Deceptive Females of Homers Odyssey Essay -- Homer, Odyssey Essays

The Deceptive Females of Homer's Odyssey      Ã‚   Homer's Odyssey is probably the most famous and well-known epic of all time. This tale relates the adventures of the archetypal hero, Odysseus. Odysseus' long journey home takes him to many different places where he encounters many different monsters and creatures, but there are certain recurrent elements throughout. The most common themes in the Odyssey are forgetfulness, willingness to risk pain for pleasure, and sexual temptation.    When comparing the Sirens episode with Odysseus' other adventures, one can observe an emergence and repetition of these themes. The most obvious comparison that can be drawn between the Sirens episode and most other adventures is the theme of forgetfulness. The same idea is repeated in Odysseus' adventures with Calypso, Circe, and, most importantly, the Lotus-eaters. The Sirens are all knowing, beautiful creatures that attract men with their songs about the world, but those who give in and stop to listen can never leave. Fortunately, the Sirens are unable to draw Odysseus in because he has been forewarned by Circe and knows how to resist. "but melt wax of honey and with it stop your companions' ears, so none can listen." (12.47-48) Once he hears their song, he forgets about his homeland and wants to be set free so that he can listen to their song. "fastened me with even more lashings and squeezed me tighter." (12.196) Without... ..., Audiences, and Narrators in the Odyssey, Ann Arbor 1995. Felson-Rubin, Nancy.   Regarding Penelope: From Courtship to Poetics, Princeton 1994. Foley,   Helene "Penelope as Moral Agent," in Beth Cohen, ed., The Distaff Side, Oxford 1995., pp. 93-115. Graham,   A. J.   "The Odyssey, History, and Women,"   Princeton 1992 Griffin, Jasper. Homer on Life and Death, Clarendon Press. 1980. Homer.   Odyssey trans E V Rieu, Penguin Books. 1950. Katz, Marilyn Arthur.   Penelope's Renown: Meaning and Indeterminacy in the Odyssey, Princeton 1991. Lefkowitz,   Mary.   "Seduction and Rape in Greek Myth," 17-37. Schein,   Seth. "Female Representations and Interpreting the Odyssey," by pp. 17-27.