Introduction
“Odyssey: The Castaways” podcast in the series “Myths and Legends Podcast” provides a different side to the story of the Odyssey written by Homer. The series by Weiser retell the unpopular myths and legends of the past with modern adaptations. This podcast is the same, as it reveals the unknown details of the famous myth of the Odyssey. In the original epic as written by Sculley and Byrne, the main plotline focuses on Odyssey’s struggle to return home after the war. However, the podcast chooses to share the perspective of people waiting for him and his followers more. In particular, it is the story of their sons: Menelaus, Telemachus, and Orestes. Despite the shifted focus of the retelling, the shadow of Odyssey is still present, as sons struggle with the legacy of their fathers and their influence in their lives and development (Weiser and Weiser 1:24). Therefore, at its core, the podcast is the old tale of the growth of its main characters and their journey through the challenges of living.
Fathers’ legacy
The core conflict of the podcast is the battle of three sons with the legacy of their fathers. In fact, the first books of the original myth of the Odyssey are dedicated to Telemachus’s attempts to ward off the suitors of his mother, Penelope (Sculley and Byrne 34). At the same time, he is faced with another challenge of growing up and coming out of age, as the word ‘Telemacheia’ later came to define this exact process. Telemachus knows little of his father, which only adds to the complexity of dealing with the legacy of the latter.
The first person to share news about his father is Menelaus, the King of Sparta and another character of the podcast. In the original poem, Menelaus is not at the center of the story but still plays a crucial role, being a husband of Helene and a supporter of Telemachus. However, in the podcast, he grapples with the consequences of the war and the loss of his wife, abducted by Paris, and remarried to his brother. In the background of his psychological distress, Menelaus’s complicated family history and his father Atreus’s fate prevent him from relaxing after recovering from the events of the war. In this sense, there are similarities between Helen’s actions and the affair of Aerope, his mother, with his uncle, Thyestes, whose son kills Atreus. Therefore, Menelaus is afraid of the past in spite of his success in rebuilding his life and helping Telemachus to become a worthy King.
Another role model of Telemachus, Orestes, also struggles with his father’s legacy, mirroring the situation of Telemachus and Menelaus. He wishes to avenge his father, despite the family’s curse. The podcast fully presents his psychological turmoil in his decision to kill Klytaimestra and her lover Aigisthos, who murdered his father. Despite Zeus’s approval and absence of retribution that inspired Telemachus to protect his mother, the path towards revenge is not easy for Orestes, as podcasts shows.
Conclusion
In essence, the “Odyssey: The Castaways” podcast is the story of how the fates of the parents, in this case, the father, affect the lives and emotional struggles of the children. It shows this influence as a dark cloud that looms over the main characters, guiding their action. Moreover, the present situation of the characters is also rooted in the actions of their fathers. Therefore, resolving this effect from their father’s fates is at the core of the character’s growth, as shown in the podcast.
Works Cited
Sculley, John, and John A. Byrne. Odyssey. Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1987. Web.
Weiser, Jason, and Carissa Weiser, hosts. “Odyssey: The Castaways.” Myths and Legends Podcast, season 2, episode 220A, Podcast Republic, Web.