The Odyssey Book Summary

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

What happened was that he was trying to see if that Giants were "Friend or Foe". As it would turn out they were pretty mean and brutal, but he wanted to see what the Cyclops would do if they were ever in his cave, well they found out really quick. He locked the in his cave an everyday hey would eat 2 of his men in the Moring and at night. But finally, they escaped by using a hot wooden stick and jamming it into the Cyclops's only eye. Odysseus thought he was all mighty and humble, well think again he tried to get his whole crew killed by trash talking the Cyclops, "now who do you think would do that."

Focus on the descriptions of the palaces of Nestor and Menelaus. Find quotations that describe their virtues:

The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus encounters the trial of The Cyclops and he is put in the position where his survival is jeopardized and that leads to fear. In The Odyssey ,while Odysseus is venturing back to his homeland in Ithaca, one of the three trials he faces is a deadly cyclop. After experiencing the trial of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus and his men sail to the islands of the Cyclops. When they land, the crew notices a lot of dairy and sheep. Odysseus and his crew explore the island and they meet a cyclop. The cyclop appears approachable and humane until he starts eating two of Odysseus’ men. Additionally, the cyclop keeps Odysseus and his men as hostages in his cave.“He clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering on the floor. Then, he dismembered them and made his meal, gaping and crunching like a mountain lion” (The Odyssey 233-237). Odysseus realizes that him and his men’s lives are in jeopardy if they do not find a way to escape the Cyclop, they will die. The horrific scene of when his men were severely beaten and killed causes Odysseus to fear but, actively think of a way to escape. Odysseus is aware that he can not just go and kill the Cyclop. He has to devise a smart and sly plan to inflict pain on it some way to escape and survive. His plan was to revert to violence by stabbing the Cyclop’s eye to take away his sense of sight so that they could have a swifter escape. Violence and fear are dependent to each other. If one feels very fearful they will go to the extreme to try to alleviate their

When they got to the Cyclop’s cave, they could have taken what they wanted and left but instead Odysseus decided that they were going to stay so they can see what or who lives in the cave. Then some of his men got eaten because of Odysseus foolish mistake. Then he came up with a plan in order to save what men he had left. Which was make the cyclop blind, tell the cyclop that his name is nobody, make him blind, and finally get out by going out under the sheep. Then he made another mistake because taunted the Cyclop when he was going back out to sea.

When leaving the beast’s lair, he escapes to his ship, and he yells to the giant shouting “I say, cyclops! If ever anyone asks you who put out your eye, tell him your blinder was Odysseus, the conqueror of Troy, son of Laertes, whose address is in Ithaca”(111). Even in victory, Odysseus puts him and his crew in danger when he takes credit for his brilliance, regardless of the consequences he may face. This nearly fatal mistake teaches him a lesson, to remain humble until the time is right. Odysseus later applies this knowledge when he returns home, disguised as a humble peasant, waiting patiently for an opportunity. One of the more arrogant suiters that took over his home in his absence, Antinoos, takes offence at once of Odysseus minor insults and throws a chair at him, “But Odysseus stood firm as a rack: the blow did not move him, he only threw back his head silently, and brooded over his vengeance” (200). Due to the repercussions he faced from lashing out at the cyclops, Odysseus gained the patience to endure severe aggravation. This completes the return to the ordinary world stage of his journey, applying his newfound knowledge to his situation to improve

Written by Homer, The Odyssey tells of a journey about a hero named Odysseus, who is desperately trying to return home to Ithaca after being forced to go to war. After being gone for 20 years, Odysseus arrives home with countless suitors attempting to marry his wife Penelope. On his journey, he goes through various encounters. During these encounters, he displays several qualities of a hero. For instance, Odysseus’ intelligence, cleverness, human weakness, and braveness make him a hero.

The Cyclops, Polyphemus, traps Odysseus and his men inside his large cave by blocking the exit with an enormous boulder. Odysseus feels threatened, but decides to cause a scene that would glorify his identity. Odysseus taunts the Cyclops, unnecessarily, to prove authority over it. One particular phrase that he says is, "So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave- you with your brute force. Your filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guest in your own house-

Similar in consequence, Odysseus’ boasts and taunts towards the Cyclops ultimately causes the delay of his journey home. Odysseus announces to the Cyclops that “Odysseus, raider of cities… gouged out (the Cyclops’) eye” (9.560-561). After that, the Cyclops goes to his father Poseidon and wishes Odysseus would, “come home late and come a broken man- all shipmates lost” (9.592-593). Odysseus may have never been cursed by Poseidon if he did not boastfully proclaim his name to the Cyclops. Therefore, the decisions Odysseus makes out of pride cause him and others to suffer

He also describes the Cyclops’ actions in a particularly gory manner as Odysseus’ “[men’s] brains spattered out and oozed into the dirt” as the Cyclops “tore them limb from limb” (9.281-9.282). Ultimately, Odysseus does a good job in representing the Cyclops as an inhuman beast unjustified in attacking

Odysseus and people in society today learn to only take credit for what they are responsible for. Odysseus demonstrates this after defeating many people when he explains that “men hold [him] formidable for peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim” (896). Odysseus later regrets saying this because in reality, the gods helped him and he hasn’t gave them any praise. This behaviour causes the gods to be very mad at Odysseus and they promise that he will have a very difficult time getting back to Ithaca. Another example is when Circe, a goddess, warns Odysseus and gives him advice about how to journey past the sea monsters. When Odysseus is traveling across the sea he commands, “heads up, lads! We must obey the orders as I give

Throughout the Odyssey, the struggles of Odysseus are revealed to the reader through the well written epic. His journey is very difficult and he is haunted with the loss of his entire crew and seemingly impossible task of getting home to his family. While journeying homewards, Odysseus makes the mistake of harming the Cyclops, who happens to be Poseidon's son. Poseidon is so angry at Odysseus for the harm he inflicted on the Cyclops, that through the influence of all powerful Zeus, he punishes Odysseus along with his other children, the Phaeacians, who can be seen to parallel as well as contrast with the Cyclops.

Cyclops (Polyphemus, specifically) is a gigantic one eyed monster, considered the sons of Titans, Uranus, Gaea, and the other Cyclopes were his brothers.Polyphemus was considered a skilled metalsmith craftsman fashioning useful items like certain tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewellery, and weapons out of various metals and he was very strong, but also stubborn. One weakness would be his one eye, so the Cyclopes could be easily blinded. One short myth on Polyphemus is that,Odysseus and his men entered a cave that Polyphemus lived in but he wasn’t there at the time.So Odysseus and his men helped themselves to the food and drink they found there. Then Polyphemus, returned to the cave.Finding Odysseus and his men in the cave

Odysseus and his men land on the island of the Cyclops extremely hungry and looking for food. He and his

A quote in the Cyclops that he says is, “King Odysseus, here are some lambs for you, the fat of the flock, and here, a good stock of creamed cheeses… Oh, help us! Here comes the Cyclops! What shall we do?” (pg. 192, lines 188-193).