Some movies have strong connections to famous books, epics, or myths. Often times, there will be many strong allusions to different epics, but there will be few weak allusions. In Joel and Ethan Coen's O’Brother Where Art Thou, The movie has strong allusion with the plot, hero qualities, and the minor characters of The Odyssey, O’brother Where Art Thou has strong allusion with the minor characters of the Odyssey. For example, in the movie, Everett and his men meet a blind traveler who tells them about their journey ahead. This shows a strong allusion to The Odyssey as Odysseus and his men meet a blind foreteller named Tiresias. Tiresias tells them about the different issues occurring at home and how to reach Ithaca. Another example is that, in the movie …show more content…
He also prayed to god. This shows a strong allusion to The Odyssey, as Odysseus faced a one eyed cyclops named Polyphemus, who started eating his men. After Odysseus beat him, the cyclops prayed to his father, Poseidon to bring about hardship to Odysseus. Lastly, in the movie O’brother Where Art Thou, a man named Vernon was trying to marry Penny. When Everett saw this, he started attacking Vernon. This shows an allusion to The Odyssey, as many suitors tried to marry Penelope when Odysseus was gone. Once Odysseus came back, he started fighting with the other suitors. O’brother Art Thou also has strong allusions with the plot of the Odyssey. For example, in the movie O’brother Where Art Thou, Delmar wanted to stay in the Baptist rive, because he was attracted to the river and felt like he was relieved when he dipped his head. Everett, however, forced Delmar to get out of the water and continue their journey. This shows an allusion to The Odyssey, as Odysseus had to force his men away from the Lotus eaters. Some of his men ate lotus, which made them relieved of their problems and want to stay there for the
There are many reasons to believe that O Brother, Where Art Thou is a movie based upon the events that took place during Homer’s The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and his adventure home after the Trojan War. O Brother, Where Art Thou was about the journey of Ulysses and his two partners escaping from prison. Both Odysseus and Ulysses were trying to reach home so they could see their families again. The blind man on the railroad tracks toward the beginning represented the blind prophet Teiresias. Both prophets give bad news. Odysseus is told it will take him many years to reach home. Ulysses is told he will not reach the treasure he seeks. The cousin that turned Ulysses and his two prison mates Delmar and Pete in for the reward represents the Circe turning
A character named Ulysses Everett McGill from the story O Brother Where Art Thou is a leader of a chain gang in rural Mississippi. Everett connects with a character named Odysseus from the story The Odyssey because they share many similar attributes. Odysseus demonstrates god like qualities and he is shown to be a brave man. In the stories, the Odyssey and O Brother Where Art Thou through many trials and tribulations both characters Odysseus and Everett share similar characteristics such as they are both loving, perfect, and determined.
The Odyssey was full of symbolism. Many people and events have a deeper meanings behind them. Through both parts of the novel we see many things that may mean more that they appear as. There is a lot of symbolism in the Odyssey and we see some in Odysseus’s bow, the cattle of Helios, Argus, Penelope’s Shroud, and Odysseus and Penelope’s bed.
The movie, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou, is an old-timey film based on Homer’s The Odyssey. The plot and characters are all loosely drawn from the ancient Greek myth, but is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. The result is an original film filled with adventure, interesting characters, and side-splitting comedy. The George Clooney stars as the main character, Ulysses Everett McGill, with his two man crew, Pete and Delmar, as they trek across Mississippi in search of “treasure” and encounter many of the same trials and troubles that are told about in the myth of Odysseus.
The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a reinterpretation of the epic poem The Odyssey. The Coen brothers, writers and directors of the film, did not over analyze their representation. “It just sort of occurred to us after we’d gotten into it somewhat that it was a story about someone going home, and sort of episodic in nature, and it kind of evolved into that,” says Joel Coen in Blood Siblings, “It’s very loosely and very sort of unseriously based on The Odyssey” (Woods 32). O Brother, Where Art Thou? contains ideas from The Odyssey for the sake of modernization and entertainment of an audience that comprehends the allusions to the epic. The Coen brothers utilize elements of Homer’s The Odyssey to improve and to give direction to O
The poem “The Odyssey” details the story of a man named Odysseus who went through many trials and tribulations while trying to get home to his family. In the past, many stories, movies, and other works of literature have based its plot around the story: “The Odyssey”. However, there is one movie that stands out as unique and its title is “O Brother Where Art Thou”. The producers, Joel and Ethan Coen, did a wonderful job in making actor Ulysses Everett McGill represent Odysseus. Everett from “O Brother Where Art Thou” and Odysseus from Homer’s “The Odyssey” are very similar in many ways, but contrast in multiple qualities and characteristics as well.
