Quarter 3 Benchmark ( The odyssey Compare/Contrast Essay)

The third benchmark was comparing a character from the The Odyssey, and I really had to think and enrich my mind, and think broadly.

People Write about Penelope everyday from her beauty to her love to her tale to her story. The comparison of both Penelope from The Odyssey and Penelope from the poem  “Penelope”. Both authors write different styles but they both look at Penelope in a unique way, and describe her love and passion for her husband in two totally different perspectives but also at moments the same way. Homer the author of The Odyssey writes a book and gives a lengthy story about how Penelope story goes and Dorothy Parker the author of “Penelope” gives me a good 8 lines not too much and not too little, about the missing part of Penelope life. While both Penelope from The Odyssey and Penelope from the poem  “Penelope” hope for their loving husband Odysseus, one gives another point of view on the story of this couple.

            Penelope from the poem “Penelope” is sad and hurt, by the tone of the poem and the strong words she use for the language of the text. She States, “ I shall sit at home and rock; Rise, to heed a neighbor’s knock”. She wants to wait for him and believe he is still out there, she won’t do anything until the love of her husband return. Similar to Penelope from The Odyssey she is sad that her one true love is away for so long, and she yearns for his love again. She talks to a man in disguised which is Odysseus and tells him how she really feels about her husband being gone for so long, she states” A black day it was when he took ship to see the cursed city, destroy I call it, I hate to say its name!”(Book 19; line 297- 299, Page 399). Her heart cracks as words stumble out her mouth as she talks about the day Odysseus, left, she wants her husband back. Both Penelope in poem and Penelope from book wait in sorrow for their loving husband Odysseus to return, and they want him back but while he is gone their hearts continue to ache.

            Penelope from the poem “Penelope” speaks for herself in her own words showing the audience her own heartache for her husband’s return. In support of this Penelope says in the poem “ Brew my tea, and snip my thread; bleach the linen for my bed. She talks about how she feels, she speaks from the heart and say’s what she does in her own voice. Penelope from The Odyssey doesn’t speak her self; the person telling her story is Homer.  In The Odyssey he describes Penelope saying, “Now down from her chamber came reserved Penelope, looking for all the world like Artemis or golden Aphrodite” (Book 19, page 392, lines 55-56). He starts from when she comes down the steps to comparing her to Artemis or golden Aphrodite. Penelope from the poem speaks for her self; if she feels pain she expresses it in her own voice. Penelope from The Odyssey voice is drowned out by Homer, he speaks for her and expresses how she feels.

Penelope from the poem “Penelope” waits for Odysseus, she tries to be strong and hopes for the best for but she still waits for his return. The tone of the women is so up beat as she tries to think positive she says, “ He shall ride the silver seas, he shall cut the glittering waves.” She thinks he is out there coming back to her, riding in the breeze trying to find his way back to her love, and has much faith. Penelope from The Odyssey doesn’t waste any time, she think my husband is gone for 20 years he is dead. He most likely won’t come back, and I will not sulk over him I will get re married. In her pretty voice you can hear how she doesn’t believe he is coming back she states “Odysseus never again will I embrace him” (Chapter 19, page 398, line 95). Penelope from The Odyssey lost faith in the one she calls her husband and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” waits and has faith her strong man is at sea.)

            Penelope from the poem  “Penelope” seems as though she has more love for Odysseus even though she and Penelope from The Odyssey are quite similar. They have similarities because both wait in sorrow for their loving husband Odysseus. But the two have differences in their personalities. Penelope from The Odyssey has Homer speaking for her and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” is speaking for herself. Also, Penelope from The Odyssey thinks Odysseus is dead and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” thinks that he is still out there and she will wait for eternity. The Poem “Penelope” showed a different type of Penelope and with out she would be just a one - dimensional character.