Original air date: 3/17/2002
Production code: DABF-08
Homer finds out he has an overdue library book. Before he returns it, he reads three stories from it; the stories of Odysseus, Joan of Arc, and Hamlet.
Tropes featured:
General/Wraparounds:
- Dance Party Ending: To the Ghostbusters theme.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: Another Three Shorts episode that isn't a Treehouse of Horror episode (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" and "Simpsons Tall Tales").
- Non Sequitur: After Bart complains about the ending to Hamlet, Homer explains that it was made into a great film called Ghostbusters. Cue Dance Party Ending.
- Shout-Out: After Marge makes up a happy ending to Joan of Arc, she eats the page to keep the kids from finding out Joan was actually burned alive, saying, "It's a lot easier to chew than that Bambi video."
- Universal-Adaptor Cast: Just like other Three Shorts episodes, this one retells three famous stories with their casts portrayed by Simpsons characters.
The Odyssey:
- Abhorrent Admirer:Discus Stu: Discus Stu has ouzo for two-zo!
Bart: (to Marge) I'll just leave you guys alone.
Discus Stu: (to Bart) Discus Stu was talking to you!
Bart: (shuddering) - Deliberate Values Dissonance: This being Ancient Greece, one of the adult suitors Bart assumes is there for Marge is actually hitting on him.
- Fan Disservice:
- Patty and Selma as the Sirens, complete with cigarettes and hairy legs. All the men on the ship yell in disgust and wish they hadn't seen them.
- Agnes Skinner is Helen of Troy. She remarks that hers is the face that launched a thousand ships... "the other way!"
- Forced Transformation: Homer's crew are turned into pigs by Lindsey Naegle!Circe (the Greek sorceress who turned those who offended her — mostly men — into animals). He eats them.
- Hypocritical Humor: After the Greeks defeat the Trojans:Greek Soldier (Apu): Odysseus, do not forget to thank the gods for our victory with an appropriate animal sacrifice.
Homer: Forget it. Sacrificing animals is barbaric. Now, have the slaves kill the wounded. - I Was Quite a Looker:
- When Penelope (Marge) is longing for Odysseus, she says "I hope he's still the magnificent physical specimen he was when he left.", looking at a portrait of Odysseus
◊ where he was very muscular and had luxurious hair. - Implied with Helen of Troy. One of the suitors (Krusty) said, "When we came here Helen of Troy was hot! Now look at her!"
- When Penelope (Marge) is longing for Odysseus, she says "I hope he's still the magnificent physical specimen he was when he left.", looking at a portrait of Odysseus
- Shipper on Deck: Bart as Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, insists that his mother find a suitor while Odysseus is gone and sets her up with many local men. In the end, she stays with Odysseus when he returns.
- Stealth Pun:
- Upon receiving the Trojan Horse, Flanders!Priam proudly declares, "Now throughout history when people get wood, they'll think of Trojans!"Homer: Heh heh, "Trojans".
Bart: What're you laughing at, Dad?
Homer: If I'm laughing at what I think I am, it's very funny. - Homer sailing on the river Styx, which has "Lady" blasting and skeletons rocking out note .Homer: Oh, this truly is Hell!
- Upon receiving the Trojan Horse, Flanders!Priam proudly declares, "Now throughout history when people get wood, they'll think of Trojans!"
- Shout-Out:
- When Captain McCallister!Poseidon flicks Homer's ship in the other direction on the map when they are close to home:Poseidon: Y'arr, ain't I a stinker?
- Barney!Dionysus asks Quimby!Zeus, "What happened to the Zeus who used to turn into a cow and pick up chicks?!" In real Greek Mythology, Zeus did indeed turn into animals to seduce women.
- When Captain McCallister!Poseidon flicks Homer's ship in the other direction on the map when they are close to home:
- Song Parody: The Sirens' song is a spoof of "Copacabana".
- Underworld River: Odysseus (Homer) crosses the River Styx, where a bunch of skeletons are rocking out to "Lady".
Joan of Arc:
- Abnormal Ammo: Lisa arrives to find the French army ineffectually catapulting soldiers instead of rocks at a castle ("My fault this time, I didn't tuck in my legs!"). She suggests victory will come from "modern ideas like putting bigger, harder people in the catapults, or... how about rocks?" The soldier who was about to be fired doesn't know how to feel since he's now out of a job.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Lisa!Joan's charges at the trial.Reverend Lovejoy!Judge: Joan of Arc, you are accused of heresy, witchcraft, and that man told me you pushed him.
