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Odysseus and the sirens myth
Odysseus and the sirens myth
Odysseus and the sirens myth
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The Odyssey written by Homer and the Siren Song, by Margaret Atwood both use imagery, symbolism, different tones and different point of view to depict Sirens. The Odyssey surrounds a man who hears the Sirens song, but uses different tactics to survive it, although the Siren Song is written as if the written is a siren trying to prey on the readers. The difference of narrators tells the story of the Sirens in two very different
“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” -Erich Fromm ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a great Greek hero. It tells of his venture to Troy, to lead his army in the Trojan War, and his separation from loved ones and his kingdom for twenty years. However, the novel mainly focuses on the story of his homecoming and all he, and many others, had to endure while he was returning from abroad.
Mythology has been around for a long time and it has had a big impact on the world by teaching life lessons and also teaching people how to become brave and smart. For example, odysseus in the poem “Siren Song” is shown as a brave man and a hero. What stood out in the painting the most was Odysseus leaning towards the sirens that shows that he can’t be tricked easily and he’s smart enough to know that the sirens were a test to see if he can figure out the true meaning behind the sirens. The title of the poem is “Siren Song” the artist is Margaret Atwood, she portrays how odysseus and his men were focused on one job instead of the world around them. Margaret is also showing how the sirens are trying to make the reader feel special by saying that only odysseus can save them
In the “Odyssey”, Homer introduces the expedition Odysseus goes through to return to his native land. At one point he and his comrades must take the path that leads them to the island of the Sirens. The notorious sirens sing their sickeningly sweet tune to entice men to their eradication. Poet Atwood depicts the sirens in a calamitous facet. Both Homer and Atwood convey the idea that the Sirens pose a detrimental role through the application of imagery and diction.
To be effective, is being skillful important? Leaders need to possess certain traits to be considered a good leader, and Louis XIV of France was a better leader than Odysseus from “The Odyssey”. Louis is determined and brave, but he is also untruthful. Odysseus is also untruthful, but he is also sneaky and brave. Louis was a brave soul to take over a country at such a young age of less than 5 but that didn't stop him.
Given the leader he is, when Odysseus and his men encountered the sirens, his men were quick to follow his instructions with diligence. Homer writes, “Sirens weakening a haunting song over the sea we are to shun”(690-691). The sirens sing a songs to lure sailors to their death. Homer writes, “I alone should listen to their song”(693-694). Odysseus knowing what the sirens purpose and having prior knowledge of the things the sirens would say to him.
The Odyssey and the poem "Siren Song" both portray sirens ;however, in The Odyssey, the focus is on resolving the "problem" of the sirens, no differently than any other obstacle on his journey, whereas "Siren Song" focuses on the siren as more than merely an obstacle. They share, however, the preying of the siren upon hubris and the desire to be special, as well as, by what happens, illustrating the allure of the sirens in the spite of the pain that may be suffered to get there. The Odyssey initially describes the actions of Odysseus much more than the sirens. The beginning discussion does describe the sirens at all;it merely states that they were approaching the island of the sirens, and then for the first ten lines it does not even begin to consider the sirens.
TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to
Odysseus is a brave and courageous hero. The authors of “Odysseus”, “O Brother Where Art Thou” ,and “The Sirens Song” all had an idea of a hero when they wrote these sources. There are different things emphasized in each of these stories, as well as things missing in some story's. Also, there are differing things in each of the story's. The three sources emphasize sundry messages.
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
The entirety of the encounter with the sirens in the Odyssey emits a sense of dramatic frenzy, panic at the inevitable. In a rush Odyseuss recounts, "Now with a sharp sword i sliced an ample wheel into pieces... they bound me hand and foot in the tight ship. " The sense of urgency shines an unflattering light on the sirens, describing them as cruel and ruthless, a profound and imminent danger. On the other side of the spectrum the "Siren song" conveys a tone of absolute ease, so slow and methodological that it is almost hypnotic.
Odysseus could be considered prideful at times; however, he often shows his humility, especially with godly intervention. He also manifests his patience as he enduringly decides to wait for the perfect moment to act rather than to function off of his impulse. The most notable virtue of the heroic Odysseus is definitely his courage; he operates without fear in many situations including conflict with the gods, people, or other creatures. Homer’s “The Odyssey” is a one of the greatest literary works in history as it shows readers what outstanding and virtuous qualities can be found within complete and heroic men such as
In an epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus struggles to come back home while his wife, Penelope, faces barbarous suitors who plague her house to court her for the marriage in order to claim the kingship of Ithaca. With an absence of the man of the household and a son who is not old enough to rule over the country and handle the domestic complications, Penelope endeavors to keep the household orderly and civilized. In order to prevent further chaos in the household, Penelope maintains her role as the Queen of Ithaca and Odysseus’s wife through her loyalty and cunning. For a woman who does not know when her man will return home, Penelope is extremely strong to keep hope and wait for her husband; thus, her unwavering loyalty to her husband
The theme of disobedience is very prominent in this episode. The poor choices Odysseus makes as well as his foolish men. In other episodes in the Odyessy like Scylla and Charybdis, The Lotus Eaters, and most episodes’ disobedience was also a problem. In the Sirens and Cyclops episode Odysseus’ men where more obedient when they were in threating situation. If this episode was never told in the book of the Odyssey, the readers would be missing out on how important it is to be obedient and trusting your own instincts.