Odysseus and Ulysses

Odysseus and Ulysses

In "Oh Brother Were Art Thou" And "The Odyssey" there are many similarities and differences. The characters in both these stories show how "Oh Brother Were Art Thou" is based off of Homers "The Odyssey". Ulysses from "Oh Brother Were Art Thou" and Odysseus from "The Odyssey" are similar in many ways including their epic hero cycle. They are also different in ways within the epic hero cycle.

Odysseus was born into royalty and was the king of Ithaca therefore he follows the first cycle of the epic hero. Before Ulysses was pressed into his chain gang, he had a normal and happy life with his wife and children. Ulysses however wasn't born special or royal in anyway. Odysseus and Ulysses are different in this way because Odysseus follows the epic hero cycle and Ulysses does not.

Both Odysseus and Ulysses were challenged with a similar quest in their own separate ways. They both had to come back to their families. Odysseus had to go off to war for his country and was trapped at Calypsos Island. He had to come back to his family after twenty years. Ulysses had to get back to his family and his wife because she was going to re-marry.

On their quests, they are both challenged with trials. Many of the trials they go through are seen differently yet the same thing. For example, Odysseus sailed across the sea with his crew to get back to Ithaca was his family was. Ulysses drove across the country from Mississippi with Delmar and Pete to get to his family. Big Dan, a campaigning governor beats Ulysses, Delmar and Pete and warns them about the ‘treasure" they are going to find. Odysseus runs into the Cyclops who kills and eats some of his men before they escape the cave. Big Dan and the Cyclops both represent a trial that Odysseus and Ulysses went through. Penny plans to get married to Vernin her fiancé. This is a trial for