The Myth of Sisyphus Literary Elements

Philosophical, Existential, Absurd

A lore of Greek mythology set in Ephyra (Corinth).

Albert Camus acts as the omniscient narrator who discusses the legend of Sisyphus and the teachings it entails.

Though the story of Sisyphus is one of hopelessness and despair, Camus manages to find hope and optimism within the dreary world of Sisyphus. The reader walks away with hope upon reading the text.

Sisyphus is the protagonist. From his perspective, death is the ultimate antagonist.

The major conflict surrounding Sisyphus' life is that of his love for the earthly experiences. He refuses to give in to death and mortality. His unceasing passion for life and his utter disregard for the gods lead up to his horrifying fate.

The tale reaches its climax when, after having tricked death twice, Sisyphus is finally taken to the underworld where he has to roll a large rock up a hill, watch it roll down from its zenith, and then roll it back up again, and again.

Sisyphus' horrifying fate is foreshadowed when he treats the gods with nonchalant levity. For his personal gains, he reveals the direction in which Jupiter/Zeus had gone, angering the supreme god in the process.

When Sisyphus's punishment is revealed to him, it does not seem like a truly horrifying task. However, its unceasing repetition is what makes the task absurd and hopeless.

Throughout the essay, Camus makes allusions to the work of Homer. He also alludes to the tragedy of Oedipus.

The most striking images discusses in the essay are that of the rock and the hill. Other than that, the recurring images of gods play an important role within the essay.

Sisyphus's punishment is the ultimate paradox. He has to roll a heavy rock up a mountain, then he must watch it roll down again. After descending the mountain, he has to push the rock back up again. This unending chore is a dreadful punishment meant to achieve absolutely nothing.

Camus's Sisyphus runs in parallel to Homer's version. However, Homer's Sisyphus is pessimistic and alludes to hopelessness. Camus' retelling of Sisyphus is infused with hope. His Sisyphus is conscious about the absurdity of his impossible task, yet he chooses to do it. That consciousness, according to Camus, makes him stronger than the rock itself.

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Sisyphus personifies mankind, while the rock is a personification of the absurdity of life and its lack of meaning. The task of rolling up the rock again and again is meant to signify the absurd nature of reality in which the search for meaning is futile.