Over the past few weeks, we have been reading and studying the Odyssey. One of our latest projects was making a comic strip to review what we have read so far. Each student needs to justify why they made each frame the way they did. Everyone did theirs differently. My first frame was when Odysseus and his crew, returning from Troy, raid the village of the Cicones. I did not focus on this scene because it has very little meaning to the rest of the story, only a little side story to give Odysseus’ adventure more variety. The men were chased off of the island soon after they raided, and on to the next scene (146). The second frame of my strip was focused on the Lotus Eaters. Again, I did not focus on this scene because it had very little meaning to the story, other than to the followers of Odysseus. The Odyssey also reviewed this scene as near to meaningless (147). My third frame was the scene where Odysseus made himself at home in a cave on another island, unsuspecting of the Cyclops, Polyphemos, who lived there. This scene was super important to the story, as it leads to another important part of the story. Some of Odysseus’ men were eaten by Polyphemos, and contributed to the Odysseus’ will to escape from the cave (151). In the fourth frame, Odysseus’ in taunting Polyphemos, and Poseidon as well. The part I skipped was the scene where Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemos. I did not include that part because I did not want to draw the blood and gore
Polyphemus also happens to be Poseidon’s son. It would upset Poseidon enough that Odysseus blinded his son. Odysseus made it worse by gloating afterward, and humiliating Polyphemus, making him angrier and more upset. “Come back Odysseus and I’ll treat you well, praying the god of earthquake to befriend you- his son I am, for he by his avowal fathered me, and, if he will he may heal me of this black wound- he and no other of all the happy gods or mortal men.” Polyphemus is saying that if Odysseus comes back, he will tell his father to befriend him. But Odysseus does not do that, he only makes Polyphemus angrier, ensuring Poseidon’s hate for him. His ego only hurts him because he cannot set it aside and do something that will hurt his ego but ultimately save himself and his men. Poseidon does end up delivering revenge as Polyphemus said, simply because Odysseus had to boast.
In the beginning of Book XI, Odysseus goes to Hades where people confront him from his past, present and future. He is confused and dazed and seems to change as the different characters address him. All of the elements of Book XI show that it is the most pivotal book in Odysseus's voyage homeward and in the development of his character.
Resulting in angering Polyphemus’ father, Poseidon, who has curse Odysseus to never return home with years of bad luck. Indicating that Odysseus cockiness has lead Odysseus to try too hard to be heroic in unnecessary situation. Though, a point could be made that the Polyphemus does do bad things to people on the island, but nobody really ask for help from Odysseus. He kind of just take self liberty to bring justice to the people by defeating the Polyphemus. Not to mention, that the Polyphemus offer him a chance to forget all about the incident and be friend, but instead of accepting that offer, Odysseus provoke him even more by saying, “If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell!” (line 480, pg. 997). To put in simpler term, Odysseus indicate that he will never befriend the Cyclops for he is horrible creature that should be annihilated. Showing the reader how rashly Odysseus made his decision, as he could have make friend with Polyphemus, and continue on to his voyage home instead of putting himself in a bad position by insulting the Cyclop. Lastly, another quality that is bad about Odysseus is that he is selfish. For once, when he has come across an island on his way from Troy, he had decided to raid the village and take women as hostages for sexual pleasure. Showing how he is only doing this for his own need and not caring about the people that live in that village. He
The first and the most prominent act of hubris by Odysseus is when he and his crew are on the island of Sicily and get captured by the cyclops Polyphemus.