The pieces O Brother, Where art Thou?, and The Odyssey are both written about the adventures faced while on a journey to get back home and both consist of many arduous tasks. Adventure is necessary to create a sense of action and to help develop a character in a writing or film. When one goes through a long journey to reach their fulfilled destination, which is not always easy, they must stay faithful so that they will survive. One must stay faithful and courageous through these hard times for their family, treasure, or whatever else is making them fight. If one stays faithful during a time of urgency, the gods may see one’s strength and provide guidance and help. As long as one is deserving of the help from the gods and keeps one’s faith in them. As long as, while out on a vigorous journey, one stays faithful, in a time of need the gods will see their courage and assist them in whatever way they can.
The Odyssey is an example of Greek history portrayed in literature. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life. Greek stories such as, The Odyssey set the stage for today's modern action movies with epic heroes such as Indiana Jones, Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, and Western cowboys like Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.
Though O Brother, Where Art Thou, is based on The Odyssey, the two share several similarities and differences, such as the characters’ encounters with others, conflicts faced in the stories, and characteristics of the major
In the book Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou shows many ways how the hero’s journey are used throughout. The reading Odyssey is about a man that goes on a adventure for ten years and faces many challenging problems. For example cyclops, zeus, and . In the film O Brother, Where Art Thou a group of three runaway slaves are being hunted and face many challenges similar to Odyssey. The film O Brother, Where Art Thou and Odysseys are similar because O Brother, Where Art Thou is modernized through the reading Odysseys.
Throughout the Odyssey, the struggles of Odysseus are revealed to the reader through the well written epic. His journey is very difficult and he is haunted with the loss of his entire crew and seemingly impossible task of getting home to his family. While journeying homewards, Odysseus makes the mistake of harming the Cyclops, who happens to be Poseidon's son. Poseidon is so angry at Odysseus for the harm he inflicted on the Cyclops, that through the influence of all powerful Zeus, he punishes Odysseus along with his other children, the Phaeacians, who can be seen to parallel as well as contrast with the Cyclops.
Odyssey, by Homer, is about Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. Odysseus fights in the Trojan War and wins. He travels towards Ithaca but does not reach it because he is not in favor of Poseidon, god of the sea, who prevents his return. For many years, Odysseus wanders the seas and has many adventures. Meanwhile, suitors attempt to marry Penelope, Odysseus' wife, but she remains faithful to her husband. The gods pity Odysseus and assist in his safe return to Ithaca. Though Odysseus has the help of the gods, his personal qualities contribute to his survival in the seas and the return to his family in Ithaca. Odysseus' personal qualities of bravery,
One of the most famous works from the early Greek era is Homer’s Odyssey. It details the journey home of a war hero, Odysseus. His homecoming entails many adventures, each presented as a separate episode that he must overcome. Though the varied episodes differ in terms of characters and settings, most are based on similar patterns of plot and theme. The themes that are most emphasized are forgetfulness, a willingness to risk pain for pleasure, and female temptation.
Are you into Greek mythology? If so The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem about the great Odysseus. The epic poem is a myth and includes gods, beasts and mortals. We read this in my English class with Mrs. Hemphill, who is the best teacher ever. Characterization makes The Odyssey significant because of Odysseus, the Greek gods and the suitors.
Another theme oikos is integrated into the Odyssey. The household in this epic seems to be an important structure in the relationship between Odysseus, Penelope, and their son Telemachus. After all it is their household that is threatened by the suitors and leads Telemachus to search for the truth about the whereabouts of his father. Also the peril of the suitors exhausting Odysseus' resources and household drive him to kill the suitors. Which also plays into the story well. To me it seems as though these themes play more of a role in this epic.