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Sirens In The Odyssey

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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. To keep Odysseus’ men from falling victim to the song, he filled their ears with beeswax. He told his …show more content…

On the ship there is a group of feathery beasts surrounding a man tied to the mast of the ship. While the crewmen are sitting down in the deck rowing. The men attempt to concentrate on rowing and ignore the tunes of the deadly song the birds continue to sing, and luckily Odysseus came up with the idea of placing beeswax in the ears of the crewmen so they couldn’t be infected. One man is sitting closer to the bow of the ship covering his ears, trying to cut the sound of the song out. Perhaps he didn’t place enough earwax in his ear, or maybe none at all. This painting gives the viewer a feeling of desperation for the men …show more content…

(Source A) Waterhouse lived a quiet life, one without any evidence of major drama, and instead created beautiful works of art which illustrated tales of love and tragedy. (Source C) .John William Waterhouse was inspired by great artists before him, specifically artists from the Renaissance and Classical schools who shared Waterhouse's love of color and realist composition. (Source A) His paintings are scattered throughout the world: many are owned by public museums in the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere; others are in the hands of private collectors in the UK, USA and Russia.(Source C) Waterhouse ended up Producing over 200 paintings during his lifetime. (Source C) Waterhouse continued painting until his death from cancer in 1917. (Source B) Waterhouse was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London. (Source

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