Introduction
The character of Ulysses is very famous and it is mainly associated with two epics namely the Iliad and the Odyssey both these great epics were written by homer. Ulysses was a Greek king who discovered went on an expedition in the later parts of his life leaving his kingdom, his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus all alone. His son was born just when he was about to leave for the Trojan War which was supposed to be a bloody battle. This paper will throw light upon the character of Penelope and the epic will be adapted in another medium, to be precise the story of the epic will be translated into a TV serial to highlight the sacrifices made by Penelope.
“In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and so is eventually rejoined with him. Prior to recent readings, her name had been associated with faithfulness.” (Cambridge University Press, 15 March 2009). Penelope is believed to be the faithful wife of Ulysses and she stood really strong in his absence. Women were known for the deeds of their sons and by their own deeds early on, Ulysses wanted his wife to be really faithful to him without looking at his own track record and Penelope certainly fulfilled this desire of Ulysses in his absence. Even though Ulysses goes on an expedition for many years, Penelope always spoke about him with respect and gratitude and the relationship between Ulysses and Penelope forms the base of the story, the whole story revolves around these two most important characters. Women have always taken a back seat in most of the early stories but Ulysses is a bit different from the other stories, Penelope stands all alone protecting the kingdom of Ulysses changes the whole image of women taking a back seat.
Penelope could have easily married some suitor and the kingdom would have gone to the suitor but she did not do this in order to ensure that she protects the kingdom of her husband even in his absence and she stood by his wishes, he wanted her not to get married and she did exactly the same. “She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband during which she has a hard time snubbing marriage proposals.” (The Odyssey, P 628, 15 March 2009).
Adapting the Odyssey into another Medium
The Odyssey can be adapted in various forms, of which adapting it in a TV serial is probably the best option available. The sacrifices and the efforts of Penelope must be highlighted and the name of the TV serial should be “The role of Penelope in Odyssey”. The sacrifices made by her should be the highlight of the TV serial. A strong woman should be selected to play the role of Penelope. The story should remain more or less the same. Ulysses should leave her all alone to rescue the kingdom; the character of Telemachus should also be introduced in the TV serial. The director should use sets that display the ancient time as this story was written by Homer long back. The TV serial should be the right mix of ancient times as well as the modern era. Ulysses should be shown participating in the Trojan War; modern weapons can be used when this episode is shown on TV. Ulysses will be an instant hit as he is in the epic, Penelope’s character should not be much highlighted in the serial, it should be as it is in the epic, and this will make the audience realize the sacrifices made by Penelope. If the character of Penelope is highlighted in the TV serial, the audience will start picking faults with her character and all her sacrifices will go in vain, she should keep a low-key profile in the serial. Telemachus can also play a major role in saving the kingdom of Ithaca. The wars fought by Ulysses should also
Be one of the highlights of the serial, this will intrigue the audience and the TRP rating is bound to go up. The reaction of the audience to the serial will be an interesting thing to watch as that will largely decide the fate of the serial but this is quite a different theme and it should be an instant hit with the audience. This concept is very unique and will be appreciated by the audience, people will get to know how strong women can be and it will change the stereotypical thinking about women.
References
Homer. The Odyssey, Book XVI, in The Iliad & The Odyssey. Trans. Samuel Butler. p. 628.
.W. Mackail, with Penelope in the Odyssey (Cambridge University Press, 1916), epitomizes the traditional view of the dutiful Penelope.