History Recap / TheSimpsonsS13E14TalesFromThePublicDomain

** Homer sailing on the river Music/{{Styx}}, which has "Lady" blasting and skeletons rocking out [[note]] This joke gets even funnier when you recall in the episode "Homerpalooza" that Homer is an avid fan of the rock and roll era of the 70’s which Styx was apart of[[/note]].

* SongParody: The Sirens' song is a spoof of "Copacabana."

** Patty and Selma as the Sirens. All the mens on the ship yell and wish they hadnt seen them.

* BaitAndSwitch: Homer brings up that it was later remade into a movie. And indeed, the story would form the base for the Disney film ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]''. One would think he'd use that as an example... but he instead says it inspired ''{{Film/Ghostbusters|1984}}'', triggering the DancePartyEnding.

* SongParody The Sirens' song is a spoof of "Copacabana."

** Patty and Selma as the Sirens.

-->'''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'')

-->'''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.
* IWasQuiteALooker: 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 [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S13E14/388680.jpg a portrait of Odysseus]] where he was very muscular and had luxurious hair.

* BaitAndSwitch: Homer brings up that it was later remade into a movie. And indeed, the story would form the base for the Disney film ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]''. One would think he'd use that as an example... but he instead says it inspired ''{{Film/Ghostbusters}}'', triggering the DancePartyEnding.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Played for laughs when Homer!Odysseus refuses to thank the gods for victory with an animal sacrifice.
-->'''Odysseus:''' Forget it, sacrificing animals is barbaric! Now, have the slaves kill the wounded.
** This being Ancient Greece, one of the adult suitors Bart assumes is there for Marge is actually hitting on [[LoverAndBeloved him]].

* ShipperOnDeck: Bart, 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.

* OffModel: Bart's pupils disappear for a frame early on.

** Homer sailing on the river Music/{{Styx}}, which has "Lady" blasting and skeletons rocking out [[note]] This joke gets even funnier when you recall in the episode Homerpalozza that Homer is an avid fan of the rock and roll era of the 70’s which Styx was apart of[[/note]].

* AluminumChristmasTrees: You might be surprised to discover that the ear poison was used in the original play and not merely a comedic prop used in this episode. Shakespeare's usage was based on a contemporary urban myth circulating in the day (the murder of that myth was well-known, the method was unverified).

* BalefulPolymorph: 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.

Airdate - March 17, 2002

--->'''Odysseus:''' Forget it, sacrificing animals is barbaric! Now, have the slaves kill the wounded.

-->'''Odysseus:''' Forget it, sacrificing animals is barbaric! Now, have the slaves kill the wounded.

** Patty and Selma as the Sirens

* IncestuousCasting: An InUniverse-example--Lisa (Bart's sister) is portraying Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest.

** Homer sailing on the river Music/{{Styx}}, which has "Lady" blasting and skeletons rocking out.
--->'''Homer:''' [[TakeThat Oh, this truly is Hell!]]

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Another ThreeShorts episode that isn't a ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' episode (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" and "Simpsons Tall Tales").

-->'''Marge:''' God wants you to lead the French army to what?\\

-->'''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!

* SwitchToEnglish: Parodied, when the French general (Chief Wiggum) is preparing to fire a catapult.

-->'''Lou:''' Well, you keep switching back between French and English.

* CurtainCamouflage: Polonius!Chief Wiggum does this and dies because Bart!Hamlet mistook him for the King.

* BalefulPolymorph: Homer's crew are turned into pigs by Circe/Lindsey Naegle (the Greek sorceress who turned those who offended her -- mostly men -- into animals). He eats them.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Played for laughs when Homer/Odysseus refuses to thank the gods for victory with an animal sacrifice.

** Upon receiving the Trojan Horse, King Priam/Ned Flanders proudly declares, "Now throughout history when people get wood, they'll think of Trojans!"

** When Poseidon/Captain [=McCallister=] flicks Homer's ship in the other direction on the map when they are close to home:

** Dionysus!Barney asks Zeus/Mayor Quimby, "What happened to the Zeus who used to turn into a cow and pick up chicks?!" In real [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]], Zeus did indeed turn into animals to seduce women.