ipl-logo

What Is Margaret Atwood's Interpretation Of The Odyssey Sirens

399 Words2 Pages

Thesis:
In Homer’s “The Odyssey”, translated by Robert Fagles, sirens have been portrayed as manipulative and deceiving creatures, who trick men by using their bewitching song as a form of flattery in order to draw men to their island and eventually to their death. However Margaret Atwood’s interpretation of sirens offers a different perspective, in “Siren Song,” sirens are portrayed similarly to Fagles interpretation, but instead of bewitching men through flattery, men are drawn to the island by sirens mocking damsels in distress to tempt the men's inner hero.

Body 1:
Topic sentence 1 (flattery):
“‘Come closer, famous Odysseus-Achaea's pride and glory- moor your ship on our coast so you can hear our song!’”(19-20). The sirens attempt to …show more content…

Initially, the sirens attempt “This song is a cry for help: Help me! Only you, only you can, you are unique”(21-24). The song promises heroism for the men tempting their egos by repeating “help” and “you”. This cry for help makes men think the women are weak and men are the only ones strong enough to save them. By acting like this, the sirens are tricking the men into thinking they need their help when in reality the sirens are manipulating their emotions to draw them into their death. In addition to repetition to convey the damsel in distress act, the sirens use artificial language to increase the act. The siren offers, “Shall I tell you the secret and if I do, will you get me out of this bird suit?” (10-12). The Siren lies by promising to exploit the secrets of the song in exchange for help. This is another way the sirens deceive the men, she promises she will only tell him her most important and precious secret making him feel unique and then only with his help she will escape her bird-like appearance and become a beautiful women. The siren has no intention of doing any of this it is only part of her plot to destroy the

Show More
Related
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.

Read More
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

Read More
176 Words | 1 Pages

Similar to how sirens would sing drawing the sailors to come near them. Sirens also are known for their voices and the songs they sing. Daisy’s

Read More
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.

Read More
671 Words | 3 Pages

The Sirens embody the feminine take on a “seductress,” personifying a gorgeous creature whose aspiration is to induce masculine victims to their demise. Atwood

Read More
580 Words | 3 Pages

In Homers’ classical epic, Odysseus’ classical tone and chauvinistic point of view exhibits that the sirens can be conquered, whereas, Atwood’s modern tone and feminist point of view suggest the sirens to be more insidious. Odysseus, in the custom of Greek Heroes, is able to overcome the sirens through

Read More
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.

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

“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.

Read More
439 Words | 2 Pages

An epic hero is someone who is characterized commonly on their nobility and bravery. However ,there are more attributes epic heros can posses. For example Odysseus, the protagonist in Homer's retelling of “The Odyssey”, shows many forms of excessive arrogance and pomposity. After conquering Troy, Odysseus and his men set off on their way home.

Read More
583 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
232 Words | 1 Pages

Sirens are hostile and unkind women. They use their sweet voices to capture the lost minds of men. In the video, O Brother Where Art Thou they have captured three men. However, they have many beliefs, strengths, and actions. Sitting on a rock, in the video O

Read More
1121 Words | 5 Pages

She repeats the words “to you” (19,20) as well as “only you” (23) to bring out the aspect that the siren is speaking to us, the readers, which deepens the effect of her tempting us into her trap. The missing rhyme scheme and meter does not only bring out the repetition Atwood places in the poem but also makes her emphasis on enjambment more profound. Comparatively, the excessive enjambment as well as the lack of meter and rhyme deliver the effect of the poem being read like a story and accentuates the intensity and suspense to the meaning of the poem which is the deadly song the siren sings to lure in her

Read More
1255 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
954 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
933 Words | 4 Pages

The Sirens are seducers, acting as an obstacle to the crew’s journey, and they are capable of hypnotizing anybody who listens to their

Read More

More about What Is Margaret Atwood's Interpretation Of The Odyssey Sirens

Related Topics

Open Document