Sisyphus
Sisyphus
In a Nutshell
Yeah, Sisyphus is a bad guy, but that doesn't mean he isn't fun to watch. This crafty king is so wily that he outsmarts Death himself, and he actually manages to escape the Underworld... twice! Sure, Sisyphus deserves to be locked up for all his evil deeds, but sometimes watching a dude who's a step ahead of everybody else do his thing is irresistible.
In the end, Sisyphus totally gets what's coming to him and is doomed to roll a giant boulder up a hill for all eternity. Though he definitely earns his punishment, many people have found connection with his plight. It seems like a lot of folks have moments where they feel like whatever stuff they're doing is as tiresome and pointless as Sisyphus' endless task. Though it's not really a great feeling, it can be good sometimes to know that others get just as frustrated sometimes.
Shmoop Connections
Explore the ways this myth connects with the world and with other topics on Shmoop
Famous author and philosopher Albert Camus uses Sisyphus's endless task to represent his idea of the absurdity of human existence in his awesome essay "The Myth of Sisyphus." Check out how he applies this philosophy in his novel, The Stranger.Some say that the crafty Sisyphus was the real father of wily Odysseus. Read Homer's Odyssey and you can totally see how Odysseus might be a chip off the old block.
Ovid's Metamorphoses claims that when Orpheus played for Hades and Persephone, the song was so beautiful that Sisyphus stopped rolling his rock for a moment to listen.