Only the Greek hero's wily plan allows escape. Already a member? So, when Odysseus stabbed the cyclops in the eye, Polyphemus couldn’t tell anyone who did it because “Nobody” did it. That way, as soon as they can leave his cave, they will board their ship with his ewes and cheese. “If anyone asks who got the better of you,” says Odysseus, “who shamed you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes, from Ithaca.” The Cyclops picks up another chunk of stone, hurls it at them, this time missing short, driving the ship farther out to sea and safety. Next, he gives the cyclops wine to get him drunk, and he tells the cyclops his name is “Nobody.” When the cyclops falls … As a Cyclops, he has one round eye in the middle of his forehead. Polyphemus called on Poseidon to avenge him and Odysseus, as a result, knew nothing but bad luck from that day. 20. As Polyphemus entered the cave, he led his flock of sheep inside and rolled a stone in front of the entrance of the cave to seal it shut. Odysseus and his crew will face a new and different challenge that will threaten their lives. Log in here. 2. 1. Polyphemus was a giant one-eyed Cyclops. What does this tell you about the rules of hospitality in the ancient Greek world? 2. What does it turn out is the Cyclops' own name? Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is "Nohbdy". When the Cyclops Polyphemus asks Odysseus where his ship is, Odysseus lies and says it was destroyed upon the rocks of the shore. and the hot blast singed his brow and eyelids round the core By telling the Cyclops his real name, Odysseus opened himself up to the curse Polyphemus places upon him as Poseidon is his father and they are at sea. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. What are the challenges that Odysseus had to face on his journey home? The cave’s inhabitant soon returns—it is the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Click to see full answer. by gouging out his eye. What is “nectar and ambrosia”? Odysseus says his name is, “Nobody,” Polyphemus eventually becomes extremely drunk and passes out. Many reasons point to the savagery of the Cyclopes: their unused land perfect for agriculture, the lack of an introduction and demanding names of the men, the lack of ships perfect for fishing the harbor, and finally the Cyclopes’ refusal of a gift from their stash of plentiful cheese and lambs. The blinded Polyphemus feels all over the cave for these men, but doesn’t find them; they’re still trapped inside. Polyphemus scoffs at this idea of hospitality, snatches up several of Odysseus’s men, smashes their heads on the rocks, rips them limb from limb, and eats them—not very hospitable. He and his men find an unattended cave, filled with cheese, milk, lambs, milking implements, everything in perfect order, a shepherd’s dwelling. Q: Why was it a mistake for Odysseus to tell the Cyclops his real name? Odysseus blinds the Cyclops in order to escape, and Poseidon, the Cyclops's father and god of the sea, makes it difficult for Odysseus to return home in his boat. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. He can’t let the act remain anonymous, and in his hubris, he pays a price for it. Odysseus uses the Cyclops drunken stupor to his advantage and takes the opportunity to push the olive wood spear into Polyphemus’ one eye. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/odysseus.html, What are 3 examples of times when Odysseus demonstrated epic hero/god like qualities in. Learn more about how memories of the Mycenaean era were preserved in oral stories of gods and heroes. The story of The Cyclops Cave was the first of many epic stories in The Odyssey. When the Cyclops Polyphemus asks Odysseus where his ship is, Odysseus lies and says it was destroyed upon the rocks of the shore. How or where do Odysseus' men injure the Cyclops? … Does Poseidon hear this prayer? From the lecture series: Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature. When the Cyclops is injured he yells to the other Cyclopses on the island to come help him. Odysseus smuggles the men out tied to the underbelly of the sheep. and his men later in this episode when the other Cyclopes come? Odysseus is already thinking ahead here. What is the Cyclops’ name? What does it turn out is the Cyclops' own name? This shows how cunning and brave Odysseus' character truly is. Therefore he blinds it, rendering it disabled but capable of letting them out. Odysseus, the hero from Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, does not kill the brutish cyclops, Polyphemus, because Odysseus and his men would be trapped in the cave. Focus on lines 185-190. The Cyclops - Study Questions 1. What name did Odysseus give Cyclops? What did Maron give Odysseus? He does this because he knows that Polyphemus will destroy his boat if he thinks it is sitting out there. Odysseus dared do nothing to the Cyclops, since only the Cyclops was strong enough to move the stone away from the mouth of the cave. How does this help Odysseus. Focus on lines 264-281. At the end of Book 9, Odysseus slaughters the Cyclops's sheep and leaves with his remaining men on their ships, and the ships are critical to the survival of the men who the Cyclops has not killed. 3. as a blacksmith plunges a glowing axe or adze Solitary, emotionless, brute, savage, dont farm, and have no laws. Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops when the giant kills his men? Polyphemus asks where they landed their ship, but because Odysseus knows that Polyphemus would just destroy the ship he lies and says they were shipwrecked by Poseidon. so the eye of the Cyclops sizzled round that stake! He takes twelve of his men to explore the vast lands, ending up at the cave of Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops. The Cyclops cries out in pain, and his friends—fellow Cyclopes—ask what’s bothering him. 2. Are you a teacher? I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home They do not plough or sow the earth, for everything there grows by itself: wheat, barley, grapes and what you will. Odysseus is hoping to receive from this inhabitant, whoever he might be, a guest gift, the proper token of hospitality. Odysseus told the cyclops … Correct answers: 2 question: What motivates odysseus to tell a lie to the cyclops? Underline the two gruesome Homeric similes—extended comparisons using like or as—in lines 59-65. While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a piece of wood into a stake and hardens it in the fire. Polyphemus scoffs at this idea of hospitality, snatches up several of Odysseus’s men, smashes their heads on the rocks, rips them limb from limb, and eats them—not very hospitable. Part of the reason that Odysseus lies to the Cyclops is that the holds of his ship are filled with provisions that his men took from the Cicones' holy city, including "generous store in jars" (line 183). Their home was Ithica, where Odysseus was the King. Explain. Read the metaphor in line 133. Their name is also spelled Cyclopes, and, as usual with Greek words, the letter K may be used in … As Odysseus and his crew are sailing back from Troy, they are swept to many lands. Analysis. In his wisdom, Odysseus realizes they’ll be forever locked in the cave if he simply kills the Cyclops. In The Odyssey, why does Odysseus tell Polyphemus that his name is Nobody? A little later, when Odysseus blinds the one-eyed Polyphemus, the cyclops calls out to his brothers, “Nobody has blinded me.”. He enters the cave with his flocks, closes the entrance of the cave with a huge stone so large, the poet tells us, that 22 wagons couldn’t budge it. odysseus is afraid the cyclops will steal their ship. The Cyclops ("round eyes") were strong, one-eyed giants in Greek mythology, who helped Zeus defeat the Titans and hindered Odysseus from getting home on time. Odysseus wants to protect his stores from the Cyclops. The inhabitant turns out to be a massive Cyclops; his name is Polyphemus, a son of the sea god Poseidon. But this demonstrated a lot of forethought and cleverness. Odysseus and his curiosity is what got them in the situation in the first place, but his intelligence is what got them out in no time. Why didn't Odysseus tell Cyclops his name as soon as he asked? What does Odysseus think of the way the cyclops Polyphemus lives in The Odyssey? This Greek value is called As Odysseus and his men traveled throughout the island, they came upon a cave. Back on his ship, making his way to safety, Odysseus can’t help calling out to the Cyclops. 1. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. This time Odysseus spoke up, and offered the Cyclops some strong wine he had brought with him. So we seized our stake with its fiery tip Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. The Cyclops in Homer's classic poem, ''The Odyssey'' plays a vital role in launching the famous tale of the ancient king, Odysseus, struggling to return home. Instead, Odysseus hatches a plan. Of course, the Cyclops replies that “nobody” is bothering or killing it. He then tells his first useful lie, Odysseus telling the Cyclops that their ship is nowhere to be found, it was destroyed on the rocks. Q: Why does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his name is Nobody? He was the son of Greek god Poseidon, god of the sea. odysseus knows that poseidon is the cyclops’ father. One of them, Polyphemus, traps Odysseus and a scouting party in his cave. He wants to know who’s there in the land of the Cyclopes. 23. This passage describes the first meeting of Odysseus and his men with the one-eyed giant Polyphemus. Readers should not confuse Odysseus' pride in identifying himself to the Phaeacian hosts with vanity. as a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright’s drill Why does this turn out to be clever and humorous? One of those encounters is with a giant cyclops named Polyphemus. In addition, Odysseus wants to be able to escape from the Cyclops's lair. What does Odysseus shout to Cyclops which makes the Cyclops tell of the prophecy now fulfilled? The final trick for Odysseus is the escape from the cave. But Odysseus has given the Cyclops enough information to call down upon him and his men a curse; that is exactly what he does. Odysseus told the cyclops that his name was "Nobody". Odysseus engages Polyphemus in a conversation hoping to secure hospitality but this idea is rejected. 4. He continued to tell the cyclops that they were travelers, watched over by Zeus, and he must show them hospitality or face the consequences. Odysseus arrives at an expansive island which is home to the Cyclops. 