Similarities Between O Brother Where Art Thou And The Odyssey

Sweat dripping. Heart pumping. Gunshots ringing. Chains rattling. Onwards towards home. Chased throughout their journey both Everett and Odysseus barely escape the grip of authority, monsters, and punishment. Upon inspection, and a well-versed knowledge of The Odyssey narrative, it is obvious to see the close ties O’Brother Where Art Thou has with The Odyssey. Both works of art, one based on the other, are surprisingly similar. Especially since their time periods are significantly different, but even the challenges each protagonist faces, and the people they encounter on their travels are similar, but how do they differ?

The epic The Odyssey and the movie O Brother, Where Art Though has similar events and characters. Both the poem and the film seem to have characters that have the same qualities or roles. They also have some events that are similar, such as Big Dan T’s death by the burning cross and Polyphemus loses his vision by the flaming spear.

The Odyssey by Homer seems at first glance to be an ancient text, separated from the modern world. However, the problems that The Odyssey’s characters face are still very real today. One example of this is that Odysseus experiences xenophobia when visiting Phaeacia in Book 7. Odysseus is probably the most powerful character in the book; he is graced with more polymetis than any man in Greece. Yet, in Phaeacia, Odysseus needs to be disguised in order to not be penalized for not being Phaeacian. Because of the Phaeacians’ attitude towards foreigners, Athena, disguised as a little girl, warns Odysseus of the Phaeacians before leading him through the city.

Odysseus is the spitting image of what an ancient Greek hero would be like but in today’s society or just in general, Odysseus is not heroic. He may have super hero qualities such as extreme strength and cleverness but he doesn’t embody them the way one should. In many cases he only saves himself, he is selfish, and he isn’t humble. These reasons alone leaves me, and should leave you, to believe that Odysseus is not heroic.

The Odyssey by Homer was a great book though the movie ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’ had a great story line, I have to say that the book was better. Not only was the book more detailed and easily understood, it held my attention. Unlike the movie, it picked up sometimes but I was utterly bored and lost focus for most of it. Comparing the book and the movie there were many differences and similarities.

“O Brother Where Art Thou?” is a comedy, adventure film produced in 2000. Many of the scenes in this film are based off the Odyssey, which is an epic poem by Homer. It is based on a true hero’s journey back home. There are many correlations and yet differences between the Odyssey and the film. Although the overall plot of “O Brother Where Art Thou?” is vaguely similar to the Odyssey, there are certain “episodes” that closely mirror the film’s classical influence.

In this piece, author Janice Siegel explores the numerous similarities and differences between Homer’s Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? and their place in the Deep South setting. By comparing the pieces, she reveals the Coen brothers’ successful mission to draw from the Odyssey in their film. This exploration relates specifically to my paper and will aid my writing by providing a sweeping view of the different points of influence and similarity that I can explore, including the textual treatment of the supernatural and the hero’s quest for reunion with his wife. This article will bolster my argument by providing these numerous examples and allowing me to explore and present the thoughts of another writer exploring a very similar topic. Ultimately, in my paper, this source will serve as a jumping-off point for many of my arguments. In doing this, I hope to employ it early and often to give my paper frame, direction, and purpose.

The story Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou have a lot of connections to our life just like how Odysseus was on a journey to get home and Everett was on a journey to get the treasure, we all have roadblocks and fears we have to pass. In the text, The Odyssey was written by Homer and the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen both authors deal with the main idea loyalty. Both stories have loyalty as the theme because in the Odyssey Odysseus wife was loyal to him for 20 years while he was gone. In the movie Everetts, wife, for the most part, was loyal to him until she was about to marry Veron. The differences between Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou are pronounced, and they deserve a thorough investigation. As a result, just like when Poseidon tried to kill Odysseus, in the movie the cops were trying to kill Delmar, Pete, and Everett. In the movie, the blind railroad conductor is similar to Tiresias because they both predicted the future for the main characters. Another similarity of both stories is when the main character of O Brother, Where Art Thou dressed up as KKK

The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

I am writing an essay comparing the sirens in The Odyssey and and oh brother Where Art Thou. we have done the Odyssey so much that I know exactly what's going on. when we watch the movie O Brother Where Art Thou I watched most of the movie to compare it to the Odyssey.

Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can? Do you ever tire?”

Sundiata and The Odyssey are two out of the many great great orally told tales in all of mankind history. In writing, comparing your work to another similar text is extremely important for making your paper understandable to any audience. In this case, I will be comparing the two similar texts, The Odyssey and Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Both of these two tables show the characters, Sundiata and Odysseus, long quests of pursuing and accomplishing a certain objective. To reach their goal, both characters encounter obstacles and enemies who want to stop them on their prolonged journey. Another item that is extremely important in both stories is the use and importance of fate. Both characters rely on their fates for assistance and for achieving

Homer’s Odyssey and the movie Oh Brother Where Art Thou are mirror images of each other. The characters in both stories go through events that display similar themes. For example, when Odysseus arrives at Helios island, his men show a lack of discipline and control within themselves. The crew were told by Odysseus not to hurt the cattle of the sun god when they were to arrive at the island. Odysseus, being as strict as he should be, wouldn’t allow anyone off the boat until they "vowed they'd never harm the herds" (Homer). This promise though was broken later on and the men had to pay for the mistake they had done. Rather than "die of hunger" (Homer), the crew "slaughtered and skinned the cattle" (Homer). By this act of theirs, choosing to disobey their leader instead of thinking of the ramification and wanting the benefits for killing

Some of the things in the text are similar, but some things are absent within the text. In “The Odyssey”, the Sirens are not bird-like, there is no skulls and bodies laying around everywhere, and nobody on the boat is killed(Homer). “O’Brother, Where Art Thou?” removes the ocean setting, Odysseus heroism, and the men having wax in their ears. Within the stanzas of the poem “Siren Song”, the story lacks the men and Odysseus, the heroism of Odysseus, and the men “fall for it everytime” (Atwood). Authors of these stories removed these things so that their more appealing to the eye. Also haveing certain things lacking, these stories have dissimilarities.

The composition of Homer’s Odyssey resembles his theory because it reveals a world that is ordinary to the hero, then the book has a call to adventure. We later find out that Odysseus is setting out for a battle at Troy.