Present in most epics, dreams are used by Homer and Virgil in the Iliad, Odyssey, and the Aeneid to catalyze action in the plot. These epic dreams serve a vital purpose to the bard in his formulation of the epic and to the audience in their understanding of the epic. Inspired by gods, formulated i...

O Odyssey Where Art Thou - A Comparison between The Coen Brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou? and Homer's Odyssey. The Coen Brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou?, loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, is the story of three chain gang escapees and their exploits in depression-era Mississippi. The movie no...

In her essay "Penelope as Moral Agent," Helene Foley attempts to discuss Penelope, a major character in Homer's the Odyssey, in terms of Classical Athenian portrayals of women and, as her title suggests, in terms of what she calls a "moral agent." In her introductory paragraph she lays out guidelin...