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Comparing The Odyssey And The Siren Song

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In The Odyssey and The Siren Song, both Homer and Margaret Atwood depict women as beautiful yet manipulative creatures. The Sirens are mythical beings that are half human half bird whom are defined as dangerous yet beautiful creatures that no man could resist, except for Odysseus. Odysseus and his men approach the island of the Sirens, and Odysseus, as instructed by Circe, plugs his men's ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship. Although Homer’s The Odyssey connotes the Sirens as vicious and eerie, Margaret Atwood’s Siren Song depicts the creatures as mysterious yet beautiful creatures, which is conveyed through each author’s use of figurative language and diction.
In The Odyssey, the Sirens are characterized as irresistible yet evil creatures. No man can resist them, except for Odysseus. He was able to resist the temptation by tying himself down and putting beeswax in his shipmates’ ears, so that they can avoid the women as well. Homer proves how inevitable the Sirens voices are by …show more content…
For example, the sirens are characterized as irresistible in both texts. In The Odyssey, Odysseus has to be tied up and held down in order to resist the sirens and their beauty. Homer uses anxious wording throughout the excerpt from the text such as sharp sword, burning rays and thrilling song. This imagery conveys power. In The Siren Song, the women tell the sailors that no man has crossed them without listening to their song, which creates curiosity within the sailors. In addition, in both The Siren Song and in The Odyssey. The Sirens lie about their intentions. In The Siren Song, the Sirens sing, “Only you, only you can, you are unique”. This is a lie since many men have crossed them, but they have devoured each and everyone of them. In The Odyssey, the Sirens say to Odysseus, “Once he hears to his heart’s content sails on, wiser man”, as if they would let the sailor leave

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