A Delve Into EPIC: The Musical

Troy Saga: Just A Man (Song #2)

Zeus leaves, and Odysseus is left with the infant. The song "Just A Man" then begins, circling around Odysseus's internal struggle on whether he should kill Hector's son or not. He has significant trouble deciding as he reminisces to his own family, specifically his son, Telemachus.

   He says, "I look into your eyes, and I think back to the son of mine, you're as old as he was when I left for war,". This collection of lyrics expresses Odysseus's overwhelming love for his family. Even as he is still in war, being told by a literal god that he should kill this child, he still reminisces and thinks back on a family he wishes to return to. The fact that he only remembers Telemachus from when he was just an infant could be relevant in a later saga, but it could also signify how long Odysseus has been at sea, and how he's still thinking back on the one thing he wishes to return to.

   After this, Odysseus says "will these actions haunt my days? Every man I've slain? Is the price I pay endless pain?". This verse could be referencing their journey to the Underworld later on, where he monologues about hearing screams and deaths haunting his dreams. Additionally, the phrase "endless pain" means "ongoing suffering". In the following sagas, whenever Penelope is featured in the song, her main lyrics are "I could take the suffering from you". This could be implying that Penelope is one of the lights in his life, the person that could comfort him and in addition, take away his pain with a few simple words and actions.

   It is clear that Odysseus is still seeing Astyanax as his own son, Telemachus, as he says "close your eyes and spare yourself the view, how could I hurt you?". These lyrics not only show Odysseus's empathy and overwhelming trust that this one child, even when being the son of Hector (an enemy), could not hurt a soul. This could be fatal later as trust and mercy results in loss, despair, death and overall conflict.

   In this song, we learn Odysseus's goals and motives in the chorus. He says he is "trying to go home, even after all the years away from what [he's] known". This shows us that even though it has been years, even though he hasn't been back for years, he'd still like to return and try to reconnect and bond with his family once again. We also learn that Odysseus has been "fighting for his life", indicating that he has indeed been fighting in the war, specifically the Trojan War. He says "deep down I would trade the world to see my son and wife", which further supports the theory that his goals and motives are purely based on the possibility of him returning to Ithaca and reconnecting with Penelope and Telemachus.

   The repetition of the phrase "I'm just a man" could imply that Odysseus feels alone in this journey, despite having six-hundred men fighting alongside him. As the songs are mainly based on his perspective, it could be giving us an insight into his thoughts and main narrative phrase. The fact that he may feel alone on this journey would imply that he feels alone in his struggles, perhaps referencing the war, the struggles of being a leader and seeing so many of his crew die, or the persistent need to return and see his family after being away for so long.

   The track shifts, and the motif-like verse begins. "But when does the comet become a meteor? When does a candle become a blaze? When does a man become a monster? When does a ripple become a tidal wave? When does the reason become the blame? When does a man become a monster?". This is him basically asking, when do things get or become worse? Every time this motif-like verse is used, it is always used in a song where things get progressively worse for Odysseus and his crew.

   The phrases may have also been foreshadowing the future events of the storyline, as certain lyrics such as "when does a ripple become a tidal wave" might've been referencing the future battle with Polyphemus or Poseidon, or "when does the reason become the blame" might've been referencing the future conflict between Odysseus and Eurylochus, when Eurylochus says "If you want all the power, you must carry all the blame". This could just be a coincidence, though.

   He then repeats the phrase "forgive me" to the infant, implying he is going to do what Zeus said, and kill the child. The choice of words shows Odysseus's growing empathy, as he is reluctant to kill a literal child. It may also be that Odysseus still sees Astyanax as his own son, Telemachus, and cannot bear the thought of killing him.

   He repeats the phrase "I'm just a man" once more, and the song ends. That phrase, coupled with the sad backing track, could show Odysseus's immediate regret and reluctance to perform the action. His empathy, paired with the mercy he holds for foes, would prove to be a fatal flaw later on.