Allusiophile

Robert Penn Warren's influential novel All the King's Men does not only relate to the day it was written in, or the future, but it also holds value in the past, as it alludes to many recognizable figures in Greek mythology. Two of the most prominent, Telemachus of The Odyssey and Cassandra of famous literature, make noticeable references within the work. Telemachus, made famous through his trials in his search for his true father, almost directly symbolizes Jack Burden, who shares the same motivation and methods. Through tests of morality and research, Jack combs through his "suitors" to locate a figure to call his father. Telemachus on the other hand, works to eliminate actual suitors and sits in wait for his one true father. What they both share, however, is a true father they both discover, and whom they realize is the most righteous of all. Sadly, Jack does not uncover his soon enough, and only his father's death unveils his true identity. Jack also crosses with another mythical figure, Cassandra, as he flips through his ancestor's journal. Cursed by a god, his unrequited love became a burden on her that she could not withstand. Blemished with insight, yet never given any heed. Cass Mastern, Jack's late ancestor, also possesses this gift, but in a less literal sense. His writing's bring light to Jack's future, yet as the Greek people to Cassandra, Jack does not not heed the warnings. Yet, perhaps it was more than ignorance that prompted Jack's misconception. “Or perhaps he laid aside the journal of Cass Mastern not because he could not understand, but because he was afraid to understand for what might be understood there was a reproach to him.” But whatever the reason, Cass Mastern and his premonitions for the doomed Jack directly relate to Cassandra and her future-sight. Including this allusion, Warren succesfully relates back to Greek mythology through both Telemachus and Cassandra, and in this way spreads the influence of All the King's Men to the present, future, and past.