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O Brother, Where Art The Odyssey

The similarities between O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer's Odyssey are numerous, ranging from the obvious to the obscure.   While the overall plot is only vaguely similar to that of the Odyssey, there are certain "episodes" which closely mirror the film's classical influence.  
There are several characters in the film that share names with similar characters in the Odyssey.   For Instance: Ulysses, the Latin form of the Greek name Odysseus, is the first name of the film's protagonist, Ulysses Everett McGill.   Subsequently, Menelaus “Pappy” O’Daniel, who pardons: Pete, Delmar, and Ulysses at the end of the film, has the same first name as the King of Sparta who fought alongside Odysseus at Troy.   Furthermore, Pappy O'Daniel's challenger in the election is Homer Stokes, who shares his first name with the author of the classical text.   Moreover, Odysseus' wife was named Penelope.   Penny, the name of Everett’s wife, is a shortened version of Penelope.   Lastly, the song that the Soggy Bottom Boys sing is named “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Homer described Odysseus through many epithets as the man of many sorrows.
There are also small references to Homer, and other figures in the movie.   In the scene where we see Pappy O'Daniel discussing the upcoming campaign in the restaurant, over his shoulder we can see a bust of Homer.   When the boys stumble upon the washing women who proceed to seduce the Heroes are the Sirens that attempt to seduce Odysseus and his crew.   Vernon, Penny’s fiancé, symbolizes the suitors waiting to marry Penelope.   The Blind Seer, railroad hobo that the boys stumble upon early in the movie, is Tiresias the blind ghost prophet.  
In relation to those similarities, there are several other characters in the movie that parallel characters in the Odyssey.   In relation to Everett, Odysseus is an expert dissembler and loquacious talker. Everett also uses his cleverness to escape sticky situations, similar to Odysseus. One of Odysseus' most important...