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Odysseus Comparison Essay

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Although both translations of “Penelope’s Despair” by Yannis Ritsos use connotative diction to describe Penelope’s character, translator I utilizes neutral connotations to represent her as mentally, emotionally, and physically strong, whereas translator II applies negative connotations to portray Penelope as weak in all of the same aspects. In Version I, neutral diction is used to display Penelope’s mental strength. When she sees Odysseus, Penelope seeks “justification” (4), indicating that she is not to blame for her feelings of distrust. An individual who is being justified for their actions is typically innocent, so the use of “justification” suggests that Penelope is confident that her negative reaction to Odysseus’ arrival is apt. Penelope feels as if she is being “betrayed” (6) by Odysseus, further proving her mental strength. In contrast, translator II uses negative diction to describe Penelope’s character as mentally weak. She delays having to respond to …show more content…

The action of sinking into a chair is generally considered a voluntary action. This implies that Penelope must have physical control over her body in order to voluntarily sit down. In contrast, Penelope is described as physically weak in Version II, for she “collapse[s]” (8) into her seat. When an individual collapses, they are typically injured or sick. The use of “collapse” indicates that Penelope is disabled in the sense that she does not possess physical control over her body. Additionally, for a plan to collapse, it must be . or has been defeated, or has given up. In conclusion, though connotative diction is used in both translations of “Penelope’s Despair” by Yannis Ritsos, translator I uses neutral connotations to represent Penelope as mentally, emotionally, and physically strong, while translator 2 uses negative connotations to portray Penelope as weak in all of the same

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