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The Role Of The Sirens In Ancient Greek Mythology

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In Greek Mythology one the most infamous sea monsters is the Sirens. The Sirens are daughters of Phorcus or of Achelous their mother is either Terpsichore, Melpomene, Sterope or Chthon depending on the author or source. The most referred to as the parents are Ceto and Phorcys. Ceto being the infamous sea monster and Phorcys being an ancient sea god. The Sirens are creatures usually seen as two or three figures standing on the rocky cliffs of Anthemoessa a flowery island in the Mediterranean Sea, using their voices to crash ships into the rocky cliffs surrounding the island, many greeks believe in the Sirens for the crashing of ships who have misjudged the waters. Some of their more famous appearances include the Odyssey and the stories of Jason and the Argonauts. …show more content…

Over the past few centuries the Ancient Greek’s description changed from a part bird to part fish becoming mermaids who also like Sirens crash ships into the rocky shores with their voices. The Siren’s voices are the most legendary thing about them and the Sirens take great pride in their voices which eventually lead to their defeat when Jason and the Argonauts crossed their path of destruction but escaped when Orpheus, a member of the Argonauts, played songs that was better than their superb voices. This defeat lead them to commit suicide throwing themselves into the sharp rocks

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Some of the things in the text are similar, but some things are absent within the text. In “The Odyssey”, the Sirens are not bird-like, there is no skulls and bodies laying around everywhere, and nobody on the boat is killed(Homer). “O’Brother, Where Art Thou?” removes the ocean setting, Odysseus heroism, and the men having wax in their ears. Within the stanzas of the poem “Siren Song”, the story lacks the men and Odysseus, the heroism of Odysseus, and the men “fall for it everytime” (Atwood). Authors of these stories removed these things so that their more appealing to the eye.

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534 Words | 3 Pages

I am writing an essay comparing the sirens in The Odyssey and and oh brother Where Art Thou. we have done the Odyssey so much that I know exactly what's going on. when we watch the movie O Brother Where Art Thou

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336 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus always wanted to be the man who did what no man could do. This is very apparent in “The Odyssey” and “Siren Song”, two different works by two different authors in two different formats all about the same story. Odysseus deliberately faced the Siren’s death trap so that he could feel like a better man than any other. The Odyssey and Siren Song have very contrasting perspectives on the sirens intentions.

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77 Words | 1 Pages

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

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217 Words | 1 Pages

There are sundry items emphasized in these three texts. Not only is the song and spell highlighted in “The Odyssey”, but also the challenge Odysseus and his crew had to face(Homer). “O Brother Where Art Thou?” discusses the women who sing the Siren song, the spell, and the disappearance of the men. The poem accentuates the Siren song (Atwood). Odysseus wanted to surrender to the captivating song of the Sirens, but the ropes hindered him.

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255 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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439 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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583 Words | 3 Pages

Instead, the text talks about the actions of Odysseus who "sliced an ample wheel of beeswax [...] and I stopped the ears of my comrades one by one". Indeed, the only understanding of the sirens comes from their speech; this perspective originates from the Odyssey's point of view. Unlike "Siren Song," The Odyssey's focuses on the person who opposes the sirens, Odysseus, more than the sirens themselves. This leads to the Sirens lacking any special quality that would make them any different than any obstacle there is noting personal about them. This is in contrast "Siren Song," which focuses almost exclusively on the siren.

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1322 Words | 6 Pages

The Odyssey, one of the oldest texts known to mankind, has made a permanent mark in the heart of Greek art and literature forever. The Odyssey is known as the story of a long forgotten king, Odysseus, exploring the seas, going on his long quest to make his way back to his homeland. One grand encounter Odysseus faces are the mythical creatures known as the sirens. The sirens are notorious for the beautiful song they sing, but this song leaves a deceiving effect on anyone who hears the words, and anyone who’s heard the song has either been killed or does not remember. The only way Odysseus could return home is if he sailed passed the sirens.

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In this Epic Poem, Homer displays the significance of women in a subtle yet impactful way. In The Odyssey, Circe, the sea which of Aiaia, exposes men’s fragility of succumbing to tempting women and thus revealing the power of a women’s touch. When Odysseus’s men sea the smoke coming out of Circe’s house they follow it and discover a beautiful singing voice which they think can only come from a goddess. She brings them in for a meal and fools them, turning them into pigs. Odysseus asks for strength and courage from the gods which they give him and he uses his potency against her.

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In spite of the fact that Homer’s Odyssey is an epic story of a man’s gallant journey, women play a huge part throughout. Their unique yet controversial personalities, intentions, and relationships are vital to the development of this epic and adventurous journey of Odysseus. The poem by Homer was written at a time when women had an inferior position in society, yet that didn’t stop them from being any less influential. All of the women throughout the Odyssey possess different qualities, but all of them help to define the role of the ideal woman.

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“mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy” (Lee 93). One of the examples of good vs evil in this story is Tom Robinson’s court case with Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is a black man named who is accused for a crime of raping and beating Mayella Ewell even though he just helped her with household chores. In the book Tom was seen as a bad figure for most of the book even though he was just a caring, harmless person. You can say many mockingbirds die in today’s reality, but it is the innocent that suffer the most often.

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In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, there are many female characters who play the role of a villain. Calypso, Scylla, Charybdis, and the sirens are among the women with the largest, negative impacts on Odysseus’ journey home. Though some women, such as Athena, Eurycleia, and Penelope, are loyal to Odysseus throughout the poem. With such a wide range of female characters, they all contribute different things throughout the book, whether the impact of their actions is negative or positive. Regardless of the outcomes, Homer has quite a modern view of female representation in his poem.

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776 Words | 4 Pages

The Odyssey is a well known epic that brings the reader through the tale of how Odysseus and his family reunited. Odysseus spent twenty years away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope. He was away for ten years at Troy and spent the other ten years on his journey back to his native land, Ithaca. Within the epic, author Homer reveals characters of gods and goddesses throughout the poem who impacted the families journey. One importantly, was the goddess of wisdom and war, Athena.

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World Literature Paper – Role of Athena and Penelope in The Odyssey Homer’s, The Odyssey is an epic which was written many years ago. At that time, in Ancient Greek society, the dominant role was played by men and the women were considered and given an inferior position. But The Odyssey was often considered a women’s epic because women played an important role. Women in The Odyssey are portrayed as powerful, wise and controlling because they ensure that the illusion of male success will go on - they speak as men through women.

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