sing in me, muse; through me tell the story
OK, here it is. Inspired by curlybeach's genderswapped casting of The History Boys. Photographs found via tumblr and Google images.
Odysseus; Gwyneth Paltrow
the hero; away from home, wise, suffering
Telemachos; Andrea Riseborough
son of a hero; coming of age
Penelope; Jason Isaacs
the wife left behind; clever, waiting, sad
Laertes; Emma Thompson
father of the hero; giving up hope
the divine contingent
Athene; Noel Clarke
patron goddess; wise, powerful
Poseidon; Catherine Zeta Jones
enemy of the hero; powerful, vengeful
Zeus; Helena Bonham Carter
omnipotent, omniscient
odysseus's household
Antinoos; Samantha Womack
suitor who always speaks first; bold, cruel
Eurymachos; Alex Kingston
hypocritical suitor; devious
Melanthius; Kara Tointon
disloyal slave; abusive
Melantho; Jonny Lee Miller
disloyal slave-girl, sleeps with the suitors; bitchy
Eumaios; Penelope Wilton
the faithful goatherd; an ally
Philoitios; Elisabeth Sladen
the faithful cowherd; an ally
Eurykleia; James Bolam
loyal old maid; keeps the hero's secret
the wanderings
Kalypso; John Simm
demi-goddess; detains the hero for seven years
Hermes; Lacey Turner
divine guide; helps the hero
Polyphemos; Angela Griffin
vengeful enemy; tricked by the hero
Sirens; Benedict Cumberbatch, Aidan Turner, Nick Hoult, Aaron Johnson
enchantresses
Kirke; Ben Barnes
witch; detains the hero for one year
Nausikaa; Daniel Radcliffe
helps the hero; shy, clever, friendly
Alkinous; Jessica Hynes
hosts the hero; welcoming, tactful
Arete; Christopher Eccleston
hosts the hero; perceptive, clever
the underworld
Antikleia; Alan Rickman
loving mother; died out of longing for Odysseus
Tiresias; Victoria Wood
prophet, long-suffering; helps the hero
(bonus sidenote: when she was sexswapped by the gods, she was Stephen Fry)
Agamemnon; Emilia Fox
leader of the Greeks; murdered by his wife
Akhilleus; Katie McGrath
chose glory over long life, regrets it now; bitter
telemachos's wanderings
Nestor; Julie Walters
kind to Telemachos, likes to talk
Peisistratus; Lily Loveless
helps Telemachos; experienced, friendly
Menelaos; Romola Garai
hosts Telemachos, helpful
Helen; Dominic Cooper
the face that launched a thousand ships; clever, strange
Odysseus; Gwyneth Paltrow
the hero; away from home, wise, suffering
Telemachos; Andrea Riseborough
son of a hero; coming of age
Penelope; Jason Isaacs
the wife left behind; clever, waiting, sad
Laertes; Emma Thompson
father of the hero; giving up hope
the divine contingent
Athene; Noel Clarke
patron goddess; wise, powerful
Poseidon; Catherine Zeta Jones
enemy of the hero; powerful, vengeful
Zeus; Helena Bonham Carter
omnipotent, omniscient
odysseus's household
Antinoos; Samantha Womack
suitor who always speaks first; bold, cruel
Eurymachos; Alex Kingston
hypocritical suitor; devious
Melanthius; Kara Tointon
disloyal slave; abusive
Melantho; Jonny Lee Miller
disloyal slave-girl, sleeps with the suitors; bitchy
Eumaios; Penelope Wilton
the faithful goatherd; an ally
Philoitios; Elisabeth Sladen
the faithful cowherd; an ally
Eurykleia; James Bolam
loyal old maid; keeps the hero's secret
the wanderings
Kalypso; John Simm
demi-goddess; detains the hero for seven years
Hermes; Lacey Turner
divine guide; helps the hero
Polyphemos; Angela Griffin
vengeful enemy; tricked by the hero
Sirens; Benedict Cumberbatch, Aidan Turner, Nick Hoult, Aaron Johnson
enchantresses
Kirke; Ben Barnes
witch; detains the hero for one year
Nausikaa; Daniel Radcliffe
helps the hero; shy, clever, friendly
Alkinous; Jessica Hynes
hosts the hero; welcoming, tactful
Arete; Christopher Eccleston
hosts the hero; perceptive, clever
the underworld
Antikleia; Alan Rickman
loving mother; died out of longing for Odysseus
Tiresias; Victoria Wood
prophet, long-suffering; helps the hero
(bonus sidenote: when she was sexswapped by the gods, she was Stephen Fry)
Agamemnon; Emilia Fox
leader of the Greeks; murdered by his wife
Akhilleus; Katie McGrath
chose glory over long life, regrets it now; bitter
telemachos's wanderings
Nestor; Julie Walters
kind to Telemachos, likes to talk
Peisistratus; Lily Loveless
helps Telemachos; experienced, friendly
Menelaos; Romola Garai
hosts Telemachos, helpful
Helen; Dominic Cooper
the face that launched a thousand ships; clever, strange