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The odyssey odysseus characterization essay
The history of the “Sirens’ song” from The Odyssey and how the term “Sirens’ song” is used today (research temptation
Sirens in homers odyssey
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Homer’s Odyssey, a Greek epic poem, introduces mythological creatures, like the sirens, to an audience that becomes highly influenced and mesmerized by these creatures that it inspired new piece of literature. For example, Margaret Atwood dedicates a whole poem to the sirens, which is the first mentioned in The Odyssey as creatures that lures sailors to their death, but ,unlike the Odyssey, it is written in the point of view of the sirens. Even though the depiction of the sirens are distinct and told in different point of view, both pieces of writing, Homer’s Odyssey and Atwood’s “ Siren Song”, have similar elements of cleverness. Homer describes Odysseus as wise, which is a characteristic needs to help the crew escape disasters and deaths.
The Sirens try to lure him to his death by singing a tempting song, which contains immortal knowledge as well as Odysseus’ triumphs in Troy in order
“The Odyssey” Essay In Homer's “The Odyssey”, Book 12 the Sirens are tempting and dangerous creatures. They use songs and their beautiful voices to lore the victims. They use men's lust and ignorance to get what they desire. In Book 12, Odysseus and his men are sailing, then they cross the Sirens.
Then Odysseus and his men have to face sirens during an expedition. Odysseus went through all these hardships just so he would be able to see his wife, who had not seen in 10 years. Odysseus was trying to return home to her because he was faithful to her, he even resisted temptation
This is very dangerous since the Sirens “...bewitch men coasting by;/… [they] will sing his mind away/on their sweet meadow lolling. There are bones/of dead men rotting in a pile beside [the Sirens]” (Homer 395). Odysseus was very courageous to offer to listen to a deadly song to benefit his crew. Normally, someone would have been fearful to offer this, but Odysseus possesses the superhuman courage to listen to the
When Odysseus and his men passed the sirens in book 12, he told his men that they were safe and that nothing bad was going to happen. In the book, Circe only tells Odysseus about the sirens. Only when Odysseus tells his men about the sirens does he let the sirens take some of his best men. Not only did Odysseus not tell them about the sirens, he let the sirens take some of the men. This shows that Odysseus really doesn’t care about his men like a good leader should.
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.
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.
In The Odyssey, societal values and ideas about what a hero should be are quite different from the modern ideas, and Odysseus is the hero shaped to a near perfect representation of those ancient ways from centuries before the common era. In Book 12 of The Odyssey, Circe warns Odysseus of the Sirens he will inevitably come across when he continues his journey. She tells him to plug his men’s ears with beeswax, but also includes what to do in case Odysseus wants to listen to the Sirens’ beautiful singing. Odysseus warns his men about the Sirens; nobody questions his commands, and they continue their journey, Sirens awaiting. In The Odyssey, Odysseus states, “Going forward I carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears.
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.
So if he must listen to them sing he’d have to do it tied up. The last example that shows Odysseus’s temptation to listen to the
If he didn’t do this then his men would jump off of the ship and get attacked by the sirens. Odysseus is using strategic behavior to become a heroic leader, he doesn’t need to be strong to be powerful. Odysseus doesn’t do this to himself, instead, he says “They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing (550).” Odysseus makes them tie him up instead
He shows them as sinister creatures who are determined to destroy any man who gets in their way. The artist is inspired by the original Greek mythology and shows Odysseus as one recognizes his weakness and with god-like strength in his successful attempt to stand against the temptation of Siren
She says that prophecy will be said to him by Tiresias of Thebes. While in the underworld, Odysseus talks to Tiresias, who says that death will follow his crew if they act in the wrong way. He also sees the spirit of his mother who died because of him not being home. When Odysseus and his men return to Circe, she tells Odysseus about the Sirens. She says that the Sirens sing an irresistible song that will sing away the mind of the men who listen to it.
If someone were to ask the public today, most would think the sirens are these seductive half female, half fish beings better known as mermaids in today’s terms. People would also add that these Sirens would sing out to those who crossed their path by seducing them distracting the victims of their true intentions. But, what is ironic about this is that, in the Odyssey, it describes these creatures to be bird like figures with female human heads that call out to those near providing knowledge that those crossing would be very interested in. (Nugent, The Sounds of Sirens) So, here’s the next question...
