1. INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES
Professor Will Adams • Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu • Building 2, Room 232
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:00 – 1:15 PM • hum1020-1200.blogspot.com
Name: • O Brother! Where Art Thou? Film Response • 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??