Allusion Paragraph

In All the King’s Men, Warren continually alludes to two Greek mythological characters: Cassandra, the fortune teller and Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, in order to emphasize the relationship of Cass Mastern and Jack Burden. After being cursed by the sun god Apollo, Cassandra was able to foretell the future, yet nobody believed her. The journal of Cass Mastern foretold warnings to Jack about the corruption of man, “For all men come naked into the world, and in prosperity man is prone to evil as the sparks fly upward.” At first Jack is unable to comprehend neither Cass’s motivations nor dark outlook toward man until eventually he learns through his own mistakes. Another reason Warren alludes to Greek mythology is to compare the relationship of Judge Irwin and Jack to Odysseus and Telemachus. According to myths, Telemachus was left in charge of Ithaca until his father Odysseus came home from war. However, when Odysseus returns home Telemachus is unable to recognize his father because he is in disguise. Eventually the truth is revealed and father and son are united once again. Similar to the Judge’s relationship with Jack, both sons are unable to find an identity for themselves because of the lack of a father figure in their lives.