How Homer’s Odyssey Conquered the English-speaking World
Summary
In this episode of Instant Classics, hosts Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins, joined by producer Johnny Claypole, explore how Homer’s Odyssey has shaped English literature. They discuss modern retellings like Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, highlighting how these works reinterpret the epic through feminist and postcolonial lenses. The discussion also traces the influence of George Chapman’s 17th-century translation on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the emergence of the English novel, arguing that the Odyssey’s narrative structures fundamentally enabled th…
Topics discussed
Introduction and the Odyssey's modern popularity
Modern adaptations: Miller, Atwood, and Duffy
Guest introduction: Professor John T. Comus
Scope of the episode and Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad
Atwood's Penelopiad and Carol Ann Duffy's Circe
Poetic interpretations: Duffy, Gluck, and Louise Gluck
Derek Walcott's Omeros and post-colonial views
Robert Graves' The White Goddess and feminist reworkings
Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon and the Odyssey
Sponsor break and transition to 17th century
George Chapman's first English translation of Homer
Shakespeare's The Tempest and Homeric influences
The Odyssey and the birth of the English novel
Jane Austen, Keats, and the epic tradition
Tennyson's Ulysses and grief as motivation
The enduring legacy and adaptability of the Odyssey
Conclusion and final thoughts
Sponsor: Silicon Valley Bank and 1st Citizens Bank
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