Thomas Franco

Mr. Palcsey

Honors English 10

December 21, 2017

More Than a Journey, More Than a Bow

Odysseus experiences many obstacles on his journey home to Ithaca in The Odyssey,

written by Homer. He faces loss, abandonment, and pain that he would never reach home to see

his family again. The CW’s show, The Arrow, is very similar to this epic poem despite being

written over 2,500 years apart. Both journeys face multiple obstacles, as well as having a driving

motive for the protagonists, and even after they reach home, their journeys do not end there.

No journey home in a storyline is ever easy, as there are countless events to stall the end

goal. Both journeys for the protagonists begin on an island. Oliver Queen is the main character

in The Arrow, who was on his father’s boat, named the Queen’s Gambit, that crashed on a

Chinese island named Lian Yu. The next five years Oliver spent away from home, until he was

found by Chinese fisherman and then returned to his home, Starling City. The Odyssey begins

Odysseus’ journey in Book 5, where the reader finds out Odysseus he is being held captive by

the goddess Calypso. With the help of the gods, Odysseus leaves Ogygia, where he was being

held, and travels to Phaeacia. Here he tells King Alcinous about his whereabouts the past seven

years, the Battle of Troy, and how he ended up on Ogygia with Calypso. This flashback

technique about Odysseus’ journey is also used in The Arrow. The first five seasons of the show

periodically will have flashback scenes throughout the episodes to the five years Oliver was on

the island. Odysseus did not spend all his time with Calypso, as he tells King Alcinous that his

journey saw him go to the land of the Lotus-eaters, the Cyclops island with Polyphemus, and the
bag of wind from Aelous which saw Odysseus reach Ithaca but then disaster struck when his

crew turned the ship back to Aeolia. Odysseus’ journey continues at the island of Circe, the

Hades, and finally ends up on Ogygia because his crew disobeyed the gods command not to kill

Helios’ immortal cattle. This is where the flashback portion of Odysseus’ journey ends and the

rest of it is presented in real time. King Alcinous helps Odysseus get home by having his crew

take a ship to Ithaca and drop Odysseus off there, ending his voyage home. Oliver did not spend

all five years on Lian Yu, as he had also gone to Hong Kong and Russia during those five

years. He had a similar encounter to Odysseus’ failed attempt at reaching Ithaca, where he came

home in a flashback on a secret mission for the agency A.R.G.U.S. before returning to Hong

Kong. Oliver was not allowed to talk to his family as he was on strict commands for the

mission. Oliver’s journey ends when he sends an SOS signal by shooting an arrow into a stack

of wood that catches on fire and alerts some nearby fisherman to go to the island and retrieve

who caused the explosion. Even after perilous events throughout their journeys, even when

everything seemed hopeless, both protagonists finally reach their long-awaited homecoming.

Both Odysseus and Oliver have one major motive to keep trying to get home: their loved

ones. Odysseus wants to be reunited with his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, who he

has not seen in 20 years. Odysseus wants to save Penelope from the suitors who are trying to

take his throne as King of Ithaca. Oliver wants to go home and see mother, his sister Thea, and

his girlfriend before the boat crash named Laurel, who all believe he is dead. Even though they

both have a significant other in their life, they both cheat on them. Odysseus cheated on his wife

with the goddess Calypso while he is being held captive on her island. Penelope however stayed

loyal to Odysseus by avoiding the suitors for three years in every way possible. Oliver cheated

on Laurel with Sara, her sister. She snuck on the boat that sank on the coast of Lian Yu with
Oliver. Getting home and revealing themselves to those that kept waiting for them to return

home proved to be a challenge. The goddess Athena told Odysseus he must conceal his identity

from the suitors as they want him dead, so they can try to marry Penelope, as she cannot remarry

until he is proven to be dead. This meant Odysseus was not able to go to his wife, son, or father,

Laertes, and tell them the good news. When Odysseus is finally able to show himself to his son,

Telemachus does not believe him because of his previous disguise from Athena. This reaction of

not believing Odysseus is telling the truth is a reoccurring theme, as Penelope and Laertes want a

sign. Penelope sets up a test for Odysseus by asking her maidservant to move her bed, which

Odysseus promptly responds saying that was impossible because he built the bed into an olive

tree. This proves to Penelope this really is Odysseus. As for Laertes, Odysseus shows him his

scar and retells the story of how he got it. In the season five finale, there is a flashback scene

that shows Oliver making a call to his house, and when his mother picks up the phone she

believes someone is pranking her, saying her son has been dead for five years. Oliver begs for

her not to hang up and for her to listen to his voice, which brings his mom to tears in disbelief

that her son has been alive all this time. Despite struggling to be faithful to some of those they

love, both Oliver and Odysseus keep them in their hearts on their long journey home.

Arriving home does not mark the end of their story, however. Getting home from the

long treacherous journey was only part of Odysseus’ journey, and it was the start of Oliver’s

journey. Athena told Odysseus about the threat the suitors posed and how they must kill all of

them. Oliver’s father killed himself after the ship crashed so his son could live and right his

wrongs. The first season of The Arrow sees Oliver, as a vigilante, kill the people in his father’s

notebook who have been terrorizing his city. His personal vendetta is in honor of his father. In

order to do this they must disguise themselves. Odysseus, with the help of Athena, is disguised
as an elderly beggar. Oliver wears a green hood and a mask when he takes down the criminals in

his city. Odysseus and Oliver are both skilled in shooting arrows. Both shortly realize upon

their return home that they can only trust a few people. Odysseus knows he can trust

Telemachus, the swineherd, the cowherd, and his servant named Eurycleia. Oliver can trust

Thea, Laurel, John Diggle his bodyguard, and Felicity Smoak, a girl whom he met when he came

home who works for what was his father’s business. Without these disguises and not open to

trusting many people, they would both risk getting caught, ending their journey once and for all.

Odysseus and Oliver experienced obstacles, a reason to not give up on reaching home,

and troubles back at home on their journey. Not only do they share similar journeys home, but

also the skill of archery. Odysseus is infamously known for shooting an arrow through 12 axes

at once, while the Green Arrow is typically depicted carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows. No

matter how much time passes, every journey taken is connected with another, either in the past,

present, or in the future.