Odysseus’s escape from the Cyclops is one of great intelligence. A Cyclops is a giant one eyed monster. Homer said, “The booming voice and the very sight of the monster filled us with panic” (IX, 256). From the first moment Odysseus and his men set eyes on the Cyclops they know they are in trouble and will not be able to get out easily. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, eats two of Odysseus’ men from the start. As soon as this happens, Odysseus
A key event that delays Odysseus immensely on his journey home is Poseidon’s revenge. While sailing home, Odysseus and his men come to encounter Polyphemus, Poseidon’s Cyclops son. Odysseus and his men try to steal food from Polyphemus while he is away tending to his flock (Homer 362). When Polyphemus returns to his cave, he finds Odysseus and his men, and traps them in his cave. While trapped in the cave, Polyphemus eats many of Odysseus’
Six of Odysseus’ men are eaten because of his foolishness. Again, Odysseus’ arrogance came into play when Odysseus and his men escape from the cyclops, Polyphemus. He taunts the monster, despite the fact that his men tell him stop. He exclaims, “If ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home is Ithaca” (Fitzgerald 908). If Odysseus did not provoke Polyphemus, the curse laid up on his ship and crew would have never happened. If he did not mock the cyclops, his odyssey would have been non existent. Odysseus always wanted to be remembered as the grandest hero of Greece. This is object when his ship rolls past the Sirens and Odysseus demands that he listens to their song. His overly extensive hubris clouds his mind and wants the fame of being able to survived the Sirens’ song. He never once considers what might have happened if he had
Odysseus and his men land on the shore of cyclops island. They get trapped in a cave by Polyphemus, the cyclops son of Poseidon. Odysseus tells the cyclops
In Book 9, Odysseus does battle with a popular Greek Mythology creature the Cyclopes. Here Odysseus shows us how cunning he can be. While trapped Odysseus really fears that he will never see that homeland of Ithaca ever again. He is very mournful and we see just how much he misses home. He finally realizes how to escape from the Cyclops. He stabs the Cyclops in his only eye blinding him. He then tells the monster
Odysseus the Heroic The Odysseus, by Homer, is a story about adventure and courage. The Odysseus creates an atmosphere where it’s all about Odysseus and how he handles the danger. Three questions people have about the Odysseus are: what makes Odysseus an epic hero? What are his qualities and flaws? Why is Odysseus considered an archetype?
Odysseus’ curiosity and desire for adventure, driving him inland, somewhat hinder his attempt to return home. Odysseus’ men want to loot the goods and return to the ship. But, despite the pleading of his men, Odysseus wants to meet the cave-dwellers and see what they have to offer. This came to be a dire mistake. Polyphêmos enters the cave, and after brief words, he, in one swift motion, grabs, dismembers, then proceeds to feed on two of Odysseus’ men. After a brief stay in the cave and a few more dead men, Odysseus congers a plan which defeats Polyphêmos and returns Odysseus and his men safely back to the ship. This episode cost Odysseus the lives of men - lives lost for pure curiosity and his yearn for action. Directly after escaping Polyphêmos, Odysseus cries out in anger at the Kyklops, who proceeds to toss boulders at Odysseus’ ships. After each cry, Polyphêmos gets closer and closer with his tosses. Then, unintelligently, Odysseus, for sake of false confidence, reveals his name to Polyphêmos. Polyphêmos then prays to his father, Poseidon, against Odysseus’ voyage home to Ithaka. Instead of the men’s, now Odysseus’ actions endanger their lives.
After Odysseus and his men are on the boat, he calls out to Polyphemus, “Cyclops- if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca”(IX). His pride from escaping the Cyclops’s lair gives him a rush which causes him to tell Polyphemus his name. By telling the Cyclops his name, Odysseus seals his fate for the rest of his journey home. Once Polyphemus learns the name of his attacker, “,,,[Polyphemus] prayed and the god of the sea-blue mane Poseidon heard his prayer”(IX). Polyphemus is able to curse Odysseus’ journey home, because he knows his name. Once he curses Odysseus, the man’s way home becomes distorted, drawn-out, and difficult. Because Odysseus lets his pride get the better of him, his simple journey home becomes years of twists and
Odysseus’ anger and ego with the Cyclops cursing the rest of his trip home and killing all of his men.
It is at this point in the epic where the anger of Poseidon is unleashed on Odysseus, and from then on, the journey is nothing but a struggle. He is trapped by the goddess Circe, who turns some of his men into pigs. Then, he is forced to make a trip to speak to the
Odysseus is no god. He is man, and with that comes the mistakes and errors in all of us. In many situations Odysseus' mortal side is seen. An example of the power of Odysseus coinciding with his human flaws is his battle with Polyphemous the Cyclops (son of Poseidon). After escaping the lure of the lotus-eaters and their island, Odysseus and his men find themselves on another island, rich with food and shelter. After feasting, the men grab a large container of potent wine and go off exploring the new island. Later in their search they stumble across a large cave filled with food. Curious where the owner's whereabouts are the men encourage Odysseus to steal the food. Odysseus (showing his hospitable and genuine character) decides to instead wait for the