Despite the interaction and default notions of the divine, both women react strongly to the departure and prolonged absence of their truest love, each establishing themselves as a character stubborn and passionate. For Penelope of Homer's Odyssey, strength and deliberate intention translate into her unswerving loyalty to Odysseus and firm belief in his imminent return. By expressing the desire and pain felt for her husband's prolonged absence through rational emotions, Penelope's character becomes worthy of great admiration; bringing an ideal balance between inner strength and recognizable nature. Quite antithetically, Dido's hostile nature prevented her from seeing beyond Aeneas's perceived betrayal, and instead of dressing herself in hope, strength, and unwavering loyalty, she took matters into her own hands and ended any prospect of earthly perseverance and reunification. While Penelope admirably accepts Odysseus' call and confidently awaits his return from the journey she intends to conquer, Dido refuses to accept that Aeneas' departure has the same divine origin, and instead of supporting her lover's predestined destiny, proclaims betrayal and brazenly