Since the discovery of epic, the complexity of its formative characters has been theorised. The presence of oral poetry in Ancient Greece means the original descriptions and attributes can be reformed, making it a perfect source for adaptation.
Nolan utilises this in his portrayal of the ‘Odyssey’, more so in his liberties in the journey home but importantly in his rendition of Penelope as a “king’s wife”. The original epic, whilst written in a time of uncontested androcentrism, illustrates Penelope as an intellectual equal with autonomous drive. Her masterstroke of a plan to unweave her work on the burial shroud keeps suitors away from her kingdom.
However, even 2,800 years later, her cunning seems subpar. In an adaptation that is supposedly emancipated from being historically accurate, Nolan chooses to keep the women in this supportive box. He gives these characters almost less humanity than Homer awarded them.
Penelope also maintains the role of “the foil” in Nolan’s rendition, as Clytemnestra’s fury is touched on. After the sacrifice of her child, Iphigenia, by Agamemnon’s hand, she utilises her intellect in a way male contemporaries viewed as diabolical. Nolan’s version manages to communicate to the audience a level of understanding behind Clytemnestra’s rage whilst also maintaining the horror from the male warriors.
Penelope is still Clytemnestra’s antithesis in the movie as the murder is violent and by the hands of her lover. Whilst Penelope stays loyal, Clytemnestra plots revenge. It is debatable whether Nolan’s changes in the cutscene of Iphigenia’s sacrifice is as impactful as hoped. Her death could be seen as more harrowing aged down, making her unaware of her fate and strengthening Clytemnestra’s maternal instincts into rage. However, I would argue the audience would feel more sympathy for Iphigenia herself, rather than her mother, if kept as a young teen.
Similarly, the choice of making Helen of Troy identical to her twin Clytemnestra, was a poor modification from Nolan as appearance plays such a large role in the justification of the war. The original epic relies on the gods’ frail need to be revered, with Paris choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful over Hera. Even though Paris’s choice was made through the bribery of being given the ‘most beautiful woman’ (Helen), it dooms the Trojan’s fate.
Helen being taken to Troy is said to be the catalyst of the war, but she is the distraction from the Greeks wanting geopolitical control. Their true motivations were for access over the Dardanelles trade route to maximise their reach of power. Nolan gives her a brief recourse, attempting to resolve her image, as most recent adaptations acknowledge her as Helen of Sparta and a pawn in military pursuit, but the removal of her identity by having her played by the same actress does not create the effect I believe he wished it would.