43a Fluff
Your paper will be measured not by how many words you uses but by how well you construct and defend a thesis. Excessive verbiage or extraneous information helps pad your paper and get you to bed earlier, but doesn't add to your argument or improve your grade.

Fluff: Penelope, daughter of Ikarios, preserved her chastity until such time as Odysseus returned from his long and varied voyages at sea.

Revised sample: Penelope preserved her chastity until Odysseus returned from his long sea voyage.