Characterisation in the Penelopiad

The comparative study of The Odyssey and The Penelopiad is enhanced by the fact that Atwood's novella is a direct interpretation of Homer's text. The transformation of character across the shifting 2000+ years is a strong point of friction between the two texts. Lessons 3 and 4 have focused on the characterisation of major (and some minor) characters in each text. Now it is your chance to examine the similarities and differences between the texts.

Compose an extended response to the following question:

How does Atwood's The Penelopiad both strengthen and undermine the characterisation of key figures from The Odyssey?

IN YOUR RESPONSE EXAMINE AT LEAST TWO CHARACTERS.

A composer’s key characters often embody the value and perspectives of their own social, cultural and historical context. The characters are the composer’s approach to communicating with their audience, allowing us to make comparisons between these vastly distinct contexts. Through a close study of Atwood’s “The Penelopiad”, the reader is provided a glimpse of into the comparison of key figures from “The Odyssey”, such as Odysseus and Penelope. Atwood aims to bring light to the portrayal of the central characters through her postmodernist appropriation of Homer’s classical Greek tale.

The protagonist is strongly representative of the context in which a text was composed. “The Penelopiad” provides a contrasted perspective of Odysseus portrayed in Homer’s “The Odyssey”. It is critical to analyse the characterisation of the protagonist, as it stands as the composer’s primary means through which to convey his messages about the society and culture that existed during their context. In “The Odyssey”, Odysseus is praised for his various courageous and noble tasks, such a...

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...seus also helps shapes our perspective that despite his heroic traits such as bravery and decisiveness, he also holds many questionable qualities. Atwood’s appropriation of “The Odyssey” expresses many of the moral ambiguities of Odysseus’ actions that are expressed throughout Homer’s original text.

Penelope’s characterisation is also

Atwood’s “The Penelopiad”, explores the evolving characterisation of key characters such as Penelope and Odysseus through her postmodernist reimagination of Homer’s classical “The Odyssey”. Through the exploration of the characters, the reader is provided an insight into the context of Atwood’s writing. Her characterisation of Penelope and Odysseus are shaped from our understanding of the characters within “The Odyssey” and allows us to draw comparison between the predominant culture and society of the Homer and Atwood’s writing.