Ulysses And Odysseus Comparison Essay

Odysseus and Ulysses Legends are often alluded to in modern works of art. The Odyssey is a collection of stories detailing the adventures of Odysseus, the great hero of the Trojan War. Odysseus is alluded to in several books and movies, including O Brother, Where Art Thou?. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a character named Ulysses Everett McGill closely resembles Odysseus. The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? adapts Odysseus from The Odyssey to create a witty and proud character named Ulysses. Ulysses is based on Odysseus in that Ulysses is also a shrewd, and often arrogant, leader who changes throughout the story. Because Odysseus is a clever person, he often formulates plans in order to escape danger and keep his crew from harm. However, his wit also causes him to be arrogant. For example,
when he escapes from the Cyclops Polyphemus, he lets “laughter [fill his] heart” when he remembers his “great cunning stroke” that led his men to safety (Homer 224). By describing his schemes as great, Odysseus is praising himself to try and appear more heroic than he actually is. His laughter shows how proud he is, and this pride overwhelms him. Ulysses is also a clever man, as he escaped a penal farm with two other prisoners. He quickly becomes the leader due to his quick mind. Ulysses shows his arrogance by referring to himself as the smartest and using pompous vocabulary to elevate himself above his partners, Pete and Delmar. However, the pride shown by both Odysseus and Ulysses lead them to make many enemies throughout their journey. Due to Odysseus’s overwhelming pride, he becomes enemies with Poseidon. Similarly, Ulysses’ arrogance leads to a fight with both Vernon Waldrip and Pete.
Odysseus and Ulysses also both show craftiness.
Odysseus usually creates plans that benefit himself, but the movie further emphasizes the trickery of Odysseus in its adaptation of Ulysses. Ulysses cheats a blind radio station operator of his money, even though the blind man did not do anything to harm Ulysses. Although Odysseus often insults his enemies, “stinging taunts” at them and calling them “blithering”, he does not cheat innocent people or harm them in any way (Homer 226). Ulysses, however, steals a gold watch from Pete’s cousin, and he is constantly portrayed as a thief and a cheater in the movie. Furthermore, the end of The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? both show a change in Odysseus and Ulysses. They both appear to conquer their pride and try to become a better person. Odysseus humbles himself by transforming into a beggar to get rid of the suitors, while Ulysses, although he still has a smart mouth, learns from his mistakes and strives to place his family first. O Brother, Where Art Thou? adapts Odysseus from The Odyssey to create a character that closely resembles Odysseus’s personality traits and transformation from the beginning to the end of the
poem. Ulysses from O Brother, Where Art Thou? is adapted from a famous hero, Odysseus, from the epic poem The Odyssey. Although there are minor adjustments, both Ulysses and Odysseus have a similar adventure in which they are trying to return home using their wit, but their arrogance gets in the way, and they must overcome it to complete their journey. This adaptation shows how similar human beings are. The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? were written over 3,000 years apart, and yet Odysseus’s personality can still be portrayed through a character in the movie. Reading respected works of literature is important, as it is still present in the world today through allusions.