Characters in Greek mythology can have several different interpretations. Among these characters are the dangerous but beautiful mermaids, bird-women sitting on a cliff singing haunting songs to captivate the minds of innocent travelers and lead them to their deaths. In Homer's The Odyssey and Margaret Atwood's “The Sirens' Song,” the two poets give different depictions of mermaids. Homer believes that mermaids are irresistible in order to make men heroes, while Atwood describes them as unsightly and pathetic so that he can prove that men are stupid and arrogant using imagery, diction, and point of view. Homer wants the overall representation of the mermaids to be intriguing and desirable because he wants everyone to view Odysseus as valiant. Homer describes the effect of sirens when “Odysseus's heart beats to listen longer,” proving that sirens are seductive (20). The effect of his heartbeat verifies that Odysseus longs to be with the sirens, forcing the image of a man fighting against his will to be near a beautiful temptress. This suggests that mermaids are irresistible and cunning because they know that they will be able to trick men into falling in love with mermaids. Odysseus longs to listen to more of the beautiful music to satisfy his desire to be with the mermaids. In order to both hear the song and stay alive, Odysseus's men "physically tie him faster with a rope on a friction rope" (24). The effect the sirens have on him is great, and the fact that the rope irritates his skin shows the effort Odysseus makes to be with the sirens. Nevertheless, throughout the scene, Ulysses tries to join the sirens, without realizing the terrible consequences. Since the temptresses are so "lovely", this is in the middle of a paper and I can't control how selfish they are. Homer thinks mermaids are beautiful while Atwood describes them as ugly through imagery. , diction and point of view in order to settle the argument of whether men are intelligent or not and whether mermaids are irresistible or simply repulsive. The point of comparing these two articles is that the reader can see the authors' two very different interpretations of the role of men and women in their destiny. The representation of women has changed enormously over time. In the past, women were blamed for the downfall of men and being temptresses, but now they hold high positions of power and can vote. Comparing these two plays provides insight into how to resolve the never-ending “Battle of the Sexes.” The answer is to compromise. Homer and Atwood's depiction of mermaids proves that everyone has their own interpretation..