Although there is only one copy of the original material of the Greek epic poet Homer's Odyssey, there have been numerous different interpretations and ideas, as the original language and stylistic elements of the 'Odyssey text can be interpreted in various ways. The two translations we will discuss, Richard Lattimore's The Odyssey and Stanley Lombardo's The Odyssey, will be compared in the examination of chapter 24. Because of the thirty-year difference between Lattimore's earlier translation and Lombardo's later translation, these two different interpretations share as many similarities as well as differences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the last chapter, Agamemnon talks to the ghost of Amphimedon about how Penelope would untie a robe she wove every night while Odysseus was away how she could tell the suitors to wait for her to finish the robe until they could have it, thus denying perpetually giving suitors what seemed to them a fair reason to postpone the wedding. In both books we hear Amphimedon's story, but we don't even hear what Penelope has to say about what happened. We only hear Amphimedon's point of view, which is quite biased from the readers' point of view as Penelope fails to share her point of view and explain the feelings and emotions she was experiencing in the palace without Odysseus. In both books, their view of Penelope's situation is the same, as it is told only from the suitors' point of view. The language on the other hand is quite different in both translations when the suitor speaks to Agamemnon about Penelope. In Richmond Lattimore's translation, Amphimedon says to Agamemnon: “She would not refuse the hateful marriage, nor bring it about, but was planning our death and our black destruction by this other stratagem devised from her heart. He installed a large loom in his palace and began to weave a web of long, thin threads.” Lattimore uses outdated language and diction in this quote, such as the use of the word “ploy,” a word that would most likely require the average reader to consult a dictionary or attempt to ignore the effect it may have on the text. Lattimore is also very descriptive in his language, this helps the reader imagine the setting in greater detail than Lombardo's translation. Considered as a whole, Lombardo's translation takes a more modern approach. “He hated the thought of getting married again, but he didn't want to give us a yes or no. His mind was on death and darkness for us. Here's one of the tricks he came up with: he set up a loom in the hall and started weaving a huge piece, from thin thread...". In this quote, Lombardo takes a more modern approach to the Odyssey and makes it easier for the reader to understand. The longest word in the quote is “remarry” and this also has a pretty clear definition when compared to any of the words in the Latimora translation. Later in the chapter Laertes speaks with Odysseus. Laertes states that if he had not been so old, he would have fought against these suitors. Richmond Lattimore's version is: “If only I could have been like this yesterday at the palace, with armor on my shoulders, to stand by your side and repel the attack of the suitors; so I would have loosened the knees of many there in the hall, and your heart within you would have rejoiced.” In this quote, Lattimore uses the old diction to show more distinct emotions and how proud he would be to fight again and feel honored by his son for fighting off the suitors. This shows the readerthe importance of showing the honor of fighting for your territory and how it was a great opportunity to show your family's integrity in ancient Greece. Stanley Lombardo's interpretation of the quote is: “In our home, love on my shoulders, like the man I was when I took Nerico, the city of the mainland, commanding the Cephallenes! They would have swept them to death there in our halls, and would have made your heart proud.” As the reader can see, Lomardo's interpretation of this quote is much easier to understand, even going so far as to use modern idioms such as "beaten to death." Although noticeably easier to read, the language Lombardo uses is significantly less dramatic, perhaps diminishing the effect of the dialogue. The language used in Lattimore's approach reflects the views and readings of classicists of the time and is probably better suited to today's older generations rather than millennials. Lombardo's translation is at the opposite end of the spectrum, maintaining and expressing a language constructed and adapted for accessibility compared to that of erudite classical scholars. In the Odyssey itself, Richmond Lattimore's translation is written in a very old-fashioned way of thinking in the way it describes the setting and characters. He uses language that not many people use nowadays. This is where Stanley Lombardo's translation comes in to bridge the gap between epic poetry and the modern reader, as it has been modernized specifically so that more people can better follow the story of the Odyssey. Stanley Lombardo's translation is more for younger generations who did not grow up using Old English as it was published in the early 2000s. In Greek mythology, Odysseus is seen as this honorable king and everyone has a high opinion of him, but in the In the last chapter of the Odyssey we see the suitors are killed by Odysseus in his house and he does not give the suitors a proper funeral. In Lombard's translation the suitor describes what happened: “Thus died Agamemnon. Our bodies still seem neglected in the halls of Ulysses. The word has not yet reached our friends and family, who could wash the black blood from our wounds and lay us down with lament, as is due to the dead." In Greek mythology, gods and immortals believe in an afterlife and a proper funeral. After hearing that Odysseus had left the suitors dead in the hallway of his house, readers begin to look at Odysseus differently and not so well. Both Lombardo and Lattimore describe the conversation between Agamemnon and the suitor in the same way, so there is no significant difference in this section of the chapter. Ultimately, Odysseus' actions of not showing his honor in giving the suitors a proper funeral proves that he is not as honorable as the audience thought he was. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, both translations have fundamentally different goals and respectively different means of achieving them. The story of both books is the same regardless of translation. What is worth noting when comparing them is the overall influence of the translators on the work they are translating. Lattimore, publishing his version of the Odyssey in the late 1960s, reflected a considerably narrower view of the text, both in his diction and his approach to the subject. In contrast to this is Lombardo, his version of the Odyssey first published in 2000, which shows a new and modernized version of the original text. It is precisely this essentialist fact that gives rise to new translations in the first place. The.