The Cyclops (Book 9)

Odysseus tells King Alcinous of his story of his way home from Troy:

Destinations:

Ismarus

Odysseus and his men sacks the city of Ismarus, killed the men, enslaved the woman, and stole their resources. The few surviving Cicones get help from their neighbours who help them attack Odysseus and his men. 6 men from each ship died and were given proper honorary burials. Zeus sends a storm to them as he is angry how he treated temples in Troy.

Land of the Lotus Eaters

Odysseus sends 3 men to check out the Island, these men eat the Lotus and don’t want to go back home. Odysseus drags them back to the ship and ties them on the boat.

Island of goats & Land of the Cyclops

Peaceful place with lots of resources. Has no proper laws or society, each household has their own laws (family based).

Odysseus and some of his men went to meet the Cyclops (Polyphemus) in his cave, hoping for xenia and to be given gifts. While waiting they lit a fire and ate some cheese they found. After Polyphemus came back he didn’t treat them with any guest privileges as he’s unafraid of the Gods and so eats some of the men. Polyphemus has a large circular rock blocking the exit and so they’re trapped. Odysseus introduces himself as ‘Nobody’. Odysseus decides to avenge his men’s death by getting the Cyclops drunk with unwatered wine, sharpening a large olive wooden pole, heating it up in the fire, and then sticking it it Polyphemus’ eye. The other Cyclops’ try to help but Polyphemus says ‘Nobody’ is hurting him. In order to escape they hide underneath the sheep and rams, as Polyphemus lets them out to eat. After escaping, right before leaving Odysseus, so proud of tricking him, tells Polyphemus his name ‘Odysseus’. Polyphemus then prays to Poseidon (his father) to curse Odysseus on his journey. “let him come late, in wretched plight, having lost all his comrades, in a foreign ship, and let him find trouble in his home”

ANALYSIS

CYCLOPS

Cyclops eating his men pg 117 line 287

Graphic detail = ‘limb by limb’, ‘brains ran out on the ground and soaked the earth’

Speed of Cyclops = ‘jumped up’, ‘seized’, dashed’, ‘like a mountain lion’

Gruesome detail = ‘leaving nothing, neither entrails, nor flesh, marrow nor bones’

Cyclops gets stabbed in the eye pg 120 line 381

similes = ‘like a man boring a ship’s timber with a drill’, ‘Cyclops’ eye hissed round the olive stake in the same way that an axe oe adze hisses when a smith plunges it into cold water to quench and strengthen the iron.

descriptions of the heat = ‘red-hot point’, ‘boiled’, ‘burning’, ‘scorching heat’, ‘blazed’, ‘crackled’, ‘hissed’