HEROIC CYCLE
ODYSSEUS AND BATMAN
By
The Pirates of the
Mediterranean
ODYSSEUS-THE CALL
Trojan war has ended
 Greeks are victorious
 Odysseus wants to go home

Ithaca
Batman- The Call
Bruce Wayne’s parents are killed
 Bruce Wayne studies:
 Martial Arts
 Criminology
 Forensics
 Criminal Psychology
 Assumed ego of Batman

ODYSSEUS- CROSSING THE THRESHOLD
Nestor and Odysseus are Tacticians
 Always agreed during Trojan War
 Split into 2 groups after war:
 Nestor goes home immediately
 Odysseus stays to pray to Athena

Batman-Crossing the Threshold
Batman trains with Ra’s Al Ghul
 Batman realizes that Ghul is Evil
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnFJi
EPxwbg

ODYSSEUS-ALLIES
His Crew
 Athena

After Initial Tribulations:
 Phaeacian people
 Telemachos
 Zeus

Batman-Allies
Alfred (Butler)
 Commissioner Gordon (Police
Commissioner)
 Rachel Dawes (Girlfriend)
 Lucius Fox (Tech Guy)

ODYSSEUS-ROAD OF TRIALS
Island of the Lotus Eaters
 Land of the Cyclopean
 Circe
 The underworld
 Calypso
 Poseidon and his Wrath
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv2d0dRrHI

Batman-Road of Trials
Fighting Scarecrow
 Doubting himself and his intentions
 Facing his worst nightmare
 Fighting Ra’s Al Ghul

ODYSSEUS-TRANSFORMATION
Becomes a better leader
 Curbs rash decisions
 Warns men not to consume Helios’ cattle
 Uses patience when dealing with suitors

Batman-Transformation
Comforted by his Alfred
 Does not use wealth selfishly
 Doesn’t go around looking for dates.
 Resolved to defeat Ghul and Scarecrow

ODYSSEUS-RETURN
Returns to Ithaca in disguise
 Meets Eumaios and Telemachos
 Learns of suitors
 Returns to his own house

Batman-Return
Returns to Gotham City
 Uncovers the evil plot of Ghul
 Defeats the Scarecrow

ODYSSEUS-SAVING GIFT
Slays the suitors
 Save’s his house
 Soothes his father
 Zeus ends the fight with suitors’ families.

Batman-Saving Gift
Defeats Ra’s Al Ghul
 Saves Gotham City from Destruction
 Still viewed as a vigilante
 Continues to be a guardian for the city
