hum2310 fa2014 o brother where art thou film response
TRANSCRIPT
Mythology in Art & Literature Professor Will Adams · [email protected] · hum2310-130.blogspot.com
Osceola Campus – Building 2, Room 233 · Mondays & Wednesdays, 1:30 – 2:45 PM
O Brother! Where Art Thou? Film Response Name: • Score: /30
Please provide answers to the following questions in complete sentences .
1. The original story, Homer’s The Odyssey, is set in ancient Greece. Where is this retelling set? 2. Why do you think this particular location and time period were chosen? 3. The Greek warrior Odysseus is the protagonist of Homer’s tale. Who is the protagonist of the film? 4. How is the film’s protagonist different from Homer’s? 5. In most historical epics the protagonist is aided by a friend or “sidekick”. Who is/are the film’s “sidekicks”? 6. In The Odyssey, the protagonist’s epic quest is to return home after 10 years of war with Troy. What is the film hero’s quest?
7. In Greek legends, a soothsayer or priest warns the hero of events to come. Who does this in the film? 8. Most epic heroes have a fatal flaw. For example, Odysseus’s was his excessive pride. What is the film hero’s? 9. The Odyssey describes the numerous obstacles and distractions the hero must overcome to complete his quest. What is the first obstacle the film hero must overcome? 10. In one episode, Odysseus and his crew are lured onto the rocks by sweetly-singing mermaids. Is there a related incident in the film? 11. Odysseus and his men nearly fall victim to a ravenous Cyclops in The Odyssey. Where does a similar event occur in the film?
12. In The Odyssey, Odysseus’s wife Penelope patiently waits for her husband’s return. Is this the case in the film? 13. Homer casts Poseidon, god of sea, as Odysseus’s foe. Who is the film hero’s foe, or antagonist? 14. Water & the sea play a pivotal role in both aiding and hindering The Odyssey’s hero. Where does it help in the film? Where does it hinder? 15. Most epic hero tales have a major moral or message that becomes apparent to the audience at the conclusion. What is the message that the viewer can take from O Brother, Where Art Thou??