The Penelopiad

Margaret Atwood · 2005 · Novel

Explore this on the mapTrace its ancestors and descendants live in the tree.

Strong-willed heroine in societal conflict

It reimagines a classic mythological narrative from a female-centric perspective, giving agency and voice to characters previously marginalized or condemned.

What it is

This novella retells the myth of Odysseus's return from the perspective of his wife, Penelope, and her twelve hanged maids. It gives voice to the women who were silenced and punished in the original epic, exploring their lives and motivations.

↑Inherited from

This work originated its idea. No known prior influences in the dataset.

↓Passed on to(1)

Circe· 2018↓ open

Both 'Circe' and 'The Penelopiad' take a well-known Greek myth and reframe it through the eyes of female characters, challenging the patriarchal assumptions of the original source material and exploring themes of female agency and injustice.