The Odyssey in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou

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The Odyssey in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou

The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou is a wonderful movie that was directed by the Coen brothers. The movie features a cast of talented actors, the movie has also won several awards. The book The Odyssey is a timeless classic and it was written by the mysterious bard Homer. The book tells the tale of our hero Odysseus as he attempts to make it home to his wife. There are many ways to relate the movie plot and characters, to Odysseus's journey in The Odyssey.

Let's begin with the most basic and obvious similarities, the movie and the book both begin with the same line " Sing in me O muse." The Greek name Odysseus translates to the name Ulysses in Latin. Odysseus's goal in the book is to get home to Ithaca to be with his wife Penelope and save her from the suitors. Ulysses is trying to get to Ithica, New York, to stop his wife Penny from marrying a suitor. Odysseus begins his journey by spending seven years on the island of Calypso before being let go. Ulysses is in jail for several years before escaping. Shortly after escaping, Ulysses runs into a blind man that tells him several warnings about his up coming adventure. Odysseus gets various warnings from different gods, and from prophets through out his entire journey. In the Odyssey, they travel to the island of the lotus-eaters. Once the men eat the flower they become passive and don't want to leave the island. In O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU the scene where Delmer and Pete are baptized is comparable to this. Delmer and Pete have no worry and are happy that they are sin free, even though the police are still looking to arrest them for escaping jail. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is warned not to touch the cattle of Helios, ...

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...hat Ulysses's obsession with Daper Dan hair pomade represents Odysseus's pride. Instead of thanking the gods for the victory over Troy he took credit himself. In the movie, Ulysses finds himself arguing in a store over the hair product selection, this almost gets him in caught by the police. There are also some obscure references I tried to make with the governors race. I think that it is similar to the whirlpool and sea monster Odysseus must choose between, both are dangerous to have in your path, yet a path must be chosen. The movie didn't however focus on Telemachus's personal journey into manhood nor did it include anything about the way Athena helps Odysseus through out the book. I found it very interesting that the Coen brothers were able to include that many references to the book while still having it be relevant to the decade the movie takes place in.

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