- Bag of Kidnapping: Just as Lisa says she can't be stopped, Groundskeeper Willie puts her in a bag.
- Brits Love Tea: The English army can't be bothered to defend themselves against one of Lisa's attacks because they're preoccupied having a spot of tea.
- Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: When Lisa tells the family that God told her to lead the French to victory, Homer remarks "Victory? We're French! We don't even have a word for it!!"
- Didn't Think This Through: During Joan of Arc's trial, God admits he told Lisa and Willie that he told them both to lead their respective nations to victory with him on their side, but never anticipated that they'd meet in person, prompting him to say "Goodbye, now!" and leave.
- Esoteric Happy Ending: In-Universe. Knowing Joan of Arc was burned alive and the kids were horrified her story would end with a Downer Ending, Marge makes up a rushed happy ending and eats the final page to keep them from the harsh truth."Just then, Sir Lancelot rode up on a white horse and saved Joan of Arc. They got married and lived in a spaceship. The End."
- Harmful to Minors: Just before Joan of Arc is burned alive, Lisa asks if they really did kill her. Marge makes up a happy ending for Joan right before ripping out that page of the book and eating it.Marge: Well, it's easier to chew than that Bambi video.
- Sedgwick Speech: Joan is captured right as she declares:Lisa!Joan: You can't stop me! I was sent by God! [Willie catches her in a bag] I want my mommy!
- Translation Convention: Parodied. You think we're hearing French as English, with a few easily understood French phrases thrown in to remind us they're speaking French? Think again.
- Marge: God wants you to lead the French army to what?
Lisa!Joan: Victory!
Homer: Victory? We're French! We don't even have a word for it!
- As the French army General (Wiggum) is preparing to fire a catapult:Wiggum: All right, garçons, trois, deux, un.
Lou: Huh?
Wiggum: No, un, you know, French for "one".
Lou: Well, you keep switching back between French and English!
Wiggum: Just fire the damn thing!
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Not only is God rather dismissive of Joan of Arc's concerns and safety in taking part in the Hundred Year's War, but the ending of the segment reveals that he was actually playing both sides, with the English soldier that captured Joan revealing that he was told to lead the English to victory at the same time as telling Joan to lead the French to victory.
Hamlet:
- Curtain Camouflage: Wiggum!Polonius does this and dies because Bart!Hamlet mistook him for the King.
- Death by Irony: Mortally wounded by way of stabbing, Polonius says he was only hiding behind the curtain because he has a fear of getting stabbed.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Bart as Hamlet.Bart!Hamlet: Aha! Methinks the play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King!
Moe!Claudius: "Catch my conscience", what?
Bart!Hamlet: You're not supposed to hear me; that's a soliloquy.
Moe!Claudius: Okay, well, I'll do a soliloquy, too. (clears throat) Note to self: kill that kid! - Didn't Think This Through:
- Hamlet never considers that literally anyone besides the guy he wants to kill could be behind the curtain. His way of making sure was thrusting his sword forward.
- Moe realizes this when Ralph!Laertes uses his practice stab to kill himself.
Moe!Claudius: Boy, did I bet on the wrong horse... - Ectoplasm: The ghost of Hamlet's father tells him about his death. After that he went through the castle wall, leaving some green ectoplasm behind. Hamlet's father then comes back, leaving more ectoplasm on the wall, saying that he needs a sweater cause it's cold outside.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: When Claudius' deadly secret slips out during the performance:"I didn't use that much poison! I mean, I didn't use that much poi, son! At the... royal luau."
- Incestuous Casting: An In-Universe-example—Lisa (Bart's sister) is portraying Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest. The romantic angle never comes up and her appearance in the episode is limited to a brief gag.
- Made of Plasticine: Bart!Hamlet slips on some blood and dies.
- One Free Hit: Invoked by Moe!Claudius, who declares right before the Bart!Hamlet-Ralph!Laertes duel that Laertes is entitled to one "practice stab", hoping that with a poisoned blade that one stab is all Laertes will need, and it's his best shot at victory. Being that it's Ralph playing Laertes, he promptly stabs himself instead of Hamlet and immediately drops dead.
- The Ophelia: Lisa's only appearance in this segment.Lisa: Ah, great. Now Hamlet's acting crazy. Well nobody out-crazies Ophelia.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Marge!Gertrude kills herself to not have to clean up all the dead bodies.
- Too Dumb to Live:
- Rosen-Carl and Guilden-Lenny are poisonous to anyone who touches them and, in spite of knowing this, high-five each other.
- Ralph, upon being told he's entitled to one practice stab before his duel with Bart starts, impales himself with his sword.
