Question

Read the passage from The Odyssey - Penelope.

Ruses serve my turn
to draw the time out—first a close-grained web
I had the happy thought to set up weaving
on my big loom in the hall. I said, that day:
'Young men—my suitors, now my lord is dead
let me finish my weaving before I marry,
or else my thread will have been spun in vain.
It is a shroud I weave for Lord Laertes
when cold Death comes to lay him on his bier.
The country wives would hold me in dishonor
if he, with all his fortune, lay unshrouded.'
I reached their hearts that way, and they agreed.
So every day I wove on the great loom,
but every night by torchlight I unwove it;
and so for three years I deceived the Akhaians.

Which line from the passage best shows that Penelope is clever?

I had the happy thought to set up weaving
The country wives would hold me in dishonor
So every day I wove on the great loom
and so for three years I deceived the Akhaians

Answer 1

Penelope does not want to marry any of the suitors. She is buying time by spinning and unspinning her burieal shroud.

reached their hearts that way, and they agreed.

So every day I wove on the great loom,

but every night by torchlight I unwove it;

and so for three years I deceived the Akhaians.

Answer 2

Answer:

"and so for three years I deceived the Akhaians"

Explanation:

Penelope, wife of Odysseus, is witty. For twenty years, Penelope had not met Odysseus. Even after ten years of Trojan Fall, when Odysseus did not make it to his kingdom in Ithaca, many rowdy crowd of suitors started pressurizing Penelope for re-marriage. But, Penelope was a faithful wife. She knew Odysseus would return one day. To pacify the crowd of rowdy suitors, she made a proposal to them. She agreed to remarry as soon as she finish weaving her loom. So, Penelope would weave everyday and unweave it every night.

In this manner, Penelope was able to deceive her suitors (Akhaians) for three years in a very cleverly manner.