The Inacurate Representation of the Cyclops Essay examples

The Cyclops, in The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou has noticeable relations that connect them both. The Cyclops in each story is a large man, who only has one eye. One website describes the Cyclopes race as, “a rough and uncivilized race of one-eyed giants.”(Hainsworth) Odysseus describes the giant as, “A prodigious man who slept in his cave alone, and took his flocks to graze afield, remote from all companions, knowing none but savage ways, a brute so huge.”(The Odyssey, Book 9, Lines 195-201)The Cyclops in each story characterizes similiarity between the two stories. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey and Ulysses, the main character of O Brother, Where Art Thou have unpleasant interactions with the Cyclops in each of the stories. Big Dan Teague, the con man, characterizes the “Cyclops” in O Brother, Where Art Thou by raising havoc in Ulysses and his partners’ lives. In each story an attempt to blind the creature offers a distraction for each character to escape from the Cyclops. The Coen

“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!” (Homer, 227). This act puts him and his crew in danger because the Cyclops is the son of the god Poseidon. Polyphemus then offers a prayer to his father to take revenge on Odysseus. “Hear me, Poseidon who circle the earth, dark-haired. If truly I am your son, and you acknowledge

‘Cyclops you ask my noble name, and I will tell it; but do you give the stranger’s gift, just as you promised. My name is Noman. Noman I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades’” (86). Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name is Noman to ruse him. Odysseus soon gets Polyphemus drunk. Odysseus takes the staff and blinds Polyphemus. Polyphemus removes the boulder and asks for help from the other Cyclops. “Then in his turn from out the cave big Polyphemus answered: ‘Friends Noman is murdering me by craft. Force there is none.’

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

The eight Greek evil thoughts is a moral code, which the ancient Greeks were to abide by, the evil thoughts were never to be explored in someone’s mind. The evil thoughts are a symbol of the ancient Greek culture and how things were done in that era. “The Cyclops” is an episode in the epic The Odyssey written by Homer, in which Odysseus and his men camp out in the cave of Polyphemus, a cyclops waiting for him to confront them. When he does, Odysseus tricks him into making himself vulnerable and Odysseus and his men attack him and puncture his eye, then use his sheep to make their way out of the cave. In the episode of “The Cyclops” Odysseus falls prey to several of the eight Greek evil thoughts, the main ones being kenodoxia (boasting), orge

In Book IX of the Odyssey, Homer uses imagery and foreshadow to illustrate how the cyclopes’ loneliness can significantly reveal how Odysseus and his men gets involved in a conflict with the cyclopes later on in the book. Homer uses foreshadow to develop the plot and build suspense. For example, Homer uses imagery to show what it was like when Odysseus encounters the land of the Cyclopes. Using imagery, readers can interpret the Cyclopes’ living conditions as well as their personality. The phrases “screened with laurel”, “cavern yawning”, “A prodigious man slept in this cave alone”, and “he seemed rather a shaggy mountain reared in solitude” shows that the Cyclopes are living in an isolated society and are very lonely on their island. Also,

Later Odysseus' ship stops at an island inhabited by Cyclopes. One of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus, captures Odysseus' and his men. To escape, Odysseus stabs Polyphemus' eye. As Odysseus is sailing away he shouts out, " `Cyclops, if any mortal man should ask about the shameful blinding of your eye, then tell him that the man who gouged you was Odysseus, ravager of cities: one who lives in Ithaca--Laertes' son' " (185). Odysseus is being prideful, ignorant, and asking for trouble. Polyphemus now knows Odysseus name and where he lives; Polyphemus can now easily have revenge whenever he wants.

“ I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye”, (12). Odysseus came up with the brilliant idea to blind the Polyphemos, instead of killing him. He knew that if the men were to kill Polyphemus, they would never be able to remove the boulder from the opening of the cave. While under stress Odysseus was still able to think clearly and come up with an outstanding idea. Blinding the Cyclops wasn't the only good Idea the Odysseus came up with under pressure in the cave, when Polyphemus asked Odysseus for his name, Odysseus said, “ I shall tell you. My name is Nohbdy”, (12). Odysseus thinks about the effects of his actions.

The overconfidence of Odysseus, consumed with pride for past successes, evokes anger in the reader and causes them to understand the importance of humility in a world that has gone far but still has far to go. Having defeated Polyphemus, a cyclops, through clever cunning, Odysseus proclaims, “‘Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus, raider of

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’ confrontation with the great Cyclops, Polyphemus, looks cowardly and dishonorable by comparison. Where Beowulf bravely stood and fought Grendel with only his bare hands, Odysseus waits for Polyphemus to slip into an alcoholic coma before blinding him. Later he uses this handicap to escape.

A cyclops was a one-eyed monster. The first cyclopes were Arges, Steropes, and Brontes. They were the sons of Uranus and Gaea. These three cyclopes were locked in Tartarus by, Cronus and Uranus. After being released, they helped Zeus fight in the Titanomachy. Another cyclops who was more famous was Polyphemus. He was the son of Poseidon.

When Odysseus is in trouble he always shows that he is depending on the gods by praying to them. The fact that the gods usually listen to him shows that he is well liked by the gods. In order to be a Greek hero you had to be liked by the gods since religion was such a big part in their lives. Odysseus, with the help of the gods, can survive adventures that kill most other men. Odysseus travels to the island of the Cyclopians. The Cyclopians are giants that have one eye, they don't fear the gods because they believe that they are better than the gods and they eat people. They represent the opposite of what Greek men should be. Odysseus and his men meet Polyphemus the Cyclops. Polyphemus being a Cyclops eats some of Odysseus' men. Odysseus with the help of the gods figures out a plan to escape and he does. Scylla is a ferocious monster with six heads that kills most men that pass by her island. She kills six of Odysseus' men. Odysseus prevents her from killing himself and more men. There is another ferocious monster named Charybdis. Charybdis sucks in water from the sea and creates a whirlpool that kills any ship that passes by. Odysseus passes by her. His crew is killed and his ship is destroyed in the whirlpool but Odysseus alone survives. There is an island that Odysseus passes by with monsters called Sirens on it. The Sirens sing beautiful songs that lure ships toward them. The ships then crash into the island and the people are killed.

Odysseus has no regard for the consequence of his actions and his self-control he once displayed before is now gone. Odysseus actions are problematic, but he is aware of what he is provoking. The way he continues to provoke Polyphemus even when he knows it is wrong is very ignorant

            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