Mulligan has emerged from the staircase, and we spend a few moments, a few images, getting our bearings on the top of the tower. I'll say more about the little doorway in a future post, but for now, I'm spending a moment on Mulligan's robe. You can't tell from this black & white, but he's wearing a yellow robe--a yellow dressinggown.
Why yellow? Don Gifford & Bob Seidman's Ulysses Annotated might be useful here (as it is throughout the journey. Professor Gifford cites a volume on Christian symbolism: "Yellow is sometimes used to suggest infernal light, degradation, jealousy, treason, and deceit. Thus, the traitor Judas is frequently painted in a garment of dingy yellow (I've been trying to get that picture--which is an image of "The Kiss of Judas" by Giotto-- see below.
I've always thought Mulligan gets a bad rap... and I identify with him in a way. Rather, that whatever it is that makes him so repellent to Stephen must happen "off camera"... in this chapter, he seems a little glib, but more sensible than Stephen. And he's funny...
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Historical or academic content of specificity isn't really that common in webcomics of course, and the serialized nature of the medium make bibliographies come much further sown the road. I've been keeping track of all my source material, but it should be stated that the Gifford book is the one I use most regularly and suggest most highly. It's quite detailed in clearing up obscure references in language and personalities throughout the text without offering too much that might color my own visual take on the events I'm depicting.
-Rob
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