Tales from the Public Domain

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The Simpsons episode
"Tales from the Public Domain"
Episode no. 283
Prod. code DABF08
Orig. Airdate March 17, 2002
Show Runner(s) Al Jean
Writer(s) Andrew Kreisberg
Josh Lieb
Matt Warburton
Director Mike B. Anderson
Chalkboard "Vampire is not a career choice"
Couch gag The family enters the living room and walks to the couch in flip book form.
SNPP capsule
Season 13
November 6, 2001 – May 22, 2002
  1. Treehouse of Horror XII
  2. The Parent Rap
  3. Homer the Moe
  4. A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
  5. The Blunder Years
  6. She of Little Faith
  7. Brawl in the Family
  8. Sweets and Sour Marge
  9. Jaws Wired Shut
  10. Half-Decent Proposal
  11. The Bart Wants What It Wants
  12. The Lastest Gun in the West
  13. The Old Man and the Key
  14. Tales from the Public Domain
  15. Blame It on Lisa
  16. Weekend at Burnsie's
  17. Gump Roast
  18. I Am Furious Yellow
  19. The Sweetest Apu
  20. Little Girl in the Big Ten
  21. The Frying Game
  22. Papa's Got a Brand New Badge
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Tales from the Public Domain" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons' thirteenth season. The episode aired on March 17, 2002 in the US.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Homer is told that he has an overdue book from the library, which he checked out when Bart was a baby. Before he returns it, he reads from the book, telling three stories.

[edit] D'oh, Brother Where Art Thou? (The Odyssey)

In this story, Homer is Odysseus, and delivers the King of Troy (Ned Flanders) a Trojan horse. He and his crew, including Apu, Lenny, Moe, and Carl, kill all of Troy's civilians and win. However, he refuses to sacrifice a sheep, angering the gods, Zeus (Mayor Quimby), Dionysus (Barney), and Poseidon (The Sea Captain). Odysseus and his crew are forced to see the Sirens (Patty and Selma) and visit Circe (Lindsey Naegle), who turns his crew into pigs, whom he eats. Circe orders Odysseus to go through Hades, crossing the River Styx, in order to go home so he can see Penelope (Marge).

[edit] Hot Child in the City (Joan of Arc)

Lisa is Joan of Arc, who leads the French against the English in the Hundred Years' War. During a battle, the English capture Joan and put her on trial. She is accused of witchcraft, and sentenced to death. When Lisa claims that she was following God's will, Groundskeeper Willie reveals that he too was chosen by God, but to lead the English armies against the French. God's voice then excuses himself by revealing that the two were never supposed to meet.

As they read the end, Joan of Arc is being burnt at the stake. Lisa asks Homer "Do they actually burn her?" Marge then interrupts, and rips out the last page of the book, claiming that Sir Lancelot rescues her, and they escape and live in a spaceship. (Marge then eats the page, remarking that it is easier to chew than the video of Bambi.)

[edit] Do the Bard, Man (Hamlet)

Bart is Prince Hamlet in this Simpsons version of William Shakespeare's classic. His uncle Claudius (Moe) marries Gertrude (Marge) after killing King Hamlet (Homer) by way of poison. The King returns to his son, telling him of the betrayal and requesting that his death be avenged. Prince Hamlet puts on a play to make Claudius reveal himself to be guilty, and because Hamlet knows what he did, Claudius attempts to kill him. Hamlet, aiming to kill Claudius, accidentally kills Polonius (Chief Wiggum). His son, Laertes (Ralph Wiggum), proposes to duel Prince Hamlet for revenge. As his "practice stab", Laertes kills himself, and Hamlet proceeds to murder Claudius. Rosencarl and Guildenlenny (Carl and Lenny), meanwhile, have been covered in poison and kill each other with a high five. Hamlet walks away to celebrate, but he slips on some blood and dies. Seeing a big mess she does not want to clean up, Gertrude also kills herself, and everyone is dead.

Bart thinks Hamlet was boring, but Homer tells him that the story led to the hit film Ghostbusters, and all the Simpsons dance to the theme.

[edit] Trivia

  • Homer confuses the epic Odyssey with the Honda Odyssey minivan he once rented. However, the van shown in the photo can not be an Odyssey, because if it was really "seven years ago," the van would not have sliding doors like in the photo.
  • As Homer/Odysseus sails down the river Styx, the hit Lady from the band Styx can be heard. Homer cries out "Oh, this truly is hell!".
  • There is actually a Simpsons episode called "Homer's Odyssey".

[edit] Cultural references

  • The title "D'oh, Brother Where Art Thou?" is a play on the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, itself based on The Odyssey. Also one previous episodes from the early seasons was titled "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" which was made years before the Cohen Brothers' film.
  • The title "Hot Child in the City" comes from a song by Nicky Gilder.
  • The title "Do the Bard, Man" is a play on the song "Do the Bartman"
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