ipl-logo

Why Is The Odyssey Not Written In First Person

239 Words1 Pages
The Odyssey is written in first person so the reader can understand the reason Odysseus keeps taunting the cyclops, and his experience with the sirens and their songs. If The Odyssey was not written in first person, then the reader would not know Odysseus’s true feelings when he was taunting the Cyclops after Odysseus defeated him. When Odysseus is sailing away after blinding the Cyclops, Odysseus yells out, “ I would not heed them over my glorying spirit, but let my anger flair…” (The Odyssey book 9 lines 414-415) The reader may have thought that Odysseus was taunting the Cyclops because he was proud and glorious, but while Odysseus was feeling those emotions, he was more mad than anything else. Odysseus has the chance to hear the sirens,
Show More
Related
236 Words | 1 Pages

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

Read More
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
582 Words | 3 Pages

How could the school and parents of the teen-agers help their children to stop doing the high risk things? Elizabeth Kolbert did describe how the teenagers do dangerous things and cite lots of authority people’s words to prove that points in the article “Terrible Teens”. We are still on the way to stop the teenagers doing the things what will endanger themselves. Using appeal to authority, repetition and personification devices to show the teenagers are really dangerous without adult stay with them and make the reader feel the same with the author. Elizabeth Kolbert did use personification,repetition devices and appeal to authority in his story to make the article more clearly and through to our life.

Read More
449 Words | 2 Pages

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

Read More
399 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More
210 Words | 1 Pages

In the Odyssey by homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the Cyclops encounter is one of Odysseus’ greatest flaws and successes at the same time. It began to go downhill when Odysseus lies about his name and the condition of his ship. When him and his men are captured by the cyclops Odysseus claims his name is nobody, and his ship was wrecked, he does this to aid his escape plan and as a tactic to guard his name and men. When the escape plan is put into play, Odysseus stabs the cyclops in the eye with a red hot spear all the while him lying about his name was put into use because the cyclops yells, in agonizing pain, nobody stabbed him in the eye, this causes the other cyclops to lower there guard and not go to assist their brethren. All

Read More
1276 Words | 6 Pages

Odysseus was warned by Circe that the sirens were a deadly force to sailors. She explained to him that their song is so beautiful that men lose their minds. When hearing this, instead of avoiding the sirens and keeping himself and his men from harm, Odysseus decided that he had to hear their song for himself. Circe explained to him the way that he could keep his crew from hearing the sirens. She said that he can place thick beeswax in the men’s ears and have them tie Odysseus up tight.

Read More
1005 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus then realizes he can not handle the singing: “The lovely

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

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

Read More
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.

Read More
816 Words | 4 Pages

When Odysseus’ crew

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More
478 Words | 2 Pages

Circe shared with Odysseus that the sirens songs lure sailors to shipwreck and that he should put beeswax in his ears to prove it, but Odysseus refuses and tells them to tie him down instead. Odysses shows his hubris takes him over when he states, “Therefore you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, / erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, / and if i shout and beg to be untied, / take more turns of the ropes to muffle me” (12.695-698). Odysseus does not listen to anyone about the sirens songs and doesn't think it will effect him. This proves Odysseus hubris is too large because he has the confidence to face the sirens songs, which are very

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

More about Why Is The Odyssey Not Written In First Person

Related Topics

Open Document