Over the centuries, many epics have been told, as to inspire us all and provide entertainment. However, there are none as befitting to be the greatest epic as Homer's the Odyssey. It is one of the oldest, but also one of the greatest ever told. Over the years there have been many adaptations to the epic, as to mold this ancient story to one we can relate to and is familiar to us. One example, which I will discuss, would be the Cohen Brothers' 'O'Brother, Where Art Thou?', which is a story about 3 men who are trying to find a treasure after breaking out of prison. I will compare the text with the adaptation, and contrast each one's differences. Firstly, when it comes to setting, the adaptation is set during a transfer of power, commonly known as election time. This can also be comparable to the text, after the presumed death of Odysseus. Many suitors lined up for Penelope, wishing to become the next King of Ithaca. This is their form of transfer of power and is very similar to what is found in O'Brother. Some differences between the 2 pieces of art is that while the text is set in Ancient Greece, the adaptation is set in the South during the Great Depression. Another difference would be that the …show more content…
One similarity would be comparing the actions of the Sirens to the 3 women by the lake. Both used music to draw the men in, and both affected them in a negative way in any manner. Another similarity would be comparing Big Dan Teague's actions to Polyphemus. Both tried to hurt the main characters of each piece and their companions, as well as killing them (even though that turned out to be incorrect in O'Brother). A difference would be how Pete's cousin betrayed him by turning him in to the authorities to collect their bounties. That was an obstacle on Everett and his friend's road, which they overcome. Other than that difference, the rest are mainly similarities for the remainder of the
Many of the characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? are similar to characters in the Odyssey. Everett’s wife is like Penelope. Both of their husbands had been away and both had suitors. The difference though, is Everett’s wife was willingly engaged to a suitor, whereas Penelope never stopped believing her husband was dead. She told Odysseus “Ruses served my [Penelope] turn to draw the time out.” Ruses are tricks. That means Penelope tricked the suitors into waiting for her hand in marriage.
Firstly, the main characters of both stories, Odysseus and Ulysses, share qualities of the “crossing the first threshold” that quite clearly show the similarities in these stories. These parts of the heroes’ journeys for Odysseus and Ulysses both consist of the two beginning their long journeys and beginning the transformations from ordinary people to heroes. In The Odyssey, this part of the journey is when both Odysseus starts his journey to Troy to fight in the Trojan War and when his transformation from ordinary citizen to hero commences. In O Brother, this section of the journey is when Ulysses and his fellow jail mates break out of jail and begin the long journey home that initiates his character shift from an av...
One of the major differences between the movie and the epic poem is that in the movie the suitors treat Penelope horribly while in the epic they treat her better. Penelope’s suitors wear out their welcome in her palace and she wants them to leave but they will not. In the epic the suitors tried to get on Penelope’s good side to become her new husband and to become king. Penelope and Telemachus are both treated with disrespect when it comes to the suitors. This puts in more emotion and it really convinces the audience to dislike the suitors as well, and when Odysseus returns it puts in a good reason to get so angry and aggressive with them and want to kill them. After Odysseus returned, in the book he was angry with the suitors so he threatened
The similarities between the two stories are extensive, there are similarities not only in plot and the adventures the characters embark on and are involved in so I will only focus on a few. Homer uses the Latin translation of Odysseus name “Ulysses” in the Odyssey. Both men have been away from home for a long period of time
When I think of heroes I usually imagine a “superman” like character, whose greatest asset is his overpowering physical prowess combined with a sense of hyper-morality. But, Homer’s The Odyssey introduces a hero who is neither. Similarly, the Coen brothers also present a comparable tale in Oh Brother Where Art Thou, whose hero also lacks an emphasis on these traits. Instead, both authors use their characters to build a more realistic fairytale by highlighting (what happens when simple hospitality goes astray) their hero’s character flaws.
Next, there are many similarities between the Odyssey and “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, some including characters, characterization, and plot. First, The characters are alike in many ways. Odysseus and Everett are meant to be the same character. Pete and Delmar from the movie, are supposed to represent Odysseus’s crew, although they do not always act like the crew did. Next, the plot is similar to the book, The Odyssey. The three women singing are meant to be the sirens from the Odyssey. They draw the men into their trap, although it may not be killing them in the movie, but they turn Pete in for the bounty.
The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for certain characteristics everyday of their lives, whether they realize it or not; and The Odyssey is just one of those many miraculous tests.
While some of the similarities are obvious some lie hidden within the lines of the script. In both works the protagonist needed something to rely on when obstacles began to be thrown their way. Written in the Odyssey Odysseus had his trustworthy ship mates to turn to when obstacles came his way and Everett had his two-man crew: Pete and Delmar. At some points of the story the characters had to figure out ways to escape upcoming danger by hiding or disguising themselves. Odysseus and his crew hid under massive sheep’s in order to escape Polyphemus they attempted to do it in most discrete way possible. When Everett and his crew are trapped in a KKK ceremony trying to save Tommy they dress up as KKK members to flee without being noticed. There was a symbol of the sirens in O Brother Art Thou when they cross paths with three women whose voices draw them in. As Odysseus and his crew were sailing to reach one of their destinations hypnotizing voices sprang from the Sirens endeavoring to draw them in. The goal of both characters was to get back home, safely to their families, and they went to the extreme to accomplish just
The epic poem of Greek gods, monsters, and a long journey titled The Odyssey by Homer is bold and powerful enough to inspire any man. It certainly inspired the Coen Brothers, creators of the movie O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? In fact, this astounding motion picture is based off The Odyssey. In the tall tale of The Odyssey, Odysseus, a brave warrior and king of a land called Ithaca, is returning home from the battle of Troy where he is faced with many challenges and encounters many dangers. In the movie, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? by the Coen brothers, three prison escapees during the 1930's must encounter many metaphorically similar represented dangers to find a buried treasure and make it back home. The movie O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? and
Homer. ?The Odyssey,? World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition. Maynard Mack ed. Ed. Coptic St.: Prentice, 1995.
Homer. “The Odyssey”. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 475. Print.
The main characters of each work are automatically associated with each other by their names, but they also share similar personalities and characteristics. Odysseus is a wily hero of the Trojan War who uses his deceptive...
Homer’s Odyssey is the iconic story of a man’s episodic journey home. The film, O Brother Where Art Thou, is a justifiable homage to the Odyssey because of the many parallels between some of the major characters depicted in the movie and the epic poem. The movie is set in the 1930s in the state of Mississippi, changing the characters in social demeanor, but retaining their motivation and major plot points.
The tone in the story is very different in the 2 parts. In part 1, it could be said that the tone is one of excitement and danger, because it is following Odysseus on his endeavors against the ocean and the gods. In part 2, the tone could be one of sadness because Odysseus must disguise himself as a beggar, and he cannot reveal his identity to his family and they cannot be reunited. They tone was also kind of mysterious, because the readers wonder what will happen when he converses with his family in disguise, because the reader knows about the disguise but his family has no idea who it is.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.