Connecting 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' to Classical Literature

[Alternate title: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid except it’s circa 400 BCE and in the Mediterranean]

Though the two genres might appear to be worlds away, westerns and classical literature share a lot in common. The standard conventions of the western genre borrow heavily from the structures and themes of Greco-Roman writing. Though many writing and drama conventions can be traced back to classical antiquity, westerns echo and amplify them in a notable way. Both genres place emphasis on antiheroes and tragic heroes wandering through civilization while escaping their destinies. Both feature themes like community versus individual and nature versus civilization. This can easily be observed in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which in itself, is both a western and an analysis of westerns.

The most important connection between the two classifications is their function. In ancient Greece and Rome, literature and drama reflected their mythology and beliefs. Not only that, but they expanded on them. Virgil’s The Aeneid, for instance, literally develops new myths and “history.” Aeneas, a Trojan hero, becomes the father of the Roman people. However, prior to The Aeneid, Aeneas had no documented connection with Rome. This serves to create a mythology around Rome. It is propaganda. It validates and justifies their culture and behavior, in addition to romanticizing their heritage. Westerns operate in the same way. Films of the genre build and reinforce the myth of American expansion. They cement the United States as a strong power with an important history. They emphasize vital cultural features, like that of innovation and capitalism, or the American dream. Butch Cassidy represents this in the fullest; he is constantly seeking new ways to get rich, and fast. He steals the idea to rob the train on both the departure and return. He even cites western expansion as inspiration and justification behind his plans to make money in Bolivia. In doing so, he validates American ideals. Furthermore, as outlaws, he and Sundance work as a metaphor for America’s consistent tension with authority. The country was only created as a result of the resistance against British control. A century later, the South attempted to secede, resisting against control once more. Even today, incidents like the January 6, 2021 mirror the American mythology of countering authority. Westerns illustrate this dynamic, just like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by focusing on outlaws and their adventures.

Westerns and classical literature also display similar structure and organization, especially Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The film echoes Greco-Roman writing in character development, themes, and literary devices. Both genres prominently feature anti-heroes and tragic heroes. In the movie, the two main characters are thieving outlaws, who eventually cause their own deaths. In major classical works, like Oedipus Rex, the audience observes as the main characters make foolish and immoral decisions that ultimately lead to their downfall. This character type is often used to explore another shared aspect: the theme of destiny. In Oedipus Rex, characters repeatedly revolt against their destiny. Oedipus tried to escape his destiny, which is to murder his father and sleep with his mother, only to find his attempts directly cause him to fulfill it. Similarly, Butch and Sundance bring about their own downfall in their mission to evade it. They are warned their time is coming to an end; their deaths are clearly imminent. Infamous for their crimes, the pair discover they are being hunted. Being caught means death. In order to avoid this outcome, Butch and Sundance run away to Bolivia. They clean up their act, thinking they can remake their destiny. However, in trying to remain good and innocent, they are forced to turn to crime again. This time, they are caught, not by their former pursuers, but by a Bolivian boy who alerts the authorities. They are surrounded, injured, and overpowered. In the end, by deciding to escape by becoming “good” in Bolivia, they caused their own downfalls.

Furthermore, a critical trait of Greco-Roman drama is irony. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid not only presents a heavy dose of irony, but also employs it in the same way as classical literature. Dramatic irony is used to underscore the tragic hero arc. In Oedipus Rex, for instance, Oedipus proudly proclaims he shall exile the man who killed his father, unknowing that it was, in fact, him. He also mocks a blind prophet, unaware that he, too, will become blind as a punishment. In the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Butch and Sundance foolishly believe they will be able to escape the Bolivian police. Hidden from their sight, the authorities continue to surround them in overwhelming numbers, all while Butch and Sundance discuss their plans for the future. The audience knows they will not survive, making the moment ironic. The use of dramatic irony furthers their arc as tragic heroes defying destiny. It demonstrates their destiny to be inevitable, just as it does in Oedipus Rex.

In the end, there are a myriad of connections between westerns and classical literature, including many unmentioned. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid proves to be an excellent study of the similarities, mimicking antiquital structure, themes, and devices. Butch Cassidy, and westerns as a whole, are so significant as they maintain a timelessness in their structure and purpose. They illustrate the connection society preserves with the past.