The Role Of Cyclops In Homer's Odyssey

1. Odysseus lies to the Cyclops to protect his boat and possessions, which causes the Cyclops to retaliate and thrash two men into pieces. Odysseus and his crew find themselves trapped in a cave with a stone blocking the entrance that was too heavy to move by themselves. Odysseus hatches a plan to lure the Cyclops in and intoxicate him. He drinks willingly after devouring two more men and demands more wine in which he is actually feeding into Odysseus’s plan. After declaring his name as Noman, Odysseus seizes the opportunity of the drunken state of the Cyclops and together with his crew, drives “the fiery-pointed stake in the Cyclops eye”(393) reveals Norton Anthology. The Cyclops removes the stone to protect his flock, but in turn, releases

Odysseus and his men who are hidden within the sheep.
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Athena describes Odysseus according to Norton Anthology as “Odysseus’ people remember him, a godly king as kind as a father”(344). Although it can be inferred that Athena had ulterior motives for the release of Odysseus, he is still defined as a patient man who should be given the chance to return home, along with his crew. The poem further explains that once he reaches Scheria, he shall be laden with riches and treated like a god.

3. Odysseus commands Eurylochus to accompany him to Circe’s house to rescue his men, but this time, he listens to pleas from his crew member to leave him behind. Odysseus, bravely heads out to the house and is approached by Hermes who blesses him with an herb to protect him from falling under the spell. Odysseus returned to his ship with his rescued crew and was welcomed greatly by his men. “With you back, Zeus-born”(407) reveals Norton

Anthology.

1. Odysseus declares his real name to the Cyclops once they have set sailed and in turn puts himself and his crew in danger. The crew beg him to stop but Odysseus continues to antagonize the Cyclops. The Cyclops rages and throws a rock toward the ship which pushes them toward the shoreline. The men row themselves back out to a distance and Odysseus defies the pleas of his crew and once again berates the monster. According to Norton Anthology, his crew cry out “Don’t do it man!...he’ll heave half a cliff at us and crush the ship and our skulls…you know he has the rage”(395). It can be inferred from these actions that Odysseus leadership is questionable at this moment.
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After leaving Aeolia with the means to be directed home by way of the contents of the ox-hide bag, Odysseus’ crew thought that he was hiding treasures of gold and silver and was unwilling to share. They saw him as greedy and one that would be taking all the glory for himself even though the crew had worked as one on their long journey. With the comfort of land in sight, Odysseus lowers his guard slightly and falls victim to sleep deprivation. The crew seize this opportunity to investigate the bag which in turn causes them to be blown off course and back to Aeolia. The crew and Odysseus are mortified and are left with doubts “to go over the side and end it all at sea or endure in silence and remain among the living”(398) says Norton

Anthology.
3. While resting at the unknown island where they were blessed with the nourishment of a stag, Odysseus formed two teams and against their better judgement, sent them in search of the rising smoke. Norton Anthology explains that the men left “in tears, leaving us behind in no better mood”(402). Odysseus ignored the wails of his crew and did not know that they would be tricked, drugged, and turned into swine at Circe’s house.
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Homer – Great epic poet and author of The Iliad and The Odyssey. He is believed to have been a blind man whose work is important to Greek culture and is best known as an aural poet due to Greek illiteracy of the time. His works center on the Trojan War and its successional events in which he spares no detail in describing heroicness in all its glory, to the blood and violence that were endured during its time. His poems “make use of folk memories of a real conflict…between the Mycenaean Greeks and inhabitants…in Asia Minor” says Norton Anthology.

Epic (poem) – The Odyssey and the Iliad are the “Earliest work of Greek literature” says Norton Anthology…which portray descriptive culture and social happenings of the time to include intense actions of peace and violence. The word epic was taken from the Greek word meaning story but the poems were mainly about the heroes of the time, hence the word epic as we know it today. The lengthy poems displayed tradition of the Greeks and the many events that occurred during the equally lengthy war. They were performed, viewed as murals, seen on ceramics, viewed as text, learned, and re-enacted by the Greek and Roman population. The hexameter form encompasses ideal rhythmic phrases complete with musical accompaniment which last in excess of twenty hours a piece. For this reason, it is suspected that scribes were used after the development of the Greek alphabet to record the epic poems that are reflective of the war and are historical today.

In medias res – Literal meaning; In the middle of things without an introduction. Both the Iliad and the Odyssey begin after the war has started. The Iliad commences a decade later, and the Odyssey is told from the end of the journey and doubles back through flashbacks of characters and events. This could primarily be because the Trojans began fighting openly after the withdrawal of Achilles. The plot, setting, and roles of characters essentially evolve after the story has begun, or are developed by the reader’s own interpretations of what had likely happened up to that point.

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Odysseus is enticed by Calypso to remain with her, but he remains true to his love for his wife Penelope. Calypso warns him of the terror that awaits him while he attempts to make his way home and professes that she is more beautiful than Penelope. Odysseus is considerate to her status and replies that immortal beauty cannot be compared to his mortal love that he has for his wife. Norton Anthology explains Odysseus’ wording as “for all her virtues [Penelope] would pale beside you. She’s only human and you are a goddess”(349). In essence, Odysseus is turning down immortality and eternal life for the love of his own wife. When he speaks to his deceased mother, he is concerned that Penelope has been married off to someone else since there has been no correspondence to her that he is still alive. This shows his love for Penelope and his will to return home no matter what his fate may be.
Agamemnon advises Odysseus not to tell his wife everything and that she is extremely wise so his return should not be announced. He further advises that women in general should not be trusted and Odysseus replies that he should not “speak words empty as wind”(421) says Norton Anthology. Odysseus leaves the influences of past heroes for fear that “Persephone would send from Hades’ depths the pale head of that monster, the Gorgon”(425).
Odysseus was not aware during his absence that Penelope never doubted that he was still alive. She created a plan to fight off the men who thought they would be married to her. Norton Anthology explains this as “they want me to marry again at once, and I have to invent stratagems in order to deceive them”(.This plan involved the creating of a tapestry that was secretly undone at night. The purpose of this plan was that she would wed a man when the tapestry was finished, so she planned for it to not be completed until her husband came home. Unfortunately, one of the servants exposed her secret, and it was thought that she would have no choice but to wed.
Following this incident, an unknown man disguised as a beggar enters the palace and Penelope is drawn to him, but unaware that this is Odysseus. It seems that Odysseus takes Agamemnon’s advice of the wisdom of Penelope and strategizes a plan for his beloved wife to fall in love with him all over again before his revealing his mask. He also combines this plan to rid Penelope’s suitors and take back what is rightfully his. Some of the long term servants of the palace recognize Odysseus, such as the revealing of the scar during the foot washing and they are sworn to secrecy so he can fulfill his mission. Norton Anthology explains his thoughts as “The scar! It flashed through his mind that his old nurse would notice his scar…and everything would be revealed”(520).
Odysseus was aware of the plan for the suitors to kill Telemachus and willfully accepted the challenge Penelope had set for the suitors. This involved Odysseus’ bow and she would wed the man who would have the strength to string it. Odysseus traps the suitors within the gates and is the only man who shoots the arrow from the bow. Norton Anthology says that Odysseus asks for “Apollo [to] grant me glory” and continues with “You dogs! You thought I would never come home from Troy. So you wasted my house…and courted my wife…without any fear of the gods in high heaven…now the net has been drawn tight around you”(547). Odysseus reaches for his bow and slaughters the suitors. It is now that he can present himself to his beloved wife as Odysseus, husband of Penelope.