The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou: Two Relevant Pieces?

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The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou: Two Relevant Pieces? Time has not become the conqueror for the classical epic poem The Odyssey. For the past 2,500 years it has been turning its pages for many people all around the world, classifying it as the Western literary tradition. Even in the 21st century The Odyssey is still depicting its prominence when the film O Brother, Where Art Thou was directed in 2000 by loosely portraying the epic. The Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou mirrors themes, motifs, and symbols from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. Both creative works recount the twists and turns of a man’s journey home. But was it a relevant successful relation between the two? I tend to think so. The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou is strikingly similar to Homer’s The Odyssey in both plot and character description. Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey battles internal and external conflict to take part in the Trojan War. The main character Odysseus departs for the war and leaves his wife and child behind. Ten years after the war, Odysseus retraces his steps back home. By that time, his son Telemachus is twenty and living with his mother Penelope in Ithaca. His mother has to deal with the suitors, who are boisterous and set in their ways that she should agree to marriage. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, pilots his way for his voyage back home and persuades his son to start

searching for him. Odysseus embarks on many turmoils during his homebound voyage. When he has reached home he identifies himself to his wife and son. He fights for his wife and claims the throne (Borade).
“Poseidon has struck their well-rigged ship on the open sea with gale winds and crushing walls of waves, and only a few escape, swimming, struggling out of the frothing surf to reach the shore, their bodies crusted with salt but buoyed up with joy as they plant their feet on solid ground again, spared a deadly fate. So joyous now to her the sight of her husband, vivid in her gaze,


Cited: Borade, Gaynor. "Short Summary of the Odyssey." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/short-summary-of-the- odyssey.html>. J.B. Hainsworth. The Classical Review, New Series, Vol. 28, No. 1 (1978), pp. 144-145 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association "O Brother, Where Art Thou? -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Brother,_Where_Art_Thou%3F>. O Brother, Where Art Thou. Dir. Joel Coen. Perf. George Cloony. Universal Pictures, 2000. Prins, Matthew. "Brothers ' odyssey." The Christian Century 118.10 (March2001): 31.Academic OneFile. Gale. P.H. Welshimer Library. 2 Apr. 2009  <http://0-find.galegroup.com.library.acaweb.org/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE>.
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