Odyssey Maids

The portrayals of the Siren in The Odyssey and “Siren Song” can be compared through point of view, tone, and imagery. In Homer’s poem the Siren is seen as an irresistible desire, a toxic aspiration that manipulated and captivated men to come closer. In “Siren Song” the Siren is portrayed as merely a taunting boredom. She herself tells us that to her it is boring, “But it works every

The Sirens in the Odyssey represent more than just a maritime danger to the passing ship. They are the desires of man that he cannot have. The Sirens can also be construed as forbidden knowledge or some other taboo object. Whatever these singing women actually are, the sailors are wise to avoid them. As usual, the wily Odysseus cheats at the rules of the game by listening to their song under the restraints constructed by his crew.

Homer and Atwood showcase the multifaceted nature of the myth of the Sirens through various perspectives, with varying tones, and utilizing imagery. Homer recounts the narrative of a man sufficiently shrewd to hear the siren's tune and not lose his life; meanwhile Atwood portrays a siren, alluring men to her island to trap them. Although the tones differentiate from each other within the two passages, both utilize cleverness with trickery. Odysseus runs with his life secure, and the Siren feels accomplished; her “boring song…works every time.”

The first obstacle Odysseus and his men must face on their journey back to Ithaca are the women-like creatures, known as Sirens. He must get himself and his men past them without falling victim to their ways. “Crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by”(678 ll. 661-662).

Beautiful women who lure men to their death from song. According to the text, “Sirens weaving a haunting song over the sea, we are to shun,  she said, [Circe] and their green shore all sweet with clover; yet she urged that I alone should listen to their song” (Homer 690-694). The following stanza from the text informs readers that Odysseus alone is to listen to the Siren’s song, nobody else.  Odysseus wholeheartedly tells his crew the dangers of the Sirens and arms his men with knowledge to prevent disaster when sailing past the Siren’s island. In the text it is later stated, “Therefore you are 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 rope to muffle me” (Homer 694-698).

The sirens were compelling Odysseus and his squadron with their extraordinary singing .Odysseus and his squadron were on there way home. As well as portraying the similarities there are also differences. There are many converse things including:they were in a car instead of a boat,the women were mean versus them being nice and they were at a creek versus them being at the river. In the movie “O’ brother where art tho?”

Sirens are known to be creatures that caused many deaths of sailors. In Homer's "The Odyssey" sirens are relentless beings who sing to capture sailors to destroy their ships and murder them. In Atwood's "Siren Song" the sirens are portrayed as beings trying to escape this curse they were born with. In the "Siren Song", the narrator of this poem despises the life she has.

Others might also be curious, but not wise enough to take precautions. The Sirens represent temptations, which can whisper things to you, use your past to get you to succumb. People with past littered with drugs or alcohol find themselves more likely to abuse them in the future. The Sirens hit the jackpot with Odysseus. He has a rich past and a bit of an ego.

The characters in Greek Mythology have multiple interpretations. Among these characters include the dangerous, yet gorgeous Sirens, bird-women who sit on a cliff singing bewitching songs that captivate the minds of innocent travelers and entice them to their deaths. In Homer’s The Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song,” both poets provide different representations of the Sirens. Homer portrays the Sirens as irresistible in order to establish men as heroes, whereas Atwood depicts them as unsightly and pathetic so she can prove men are foolish and arrogant using imagery, diction, and point of view.

The Sirens take place in the twelfth book in the series, where Odysseus is trying to head back to Ithaca once again. As “Siren” mentions, Odysseus has all

As Odysseus travels through the epic, he is constantly trying to maintain his image, always bragging about his wisdom and talents. The Sirens expose and exploit this weakness of his when he encounters them. Their “honeyed voices pouring from [their] lips” (Homer, Odyssey, p. 277, 12.203) is a sticky trap that reveals just how much Odysseus yearns for glory and fame. They call him “Archaea’s pride and glory” and tell him to “come closer, famous Odysseus” (Homer, Odyssey, p. 277, 12.200). By making “famous” the new epithet to his name, they have already won his heart. They then proceed to tempt him in with promises of more wisdom. Odysseus had to literally be tied down so that he would not jump off the ship. All the while, the Sirens most definitely knew that humans are inherently greedy and susceptible to temptation.

Whereas in The Odyssey the Sirens receive less character development then a bumbling cyclops, the new perspective of “ Siren Song” forces the reader to think differently and ponder a new perspective. For women both in literature and in general to be heard, female characters must have this level of depth and complexity, so that they incite a thought provoking discussion, instead of a

They are women, most know that. But they were companions of Persephone, the Goddess of the Underworld, did you know that? Well, you do now. In early Greek art, Sirens were portrayed as half bird half woman. Later Greek art showed them as female figures with bird legs and, most of the time, they had some sort of instrument, mostly harps.

In the three texts these are the things that are emphasized. In “The Odyssey” ,written by Homer, it states the heroism of Odysseus, the magic powers of the horrid Siren, and the steps Odysseus took to get past the sirens. However, in “O’ Brother Where Art Tho?” it mentions how Pete turns into a frog, the men drink moonshine, and the siren song plays in the background. Also, in Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song” it implies that the sirens do not like being trapped on the Island, the contribution to the song, and how they are disinterested on the island. Even though the authors emphasize on multiple things, they often leave details out of their stories.

However, as sailors became aware of this, they have discovered if they were to put wax into their ears, they would be able to pass by their safely. “According to legend the Sirens were fated to die if a mortal ever resisted their beckoning and so it is not clear whether it was Odysseus or Orpheus who was responsible for their ultimate demise, perhaps by suicide.” Stated by Ancient History Encyclopedia. Sirens could symbolize quite a few things.