"I alone was to hear their voices, so she said,
but you must bind me with tight chafing ropes
so I cannot move a muscle, bound to the spot,
erect at the mast-block, lashed by ropes to the mast.
And if I plead, commanding you to set me free,
then lash me faster, rope on pressing rope."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 12, lines 174-179. Odysseus is without question a heroic character who accomplishes his goals. But he does have one great flaw that can sometimes compromise him or the safety of his men – his hubris. Having heard that no man has ever listened to the Sirens’ song and survived, he wants to be the first. He tells the crew what Circe has advised, to tie him to the mast with ropes so that he alone can hear the Sirens’ voices. Later he and the crew survive the Sirens unharmed, but Odysseus’ excessive pride puts himself and his crew at risk.