Comparing Two Different Versions Of Homer's Odyssey

There are some considerable and not so significant variations between the versions of the Odyssey. One very inessential difference is the fact that many words in the Prose version that are spelled with a “C”, in this book are spelled with a “K” for instance, “Her lady Kalypso…(1)” and “... in Ithaka…(2)” . Additionally, the poetry adds diacritical marks above letters in names for instance, “ ...Hêrmes, cross the sea to the island of Oýgia…(4)”. Another less significant discrepancy is that with the numbers that tell you want line you are on in the epic, in the Prose version there is a number counting every five lines, but in this book there is a number every ten lines. Aesthetically, there is asymmetry in the physical layout of the pages, to …show more content…
For instance, in the poetry Zeus is the one to explain that “...Poseidon, bears the fighter an old grudge since he poked out the eye of Polyphemos…(3)” when in the Prose that is told to the reader by the narrator. Likewise, because of Zeus and Athena’s conversation of what they plan to do it seems to put more emphasis on Odysseus’ travels than Telemachus. They do not even mention Telemachus by name in their conversation they refer to him as “...the son…(4)”. Contrastingly, to the Prose version, the poetry version skips over a lot of details and sub stories that don’t directly affect the progression of the plot. Understandably, because of this, in the poetry version Athena has already arrived to Odysseus’ palace on page five, “... the prince Telemakhos now caught sight of Athena… (5)” Another drastic discrepancy in the storyline is that in the poetry version Athena gives a different reason for why she went to the palace, “As for my sailing here- the tale was that your father had come home, therefore I