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
• This shows that her
clever wits are putting
the suitors at bay until
they discover her plan.
• Commentary #1:
Explains the topic
sentence.
• 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 #2:
Explains how the
quote relates to the
thesis.
Keep going…
• Continue on with a second CD and
2 CMs
• Keep going with a third CD and 2
CMs
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
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.