Answers
Specifically, I need examples of the parallels that occur in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" to these situations in the Odyssey:
Trojan Horse
Eurylochus
Cicones
Poseidon
King Menelaus
Demodocus
Elpenor
Ships
Scylla/Charbdis
Telemachus
Eurymachus
Thank you!
The only direct reference is the line of text shown at the beginning of the film, "O Muse! Sing in me, and through me tell the story...", which is one translation of the first line of the Odyssey. In addition to this, there are a few characters in the film that share names with similar characters in the Odyssey:
Ulysses, the Latin form of the Greek name Odysseus, is the first name of the film's protagonist, Ulysses Everett McGill.
Menelaus "Pappy" O'Daniel, who pardons the Soggy Bottom Boys at the end of the film, shares his first name with the King of Sparta, who fought alongside Odysseus at Troy.
Pappy O'Daniel's challenger in the election is Homer Stokes, who shares his first name with the author of the classical text.
Odysseus' wife was named Penelope. Penny, a shortened version of Penelope, is the name of Everett’s wife.
Pete makes a reference to Papillon. However at the time the film is set, Henri Charrière "Papillon" would have still been undergoing his sentence and his autobiography was not written until 1969. The film's subtitles state that Pete quotes Papillon however a script for the film on the internet quotes him as saying "Pab-you-lum!".
[edit] References to Homer
When we see Pappy O'Daniel discussing the upcoming campaign in the restaurant, over his shoulder we can see a bust of Homer.
Many other characters are related without literal translation.
The Sirens (washing women) that seduce the heroes are the Sirens that attempt to seduce Odysseus and his crew.
Vernon symbolizes the suitors waiting to marry Penelope.
The Blind Seer (railroad hobo) is Tiresias, the blind ghost prophet.
Daniel "Big Dan" Teague (John Goodman), with his one good eye, is an allusion to Polyphemus the Cyclops.
The Lotus Eaters are represented by the congregation walking trancelike to be baptized.
[edit] Plot parallels
[edit] Parallels with the journey of Odysseus
The old man on the railroad handcar is most likely an allusion to Tiresias, who prophesied the trials and tribulations of Odysseus' journey home when Odysseus visited him in the underworld. The underworld here is represented by the chain gang, which our heroes escape.
The merciless sheriff is analogous to the god Poseidon, who torments Odysseus and prolongs his journey home. A link between Satan and Poseidon may be being made when Everett mentions that Satan carries "a giant hay fork" (a trident); both figures are often depicted with just such an instrument. In the penultimate scene of the film, the sheriff's dog and his hired men are killed in a surprise flood (though we do not know if the sheriff himself is dead, as no body appears), while Everett and his friends save themselves; Poseidon, god of the waters, destroyed all who had manned a ship sent to aid Odysseus, turning them into a rock in retaliation for the blinding of his son Polyphemus, and also plagued Odysseus himself constantly with floods. The sheriff may also reference the god Hades, who, as ruler of the underworld, is sometimes compared to Satan; the sheriff's hound echoes Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog of the underworld.
The travelers' siege in the Hogwallop barn parallels Odysseus' dangerous course between Scylla and Charybdis, when Everett helplessly cries "Damn! We're in a tight spot!" several times. This also could have paralleled Odysseus' peril in Polyphemus' cave.
There is a trancelike progression of worshipers seeking to be baptized. Their glassy-eyed placidity draws a parallel with the Lotus-Eaters of the Odyssey.
At one point, George Nelson shoots at a herd of cattle. Odysseus' fellow travelers slaughter the cows of the sun god Helios; Odysseus warns his men against killing the sacred oxen. Because of this, in The Odyssey, Odysseus' ship is struck by a thunderbolt, killing all but him. In the film, George is sent to be executed in the electric chair. During the parade to the execution, someone leading a cow behind the mob yells, "Cow killer!"
Continuing their journey, Pete tells them to pull over at a river because he sees beautiful, singing women. These women can be compared to the Sirens in The Odyssey that attract men, only to kill them in the end.
After their encounter with the "Sirens," Everett and Delmar wake up to find Pete missing; Delmar is convinced Pete has been transformed into a frog. This is similar to Odysseus' encounter with Circe the witch-goddess, who turns half of his crew into swine.
In the restaurant, Everett and Delmar encounter the one eyed bible salesman who then attacks them in a field to steal their money and car. This can be seen as a parallel to when Odysseus and his crew discover the cyclops Polyphemus which devours many of the crew
Everett has to enter the dinner party in disguise to avoid detection. This parallels when Odysseus had to enter his own palace disguised as a beggar.
Odysseus did not reveal himself before his wife's suitors until having strung his own bow and shot through twelve axes
Official Trailer from the DVD
Im writing an essay on the similarities between O brother where art thou and the Odyssey. I have to have an attention grabber but im having a hard time thinking up one. It can be like a qoute connecting the two movies, an anecdote, a statistic or anything. Please Help !!
Start with the quote of The Odyssey from the beginning of the movie.
"O Muse,/ Sing in me, and through me tell the story/ Of that man skilled in all the ways of contending/ A wanderer, harried for years on end...”
Which also is the first line of The Odyssey. Depending on the translation.
Who is Hades (god of the underworld ) in the Odyssey equal to in O' Brother Where Art Thou?
What represents Phaeacia (from the Odyssey) in O' Brother Where Art Thou?
The sheriff is Hades.. as for Phaeacia... That was a place in the Odyssey... but there is this from a site I checked:
"The Phaeacian section of The Odyssey seems most likely influenced by fairy tales or folk legends. It fits a genre, found in many cultures, in which a beautiful, innocent young girl, often a princess, is attracted to a rugged, handsome stranger who usually is older and always more experienced. Sometimes the two end up together; more often, the man makes an impression on the younger woman (with varying degrees of intimacy) and moves on. Even in modern times, this theme is popular in fiction and drama. In this case, Odysseus acknowledges the charms of the virgin Nausicaa but is intent on returning to Penelope."
In that case.. wouldn't it be his wife and mother of his children?
The site goes on to say:
"Phaeacia certainly is a Utopia. With minor exceptions, the people are decent, civilized, and kind. They are known for returning helpless strangers to their homelands, an act that exceeds even the generous welcomes usually found in The Odyssey....."
In that case.. I'm not sure who she is...
So, I'm having to write a paper comparing and contrasting the film of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and the film and story of the "Odyssey". Can someone suggest a creative title for my paper, please? Thanks a bunch.(:
In the movie, o brother where art thou, why did Pete go to jail?
i've seen the movie more then once but they never say.
can anyone help me out?
Just like you said, it is not explained.
Everett claims to have stolen $1.2 million in treasure from an armored car, but that is not why he is in jail.