Portfolio - Odysseus Compare and Contrast

Anthony Buchanico

Orange Stream

English, March 6^th 2011

In the eyes of several, Odysseus can relate to almost any fictional character ever made due to the major influence his story has had on modern day media. One of the most significant instances of this would be the Star Wars prequels. Although different in several ways, the tale of Odysseus can closely be related to Anakin Skywalker and his struggle for sanity due to his loved one.  

            The story of Odysseus starts off with a foresight to the end of the journey where he has been stranded on a land away from all he loves and only one person to care for him due to his carelessness.  Similarly, if we go to the end of Anakin’s journey he is stranded alone in his own landmass of a prison with only one man to care for him.  This can be thought of as the first notable similarity. It shows both the character’s poor judgment in teamwork and desire to save their lover has been their downfall. Going back to the beginning of Odysseus’ journey, he must gather men to help him save his loved one from harm without them exactly knowing what his intentions were.  Likewise, in episode two of Anakin’s journey, he finds his loved one and himself facing certain danger. With the use of his crew known as the Jedi, he manages to save his loved one, and himself. This states another ground point. Although these occurrences are not in similar order, they can still be thought of as similar purposes. This occurrence in Anakin’s life can also be thought to pertain to Odysseus and his crew facing Circes, seeing as it was a wicked beast that tears apart people and Anakin was faced against a set of beasts himself. 

These journeys, no matter how similar, are still “A long time ago” and “A galaxy far far” apart.  For one, the Star Wars trilogy is scientifically ions ahead of Ancient Greek civilization seeing as they use terminating lasers, aircrafts and many more futuristic inventions. The stories, no matter how similar in plot cannot be an exact copy of the other. If they were to do so it’d more likely be called “The Odyssey: Episodes 1-9!” Another thing that can be associated in plot differences it that the challenges and humans they face are different people of consisting of difference race and sex, Obi-Wan is Anakin’s Athena and Padme is the Penelope of the time.

            Moving back into similarities, looking at “Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith,” we find Anakin losing his sanity in order to keep the one he loves and the mindset he believes in an everlasting reality. He was so set on this that he betrayed those who he had once loved all for one woman. Sound familiar? Odysseus sacrificed all he had close to him in order to save Penelope from the suitors. Even after 10 years he still sacrificed his life and slaughtered mass amounts of people just to be with the one he aspired to hold close to him. Their love had blinded the both of them and drove them to the walls of insanity. In the category of both a similarity and difference lies the child of Odysseus, Telemachus, where is he found in the Star Wars saga? In one perspective, Telemachus may be thought of as the force. It was always a part of Anakin’s life just as Telemachus was to Odysseus. Neither of them had noticed it for quite sometime however. But in the end, it helps them both reach their final goal. Another way to think of the force is to recognize the Goddess Athena.

            Athena was always a divine power Odysseus had that could help him during his harshest times. When Odysseus and his son were fighting off the suitors in their home Athena was there for the protection of Odysseus. She’d always offer Odysseus a wiser option to the situation. Anakin also had that ability, to use the force to help him out of a difficult situation. There are also other Gods that stood in Odysseus’ way, just as their were other sith that would obstruct Anakin’s journey.

            So, as stated previously, love blinded these individuals and drove them to the ends of the Earth to save the ones they desire. They betrayed everything they held dear and suffered immense hardships just to be close to the one that they wanted.