Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks Character Analysis in The Penelopiad

Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks is one of the Twelve Maids and a particular favorite of Penelope’s. She often has a speaking role in the Maids’ poems, plays, and songs. When Penelope told the Maids to insult her and her family to gain the Suitors’ trust, Melantho threw herself into the role whole-heartedly.

Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks Character Timeline in The Penelopiad

The timeline below shows where the character Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks appears in The Penelopiad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Class, Womanhood, and Violence Theme Icon

Christianity vs. Greek Religion Theme Icon

...danger, and saying hope will keep them afloat. The Maids then curtsy and one maid, Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks , passes her hat around and thanks the audience. (full context)

...from these affairs, Penelope would raise it herself. Among the slave children she raised was Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks . (full context)

Storytelling, Textual Authority, and Falsehoods Theme Icon

...helped her for three years to undo her weaving at night. One of the maids, Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks , would bring in snacks to eat while they worked, and they would tell stories... (full context)

...so they continued to unwittingly insult the family to the Suitors in front of him. Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks was especially harsh. Penelope decided to tell Odysseus that the women had been acting at... (full context)

This chapter, from the Maids’ perspective, is formatted as a script for a play. Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks speaks the prologue, opening by saying that there is “another story” in which Penelope was... (full context)

Antiquity, Modernity, and Progress for Women Theme Icon

...and Eurycleia told him he killed the twelve Maids who had been especially rude, including Melantho of the Pretty Cheeks . Eurycleia calls them “notorious whores.” (full context)