Desire and Risk in "The Sirens" Episode of The Odyssey Essay

The valuable lesson learned in this article is that of desire and risk. Odysseus is presented with a situation that could get him into so much trouble but still tries to do it anyway similar to other cases in the book. All along the stories, Odysseus is presented with several temptations or other dangerous options of death but continues to try and gamble his life hoping that he will make it through because he is wise. In this episode, Odysseus risks his life and that of the crew members as well. Odysseus thinks that no reward is so sweet like one risking their own life. The reader gets to know the way desires and risks tend to lure humans to engage in things that would ultimately lead to death in many cases, and the temptation to participate in them is too much to avoid. Such tempting offers tend to be too good to refuse even if one decides to risk their own life. Odysseus risks with the sirens, but he manages through the whole episode and saves the crew.

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Odysseus faces many challenges in this episode that he is supposed to overcome. It was on their way to the Circe's island that the men encountered the sirens. These were dangerous ladies that were known to lure men to face their death through the use of their voices. Odysseus became the first mortal to survive to tell the story because of the strategy they laid up with the crew (Odyssey 12.277). Circe had already prepared Odysseus for the journey and had notified him about the sirens which he said they usually sat in the meadow and were filled with rotting bodies as they waited for any ships to approach. They lured the members by singing songs that these individuals could not resist and the men could be enticed to their doom. Circe gives advise to Odysseus that when they get there, he is to plug the ears of his men by using wax so that the men would not be tempted to steer the ship and move off course. This way, if the men would ignore his pleas, then he could tie himself and listen to the sweet songs by the sirens. When they had had the counsel with Circe, Odysseus gathers his men and explains how they were going to make it through the areas of the sirens. When they got to the area, Odysseus gives them instructions that they were to tie him up and that even if he pleads much, they were also to tie him tighter. He then gets to wax each of their ears as he is tied to the mast. He hears the sirens sing about his victory in Troy and the knowledge they had for the world. When he pleads with the crew members to untie him, they do not heed to these orders but get him closely tied, and they can pass the enchanting isle unscathed. This was an excellent achievement for them since most mortals used to get lured by their voices and die in this region.

The virtues or heroic characteristics from this passage include the intelligence that he displays as advised by Circe. Odysseus shows his obedience traits and strategic moves that he uses together with his crew to survive the aisle because it was known that no mortal survived to tell the story of the area. Odysseus also shows bravery in the initiative to pass the region even though he knew that it was dangerous and he was risking his life to be there and that of the crew members as well. Passing the area also showed that Odysseus was courageous and he wanted to fulfill his mission of getting to the place he was set for safe and sound even though he was aware that there were many mysterious he would encounter on his way. The episode shows that Odysseus was smart and highly intelligent as he thought himself out of the tough situation as he quenched his thirst for desire. Traits such as determination, righteousness and cleverness depict Odysseus heroism through his quest back home.

The passage uses curious phrases that are related to the interpretation. The sirens indeed lure Odysseus into listening to the voices that they depict as honey-sweet. They say that "we know everything that the Argives and Trojans did and suffered in wide Troy through the gods despite" a phrase that shows how Odysseus suffered in Troy which was right and would lure him into listening to more of what they said (Odyssey 12.278). It was at this point that Odysseus and his men would get curious to know who these women were and how much they knew about him. However, it is good that Odysseus had been warned and told what he was supposed to do when he got to the area. The sirens are relentless in their quest to lure people that pass through the region to meet their death. The sirens mystery was only one of the many ordeals that these men would get on their way. Circe advised them on what they had to do when they got there.

The central theme of this desire is the ultimate desire for sweet and seductive things and the risks that one takes to get to quench their passion for the same. Odysseus is confident that if he follows the advice that Circe gives to him, he will be the only person to experience the joy of listening to the Sirens and living to tell about the whole story. Odysseus desires to hear the sweet voices of the sirens because he heard many stories say about them. He also wanted to be the first man to cross the area alive so that he lived to tell the tales of the sirens and how one could intelligently conquer them. Passing through the area is taking a huge life risk because everybody else did not make it to the end and the chances of him surviving were also close to zero. However, the episode also shows that one needs to be adventurous but remain careful when taking the risks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the passage depicts human desires that are dangerous and may lead to death, but humans still take risks to involve themselves in such temptations. Individuals need to be careful with the life risks they receive so that they do not make a fool of themselves trying to show heroic characteristics and demonstrate their knowledge of being smart. Odysseus is a smart man that is able to make through the sirens mystery showing his adventurous characteristics.

Work cited

The Odyssey, Oxford University Press, 1969, pg. 276