Ulysses and the Sirens Jon Elster used the name of Draper's painting as the title for his 1979 book about rationality and precommitment. Ulysses and the Sirens Ulysses and the Sirens is a 1909 oil painting by Herbert James Draper measuring 69.25 x 84 in. It is held at the Ferens Art Gallery in Kingston upon Hull, England. The gallery purchased the painting from Draper in 1910 for £600. Draper also painted a reduced replica that is housed at the Leeds Art Gallery. The subject of the painting is an episode in the epic poem "Odyssey" by Homer in which Ulysses is tormented by
The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses turning Ajax's bluster against him. Once the contenders withdraw, the generals decide to award Achilles' armor to Ulysses. The play's second scene is devoted to Ajax's madness: Ajax has lost his mind as a result of his defeat to Ulysses, and eventually commits suicide. The brief final scene shows Ajax's funeral. The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses for the Armour of Achilles is a Caroline era stage play, an interlude written by James Shirley and first published in 1659. As its title indicates, the subject of the play is a staple of the classical