Response to Homer's Odyssey and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'

This essay provides a comparative analysis of Homer's Odyssey and the film 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'. It begins by exploring the role of Calypso in Odysseus's journey, highlighting how her influence and the allure of her island tested his character and impacted his perspective. The essay then draws parallels between the two works, focusing on plot similarities, such as the protagonists' journeys home after war and the challenges they face upon return. The essay also discusses the themes of longing, obstacles, and the impact of choices on the characters' lives. It further analyzes the significance of narcotics in both narratives, referencing the Lotus Eaters and the characters' loss of control. The essay concludes by emphasizing the shared narrative structures and thematic elements that connect the ancient epic with the modern film adaptation.

Running Head: RESPONSE TO THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER AND O BROTHER WHERE
ART THOU?
Response to the Odyssey of Homer and O Brother Where Art Thou?
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1RESPONSE TO THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER AND O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?
It is often said that with the prospect of eternity, desire fades out. This is not only true
for the protagonist of The Odyssey of Homer but also has been explored by many from ages.
William Hazlitt in his essay On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth talks about the rare
chances of young men believing in the prospect of death (Hazlitt).
Odysseus' existence with Calypso can be viewed as the essential point that
enormously impacted his viewpoint and the idea of the crucial hung on. To the extent the
comprehension of Odysseus character is worried, there are a few potential approaches to
appraise the job Calypso played in Odysseus' life, as the job of a lady in man's life is
constantly judged uniquely in contrast to different, some of the time conflicting, points of
vision. Calypso's house is an island, segregated from the remainder of the world (Murphy).
Homer depicts her island as an emblematic epitome of Calypso's temperament – alluring,
exotic and brimming with humour. Its rich regular habitat ends up being a sort of appeal that
Odyssey needs to withstand and spare his character.
For a long time, Odysseus experienced a daily reality such that tended to essentially
his male self – he lived in the air of war, savagery, killing, assaulting and enduring. This air
had him and inspired his conduct, and he nearly lost the piece of his character that is
generally viewed as a female – including sentiments of affection, leniency, collaboration,
dedication, affectability, tolerance and non-animosity (Murphy). The world that Calypso
offers him in his natural hollows shares nothing for all intents and purpose with the existence
he had previously, and this change gives huge changes somewhere inside him.
Nonetheless, this scene can be respected from a very extraordinary edge of vision and
add a few inquiries as to estimation of the scene that portrays Odysseus relationship with
Calypso (Murphy). Calypso is a caring lady and a goddess simultaneously, and as the case of
cherishing lady with solid character and force, she will, in general, have the man her heart

2RESPONSE TO THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER AND O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?
picked. He is constrained to give up, and it repudiates with his male nature and character. He
is the man who knows his psyche and the circumstance when he is compelled to obey to lady,
humiliates him and makes him long for home and his cherished family, with his eyes at any
point loaded up with tears and biting the dust of sheer home-sickness (Murphy). This
circumstance is likewise a significant factor that prompts his resurrection when he finally is
free and prepared to continue his excursion to Ithaca.
Although the lotus-eaters meant not to kill the men of Odysseus, the offerings of the
men were even more deadly and potent in comparison to that of the actual act of killing.
Since the lotus intoxicated them, they failed to live in the present (Murphy). It is evident that
narcotics of such nature help develop fantasies and make human beings lose complete control
over their own selves. It was the same situation that the Odysseus’ men were undergoing
since they were under the influence of lotus. They thought they were happy- in reality, they
were nowhere close to claiming happiness (Murphy).
There are a few similarities between “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and the Odyssey
such as the plot. In The Odyssey, there is a man who wishes to return to his homeland once he
has played his part in the war. However, after overcoming numerous obstacles and challenges
in his journey, he returns home to find out that although the wife he had left behind is the
same, along with his son Telemachus, there have been many significant changes. Penelope
refuses to accept her husband- very similar to the protagonist of “O Brother, Where Art
Thou?” where Everett’s wife refuses to believe that the ring she had claimed to bring back to
her was lost in the flood.

3RESPONSE TO THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER AND O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?
Works Cited
Hazlitt, William. "William Hazlitt: "On The Feeling Of Immortality In
Youth". Teaching.Quotidiana.Org, 2020,
http://teaching.quotidiana.org/essays/Hazlitt_Immortality.html.
Murphy, T. F. "Being human: Readings from the President's Council on Bioethics." (2004):
125-127.