Current Fixation

I wanted to experiment with a new style change for her outfit and I'm really happy with the result 😁

Reference image:

Hey Garden! How are you? I was thinking and I started to wonder, which actresses so far do you think portrayed Penelope the best?

In order of my favorites:

Silvana Mangano in the 1954 film Ulysses: I've talked about her before, but again, her almost aristocratic, delicate beauty, expressive eyes, and excellent portrayal of cautiously walking on eggshells in her own house and subtle defiance and sorrow was masterful. Her best scene was when she was talking to Odysseus when he was disguised as a beggar - at first she is cautious, almost scornful/angry at another person coming in, claiming to know her husband. But the more they talk, the more she opens up, suspects the truth but can't say, and subtly challenges him by declaring her faithfulness. And together they come up with the challenge of the bow. There is so much the script said without saying in that scene.

Pros: Has close to the level of beauty described in the Odyssey. "Looking like Artemis or Golden Aphrodite", "White as sawed Ivory", Something in her beauty reminds me of a Mermaid, which fits as the daughter of a Naiad.

Great at displaying both Penelope's stonewall front to the suitors and her unraveling/longing in private.

Is shown occasional sweet-talking some suitors to keep the balance of the house/buy time.

Has great chemistry with her Odysseus, played by Douglass Kirk.

Irene Papas,The Odyssey (1968): what can I say about her that hasn't already? Fantastic, legendary actress. Not my number one spot, as I think her face has a slightly fiercer beauty than I picture Penelope to have, better suite to play Clytemnestra, which she also so well. She is the most Greek of the famous actresses to play Penelope, bringing little details to the role others couldn't. Her regal face when facing the suitors and her doting face with Telemachus are so, so good. Her best scene is when she demands Odysseus let HER test HIM now, after all is said and done, and melts when he passes the bed test.

Pros: Greek actress in a Greek role.

Is always secretly watching what is around her, taking it all in, observing to stay afloat.

Her soft face in private for her son and memories is wonderful acting.

During the slaughter of the suitors, she is show trying not to panic, to keep it together. But she's scared and vulnerable.

Greta Scacchi The Odyssey (1997): Good actress but not my favorite. While it shows the dignified wife well, she just doesn't carry the same charm that Mangano and Papas bring - the sort of spark that gives their Penelopes uniqueness. But Scacchi still has great moments - her subtle "oh crap" look when she realizes the suitors will not be leaving and then her best scene is the zinger at the challenge of the bow - when she leaves the suitors asks should she stay to see the winner, she answers "You're all the same to me." And of course she is lovely - Golden Aphrodite indeed.

Pros: Her human side is shown more easily.

She feels like such a mom to everyone around her. She gives a great "I'm disappointed" look to Menetho when she betrays her.

Is shown to be considering what her defiance is costing her household, kingdom.

What do you think? which of the three are your favorite?

Apologies for taking a while to answer this! I looked at it when I was half asleep and completely thought I answered it already lol (I need to not't look at things when I'm sleepy, puts me in too much of a fugue state haha).

This is a really beautiful question!

Honestly I think is something we need to see on the level on what the goddesses represent in the first place; reign, strength in battle and love. Famously Hera promised Paris the known world aka that he would become the greatest king. Athena promised him win at war; he would become the greatest and undefeated warrior. Aphrodite promised him love and beauty; you will have the most beautiful woman in the world.

Paris was also raised by a humble household. Normally a noble leader would be expected to pick either success in battle or rule and power. Paris though was in one essence innocent and pure from the political burden due to his upbringing so his choices as a person were expected not to be political or culturally expected but spoken from the innocence of youth and the simplicity of a person that lives in the mountains with his cattle and sheep and in one way in a bucolic way so in one way to Paris at that stage of life wealth power and war meant nothing. He was a young man who saw beauty and love in the world. However if you notice about it all of them all the choices have a price.

Had he chosen Hera's gift and to rule, it meant he rejected love and power in battle. That means he would become a leader without love a leader without wisdom either

Had he chosen Athena's gift and success in battle, he would be a clever and daresay wise warlord but without love and without stability or reign that would last

We know what he chose. He chose beauty and love. He chose Aphrodite's gift. However by doing so he rejected the idea of reign, the idea of stability and he rejected wisdom and the strength in battle. Paris remained in history more of a lover than a fighter and more as the one to be protected and shielded by others rather than someone who fights for himself so yes he got love yes he got beauty but he had no means or wisdom to defend either of them and somehow that was his downfall. And yes you are right we have more than enough hint across the sources to see that the Trojan War would happen anyways and yes the Judgement choice would cause it either way. We know what happened now that he chose Aphrodite. He caused so much but yet he had the love of people around him to help him hold out for as long as possible

Had he chosen Hera that would mean that Hera would abandon the rule of Greece to Paris. That would cause the kingdoms to retaliate and possibly fight back. Without strength in battle Paris would be annihilated even if he would sit for a short while as a strong leader. Without love and youth he would not hold out for too long because not many people would support him

Had he chosen Athena he would still cause the Trojan War because to be a successful warlord he would have to have a war. He would probably need to attack Greece somehow or something of the sort. War brings conflict, conflict brings retaliation. Without stability to hold what you conquer you are a great warlord bound to see his new empire collapse. Without the love of your subjects or family this is almost certain

Odysseus had been to the underworld! He KNOWS what awaits him after death! He has seen those souls wandering about in the dark sometimes even forgotten by people above. He has even spoken with Achilles who told him that he'd rather be the last servant and unimportant and alive than king in the underworld. The proud ACHILLES told him he'd rather be a beggar than dead! Showing indeed Odysseus what it means. Even Eurylochus spewed some facts when he said that "all mortals avert death because it is so scary to them"

Like I'd wait 20 years too, Penelope🙏