4.5/5 (831 Views . What does Odysseus plan to do to the Cyclops? Odysseus is a hero because he managed to avenge the men that the Cyclops killed as well as being able to lead a team on the path that led them to their goals. © The Teaching Company, LLC. What "favor" does the Cyclops grant Odysseus after being served the wine? One of the lands is an island inhabited by cyclops people. The Cyclops then fell fast asleep in a drunken sleep. What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his (Odysseus') name is? Look at what Odysseus does with the stolen sheep (Cyclops) He divides them equally upon his crewmen, and offered the long thighbones of his ram to Zeus. and its temper hardens—that’s the iron’s strength— He yells once, taunting him, and the Cyclops hurls a huge chunk of a mountain out at the ship. odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape. Polyphemus and Odysseus began talking, and Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is. and the broiling eyeball burst—its crackling roots blazed and hissed— For what is Odysseus sad in the end? Polyphemus quickly noticed Odysseus and his men had made themselves at home in the … No more.” But against his crew’s advice, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops again, now telling who it was that got the better of him: “If anyone asks who got the better of you,” says Odysseus, “who shamed you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes, from Ithaca.”. Why didn't Odysseus tell Cyclops his name as soon as he asked? Polyphemus arrives back home to his cave and brings his sheep in and rolls a huge boulder to cover the entrance to the cave. Polyphemus, as soon as he notices Odysseus and his men, asks who they are; bad manners. Odysseus told the cyclops that his name was "Nobody". Another Homeric hero might have gone ahead and killed the Cyclops, entombing them all within the cave; another might have failed to consider the other Cyclopes coming to his aid. Cyclops respect Zeus, as Odysseus does? For good measure, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is Nobody. 49. Polyphemus, who had never drunk wine before, drank his fill and became very drunk. Odysseus told him his name was “No man”. Odysseus barely gets them back to sea. This is our first suspicion that there’s something uncivilized about these Cyclopes. Read lines 238-243. Odysseus lies and tells Polyphemus (the cyclops) that his boat was shipwrecked off the coast of his island. Why does Odysseus tell a lie to Polyphemus in the Odyssey? A vivid passage: We feel we’re there with them. 1. Instead, Odysseus hatches a plan. Since Odysseus—Nobody—gave him the wine, he’ll eat Nobody last as the guest gift. Another trait that made Odysseus an epic hero was his courage and strength. Odysseus said that his name was Nobody, for he did not want to give the cyclops his true name. He does this because he knows that Polyphemus will destroy his boat if he thinks it … Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Focus on lines 264-281. Odysseus told the cyclops … All rights reserved. Why does Odysseus lie to the Cyclops about his ship? When Odysseus blinded Polyphemus and stole many of his sheep, the Cyclops prayed to Poseidon (his father and god of the sea) to keep Odysseus from ever returning home or at least to make his journey long, perilous, and hard, and that he would return home by himself, . Watch it now, on The Great Courses. Odysseus tells him they’re on their way home from Troy—no names—and reminds Polyphemus about proper hospitality: We’re travelers; don’t you owe us a gift? Hospitality to strangers was extremely important to the ancient Greeks. A little later, when Odysseus blinds the one-eyed Polyphemus, the cyclops calls out to his brothers, “Nobody has blinded me.”. 45. How or where do Odysseus' men injure the Cyclops? What words does Odysseus use to describe the Cyclops? eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Of course, the Cyclops replies that “nobody” is bothering or killing it. When they arrive, the reader learns the Cyclops' name is Polyphemus. When the Cyclops Polyphemus asks Odysseus where his ship is, Odysseus lies and says it was destroyed upon the rocks of the shore. The men advise Odysseus to snatch some of the food and hurry off, but, to his and his crew’s detriment, he decides to linger. Finally Odysseus manages to escape but without some of his men who were eaten by Polyphemus. and bored it, round and round in the giant’s eye Odysseus lies and tells Polyphemus (the cyclops) that his boat was shipwrecked off the coast of his island. Why does Odysseus want to visit Polyphemus? It is so powerful, it is meant to be mixed with water: 20 parts water to one part wine. ‘Cyclops – if any man on the face of the earth should ask who blinded you, shamed you so – say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye…’ It was a fatal lapse. Thus, in this final taunting of the Cyclops, we see that Odysseus is unable to distance himself completely from the values dear to the Iliadic heroes; he feels the need to identify himself to the Cyclops, so others will know of his skill and cunning. Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is Nobody as he knows that when he attacks, the Cyclops will cry out and be asked by other Cyclopes if it needs help. As the Cyclops is passing out drunk, he promises a guest gift in return for the wine. Only now does Odysseus introduce himself by name, telling the Cyclops that his name is Nobody. Cyclops only had one eye and would eat humans at any given opportunity. Making it impossible for Odysseus to be injured or killed, or for anyone to seek revenge. Odysseus is getting ready to shout at the Cyclops again, and his men say, “Please, stop! raider of cities. 2. Why does Odysseus offer the Cyclops some wine? He asks his father Poseidon to destroy Odysseus and his ships, or at least make sure that Odysseus, if he makes it home, gets there all alone and finds trouble awaiting him there. They take the cheese, they fill up, and against the advice of his men, Odysseus has them wait: wait for the return of the inhabitant. Sign up now, Latest answer posted January 21, 2021 at 11:02:00 AM, Latest answer posted October 11, 2015 at 5:18:33 PM, Latest answer posted April 11, 2008 at 12:55:43 AM, Latest answer posted June 19, 2019 at 12:49:42 AM, Latest answer posted September 19, 2008 at 11:09:41 AM. Odysseus insists on crossing over and visiting the inhabitants, whose fires he can see. Thanking Odyssesus, Polyphemus asked him his name. the Cyclops? 2. What does the Cyclops do after drinking the wine? Odysseus and his men in the cave, the Cyclops became enraged, grabbed two of the men, smashed their heads against the rocks, ate them, and fell asleep. He and his men cling to the undersides of the sheep and rams; as Polyphemus sends them out to pasture, he feels over the top and misses them on the underside. The next stop is the land of the Cyclops, lawless one-eyed giants. 19. Odysseus comes up with one more clever scheme to get them out. Because of the Greek belief that guests are protected by the gods and had to be treated with great courtesy, Odysseus warns the Cyclops that “Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest.” (In other words, Zeus will be on Odysseus's side.) Odysseus and his men set sail for home immediately. But Polyphemus, uncivilized as he is, drinks it down unmixed, quickly gets drunk, asking for more. Relax. In lines 109-120 how does Odysseus describe the race of Cyclopes? But the problem is obvious: That would leave them trapped in the cave. Finally, after 10 long years of war, the Trojan War ended. Feral, messy, and unkempt 3. odysseus does not want to reveal their only means of escape. What does the Cyclops ask Poseidon to do to Odysseus? Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is Nobody as he knows that when he attacks, the Cyclops will cry out and be asked by other Cyclopes if it needs help. While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a piece of wood into a stake and hardens it in the fire. This helps because when the cyclops is screaming he does not know their names so the gods will not get mad at them. What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is in line 315? When the other one-eyed giants ask who has hurt … Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is Nobody as he knows that when he attacks, the Cyclops will cry out and be asked by other Cyclopes if it needs help. 17. What story does Odysseus tell the phaeacians? Two unique events occur in Book 11 of the Odyssey as Odysseus tells the Phaeacians about his visit to Hades: first, Odysseus includes a story known as the “catalogue of women” that seems to have nothing to do with himself and his own adventures or with anybody else in the Odyssey; second, there is an interruption. 46. Listen to me tell you the story of The Cyclops to the best of my abilities. This is a tight spot, and only through considerable trickery does Odysseus get most of his men out. The cyclops Polyphemus traps Odysseus and his men in a cave, behind an enormous rock. Who does Odysseus encounter in the Land Of The Dead in Homer's. The next evening, as the Cyclops eats several more men, Odysseus offers him some of the powerful wine he’s brought with him, a gift for the Cyclops, in the true spirit of xenia. The cyclops laughed and said, ‘I do not fear the gods; they fear me.’ While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a … This is a transcript from the video series Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature. Spitting up gobbets of human flesh along with the wine, the Cyclops falls asleep, and Odysseus and his men go to work, driving the stake into Polyphemus’s eye. The Cyclops in Homer's classic poem, ''The Odyssey'' plays a vital role in launching the famous tale of the ancient king, Odysseus, struggling to return home. Read lines 238-243. 48. Focus on lines 185-190. What does the Cyclops do after drinking the wine? A land inhabited by the Cyclopes, huge and fearsome giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead. What does Odysseus do with the sharpened stake made from the olive tree? How many of Odysseus’s original twelve men survived the adventure of the Cyclops? Next, he gives the cyclops wine to get him drunk, and he tells the cyclops his name is “Nobody.” When the cyclops falls asleep, Odysseus blinds him with the hardened stake. that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl He misses, throwing it beyond the ship and driving it back to the shore. Why does this turn out to be clever and humorous?
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