Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou Compared

The movie ìO Brother, Where Art Thou?î is strikingly similar to Homerís ìOdysseyî in both plot and character description. In fact, one critic notes, ìO Brother Where Art Thou?î is a Homeric journey through Mississippi during the Depression.î(Ebert p 1) Thus, we find the modern film depiction of the troubles of a man during the depression is molded by the ancient struggles of Odysseus in Homerís Odyssey. Specifically, three parallels surface in the discussion of the similarities between Homerís classic epic and ìO Brother Where Art Thou?î The Cyclops encounter for instance, is transcendent between both works. Furthermore, each story contains a comparable perspective of the Lotus Eaters. Finally, the strongest parallel between the ìOdysseyî and ìO Brother, Where Art Thou?î is the mystical call of the Sirens and the powers of the witch goddess Circe.

The Cyclops encounter is transcendent between both works. The Cyclops, in the ìOdysseyî and ìO Brother, Where Art Thou?î has obvious physical traits that connect the two pieces of work. The Cyclops in each story is a large man, who only has one eye. One website describe the Cyclopes race as, ìa rough and uncivilized race of one-eyed giants.î(Spark notes p1) Odysseus describe the giant as, ì A prodigious man who slept in his cave alone, and took his flocks to graze afield---remote from all companions, knowing none but savage ways, a brute so huge.î(Wilkie p378) The encounter of the Cyclops shows a great similarity in both of these stories. Odysseus, the main character of the ìOdysseyî and Ulysses, the main character of ìO Brother, Where Art Thou?î are taken from of state of tranquility and savagely attacked. As described by Odysseus, ìSo there all day, until the sun went down, we made our feast on meat galore, and wine.î(p 377) This quote describes Odysseus and his men relaxing and enjoying a feast. Quite similar in ìO Brother Where Art Thou,î Ulysses was enjoying a picnic when the savage Cyclops