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The Temptation Of Sirens In Homer's Odyssey

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In The Odyssey, Sirens symbolize the personal temptation that Odysseus has to face; they attempt to seduce him by mimicking the same promise of understanding that home has to offer but without the labor required of the journey. Initially, they are introduced as merely being the transfixing, alluring seductresses that they are most known for. But through analyzation of the text and further reading, it is worthy of mentioning that there is more to Sirens then we make out to be. Sirens seduce men through their spellbinding songs and their psychological manipulation tactics. As Odysseus prepares to leave Circe’s island, she warns him about the monsters he will face on his journey home. She says that Odysseus will “first raise the island of the Sirens, those creatures who spellbind any man alive” (272:44), and claims further that any man who listens to the Siren’s call will have “no sailing home for him, no wife rising to meet him, no happy children beaming up at …show more content…

A snapshot of what the island looks like is depicted when Odysseus reiterates Circe’s forewarnings to his crew: ““First, she warns, we must steer clear of the sirens, their enchanting song, their meadow starred with flowers” (276:172). They live in a “meadow starred with flowers.” It makes sense that the Sirens would want to make the appearance of their island aesthetically pleasing, because they want to seduce men in all aspects in order to draw them in. So not only will the men want to be in the presence of the Sirens because of their offerings of knowledge and wisdom, but the island itself won’t seem too bad either because of its colorful meadows and supposedly luscious foliage. For the sake of charming the mentally-challenged men, the Sirens make sure to keep their island’s appearance just as appealing and seductive as their own

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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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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.

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One can tell Odysseus’ need for Nostos when Circe gives him directions when passing the island of the Sirens. “She says, whoever draws too close [to the island], off guard, and catches the Sirens’ voices in the air – no sailing home for him, no wife rising to meet him, no happy children beaming up at their father’s face” (Book 12). If Odysseus did not care about what he has back home, he probably would have fell to the voices of the Sirens. However, when Odysseus approaches the island of the Sirens, he is bound to the ship to hear the songs of the Sirens, in which no one has ever lived past.

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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

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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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to the crew, jerking my brows; but they bent steady to the oars. Then Perimedes got to his feet, he and Eurylochus and passed more lines about to hold me still. So all rowed on, until the sirens dropped under the sea rim, and their singing dwindled away” (Homer 123-131). Sirens being a powerful enemy to weak minded people Odysseus held his voice from calling out and passed through the

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Sirens lure men with their beautiful looks and voices. Calypso warns Odysseus of the dangerous creatures and Odysseus warns his crew. They come up with a cunning plan on how to not let the sirens lure them by filling up their ears with beeswax . Odysseus still plans to kill the suitors when he returns home.

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(Homer, 35) In the Odyssey I’ve chosen “The Sirens” and the visual artwork was by Herbert James Draper. In this scene, the three beautiful sirens were either sitting, hanging, and holding onto the boat, as they were trying to get Odysseus and his crews’ attention by their seductive,

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Both "The Odyssey"and the "Siren Song" is a work of literature, however in "The Odyssey" the focus is on resolving the problem of the sirens, no different than any other obstacle. " The Odysseus" and the "Siren Song" both illustrate similar themes. Similarly, the sirens ask the victim to "help

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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

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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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“The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story.

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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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