope’s intelligence in “The Odyssey” is evident not only in her intellectual acumen but in her emotional fortitude, resilience, and leadership. She proves to be a wise and capable leader who uses her intellect to preserve her husband’s legacy and her family’s well-being in the face of adversity, making her a standout character in Homer’s epic.