The Odyssey Book Summary

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 I [Odysseus] had gone as far as shouts can carry, I jeered back, 'Hey you, Cyclops! Idiot. The crew trapped in your cave did not belong to some poor weakling. Well you had it coming!'" Homer 9.475.

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

The Cyclops is depicted as a vicious monster because of his actions toward Odysseus and his crew. On discovering the Cyclops’ cave, Odysseus and his crew enter and proceed to eat the Cyclops’ cheese and sacrifice his livestock. Then the Cyclops catches them, but does not take too kindly to them when Odysseus asks for mercy and gifts: [His request] brought no response from [Cyclops’] pitiless heart But a sudden assault upon my men. His hands Reached out, seized two of them, and smashed them To the ground like puppies.

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.

After being stranded and half-starved on the island for a month, Odysseus and his men refrain from eating the cattle. However, Eurylochus, convinces the crew, “‘all deaths are hateful to miserable mortals, but the most pitiable death of all is to starve. Come along, let us drive off the best of these cattle’” (157). Since Eurylochus and the rest of the crew killed and ate the cattle, “Zeus at the same time thundered and struck [the] ship with his bolt,” killing them all, except Odysseus (159).

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

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."

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

Odysseus expects others to respect major Greek traditions, yet throughout the episode with Polyphemus, he violates the tradition whenever he feels necessary. Greeks believe that food crimes are some of the worst possible crimes people can commit. Since the Greeks equated meat to status, stealing meat meant robbing someone of their status. Odysseus does not respect this custom when he tries to steal the cyclops’ livestock, which is how he ended up trapped in the cave in the first place. Yet when Polyphemus eats some of the men, an act that cyclopses do not identify as wrong, Odysseus is appalled. “We flung our arms to Zeus, we wept and cried aloud, / looking on at his grisly work—paralyzed, appalled” (9.331-332). Odysseus expects Zeus to uphold this double standard by punishing the cyclops, who was merely acting on instinct, while condoning an intentional food crime.

On Odysseus's way home him and his crew run into an island. They decide to stop to rest. While exploring the island they fine a cave. In the cave was lots of cheese and wine. They start to eat it but soon after the cyclops returns to his cave angry that Odesseus was eating his food.

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).

The book starts off as a narrator, Homer, begins the story of Odysseus; the story begins ten years after the Trojan War. Odysseus, a man who had gone out to war and was trying to find his way home has been left on an island called Ogygia as a captive of the goddess Calypso. The god of the sea, Poseidon is responsible for Odysseus’ captivity as he seeks vengeance upon him for blinding his son, cyclops. Athene, daughter of Zeus, appeals to her father for the release of Odysseus. An appeal which he grants and sends Hermes to sends Odysseus free.

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