Character Analysis

       Sirens were very misleading creatures. In the words of noted philosopher Renata Salecl, "They enticed sailors with their seductive singing. Those sailors who succumbed to the Sirens' song immediately died." (Salecl 1). These sirens appeared to sound as though they were beautiful women, but upon a closer approach, they were quite deadly.  From far away the sailors couldn’t notice the sirens were not entirely human, but from the waist down they were half bird. These sirens lead the men to believe they were pure human humming a wonderful melody. However, when the sailors approached to gather a closer look, it was revealed that the so called “beautiful women” were much more sinister. The illusion the sirens created was so powerful that it made people ignore reason and feel compelled to follow their voices. This trick shows how appearances can be misleading and how easily our senses can be fooled. In the end, the sirens remind us that not everything attractive is safe, and sometimes beauty can hide danger. 

       A siren was a maneater. Shideed writes that, "Their seductive powers only work on males." (Shideed 66). Sirens only target were the male species, because it was easier to lure men in with their seduction, rather than a woman. It was less likely for a woman to be drawn to the sirens voice simply because they are the same sex. Sirens immediately grabbed the sailor's attention due to the fact that they were depicted to be beautiful women, “Unable to resist the beauty of their sight and music, the sailors would drive their ships aground on the rocks and perish.” (Shideed 67). It is almost as if the voices of the sirens put the sailors in a trance and made them lose all their self-control and mental and physical awareness. The men on the ships were easily seduced and intrigued by the beautiful voices and wanted the get a closer look. These sailors were easy targets because they were often lonely while at sea, “It exploits the vulnerability of the sailors, who, after months at sea, are yearning for comfort and human connection.” (Shideed 76). The sailors longed for an end to their isolation, hearing a lovely lady's voice made them crave human affection from the opposite gender. 

       Sirens are very good at pretending. They can appear as though they are friendly and welcoming, but in reality, they have much darker plans in store. They use their charming voices to capture the sailor's attention and force their way into their minds. Their appearance makes them seem promising, but in the end the only result to come out of the matter is certain doom. Sirens can be made out to seem comforting and trustworthy, but it is all a game. Siren's feed into the temptation until they manage to get their victims right where they want them.  

       Sirens also have confidence and patience. They are certain the sailors will come to them, so they wait calmly, continuing to sing their songs out of pure confidence. This confidence makes them appear to be mysterious and powerful. If they appear to be gentle and kind, instead of being quick to anger and violence right away, they will have a much higher chance of placing the victims right into to their trap. However, that wasn’t always the case. Some sirens would become impatient and decide to intrude onto the sailors' ships. Author Tamra Orr states that, "In some versions of the myth, the sirens did not wait for sailors to come to them and instead invaded their ships.” (Orr 1).  This is often taught as a life lesson about not falling into temptation and taking time to analyze the situation before going all in just because it seemed like a good idea at the time.