In Homer’s The Odyssey, protagonist Odysseus faces many challenges throughout his journey from Troy to Ithaca, where he is king. Perhaps one of the most taxing and gruesome obstacles that Odysseus faces, which nearly compromises his return to Ithaca, is Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemus, the Cyclops son of Poseidon, god of the sea. This encounter is significant because it portrays the contrast between civilized and uncivilized, explores the risks and consequences of temptation, and ultimately reveals Odysseus’ desire for glory. In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ confrontation with the Cyclops Polyphemus is significant because it analyzes both the hero’s and the giant’s characteristics and how those traits contribute to Odysseus’ hero journey. …show more content…
In ancient Greece, “kleos” was an important cultural value of glory. Typically, kleos is achieved through a glorious death. Throughout his journey, Odysseus is constantly striving to gain kleos while still alive. First, he tries to gain glory by obtaining extravagant gifts. Despite his men insisting on raiding the unprotected cave of its loot and leaving the island, Odysseus decided to wait for Polyphemus, the giant to whom the loot belonged, in hopes of receiving a welcoming gift. “But I would not give way – and how much better it would have been – not till I saw him, saw what gifts he’d give” (9.256-259). Odysseus understands that returning home with more gifts will help deliver to him the glory he so desires. As a result, he seeks any opportunity, dangerous as it may be, in order to receive more gifts. This is problematic, since Odysseus does not always realizes when the risks outweigh the benefits. Lastly, Odysseus tries to gain glory by spreading his name across each land he visits, so that his heroic tales are passed along throughout each population. This too, unfortunately for Odysseus, comes with a price as well. After blinding the Cyclops, Odysseus cannot help himself but to shout, “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!” (9.558-562). After calling out to the Cyclops and revealing his complete identity, Odysseus’ ships were driven off course in the complete opposite direction, further delaying their journey home. Odysseus’ struggle for kleos while living repeatedly affected him negatively. He continues to seek glory, regardless of the circumstances, and therefore ends up on the brink of death time and time again. Odysseus’ seek for kleos inhibits his ability to identify when the risks outweigh the benefits of any
He would rather compete in the Phaeacians' games to prove his own egotistical power, even though it meant delaying his return home. Choosing to stay away longer is one of the many selfish choices of Odysseus on his journey, and just proves how pretentious he truly is. His popular taunts on others’ who he thought of as less worthy resulted in many consequences. As Odysseus fled after attacking Polyphemus, he called the Cyclops an idiot and told him "you had it coming (Homer 425)”. His crew replied with, “Why are you being so insistent and taunting this wild man?
Earlier in the epic, Odysseus frequently abuses his role as captain of his crew because of his curious nature. He makes several stops on their journey home in search of more opportunities to prove his skillfulness, even though he is already a king and has won a major war. One of these stops is at the Island of Polyphemus, home to the cyclops famed for eating all humans that enter his cave. Even though Odysseus is well aware of the danger ahead, his curiosity tempts him to
At the time of this event, Odysseus is aware that by covertly sneaking on the Cyclops’ space not all his men will exit alive, but he has a detriment of arrogance that regardless of the uniform probability among all the men, he would still remain alive. The deduction can also be made that Odysseus disregards the wellbeing of his own men, trading it for the wellbeing of himself. With a leader like Odysseus, a mutiny among his men to overthrow him is not implausible. Simultaneously, Odysseus exhibits signs of Orge, or anger, of which comprises the holding onto anger rather than moving to resolve
During their expedition, Odysseus’s crew comes upon an island of Cyclops where they meet a particular Cyclops, Polyphemus. After Polyphemus locks Odysseus and his men in his cave, Odysseus is able to trick the Cyclops into letting them out. Once Odysseus escapes, he boasts to Polyphemus, “Cyclops,/ 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’s on Ithaca!” (Homer 970-974). Odysseus’s negligence is portrayed through his arrogance and the way he reacts towards Polyphemus.
Not only does he display qualities of an epic hero in times of conflict, but he also does in times of peace. Odysseus’ cunning intelligence is seen in a time of conflict when he and his men are in the Land of the Cyclopes and are tasked with the job of escaping the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus. Given the intense circumstances they are under, it is Odysseus’ job, as a leader, to lead his men to escape. Being the shrewd character he is, Odysseus plots to sedate Polyphemus with wine. He
In the section “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave” from Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero through his character traits and behaviors. When Odysseus and his men attack the city of Ismarus, the Cicones’ strong hold, Odysseus made sure to fairly distribute the spoils among his men. Odysseus’s behavior shows that he is a great leader, a characteristic of a hero. While Odysseus and his crew are in the Cyclops’ cave, Polyphemus, the cyclops, notices them. Polyphemus asks who they are with a monstrous tone, “‘Strangers!'
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
When they get back to the boat and Odysseus yells out to the Cyclopes his name. Which means a harder journey for Odysseus and his men because Polyphemus is Poseidon's son. In this book Odysseus shows his pride when he yells from the boat and almist gets him and his men killed. In the movie Odysseus pride is most shown when he blames her situation solely on his men.
The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.
In the beginning of the book Odysseus is impulsive and arrogant. After Odysseus blinds and defeats the Cyclops, he cannot contain himself. Out of pure impulsiveness and the inability to be humble, Odysseus yells out to the Cyclops, “If any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you do so–say Odysseus,/raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,/Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 9.556-562). Odysseus is so impulsive he has to scream out his name to the gods and the Cyclops.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to
Just as Achilles is confronted in the Iliad with the problem of balancing his honor with his pride, Odysseus repeatedly faces situations in which self-restraint and humility must check bravado and glory-seeking. In his early adventures, he fails these tests, as when he taunts Polyphemus, inflaming Poseidon. As the epic progresses, Odysseus becomes increasingly capable of judging when it is wise to reveal himself and when it is appropriate to rejoice in his
Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can?
As a one-eyed, man-eating giant, disturbed by Odysseus and his crew in his cave, Polyphemus turns into a hostile and hungry Cyclops. The greedy men decided to linger and steal some of the food on the land of the Cyclops, but soon the inhabitant returns. At first, the Cyclops shows hospitality, but then gets destructive. Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, gets tricked by the great dissembler, and of course falls for it.