While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a … The Cyclops then fell fast asleep in a drunken sleep. 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. I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home ‘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. Analysis. Listen to me tell you the story of The Cyclops to the best of my abilities. What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his (Odysseus') name is? But Polyphemus, uncivilized as he is, drinks it down unmixed, quickly gets drunk, asking for more. Watch it now, on The Great Courses. The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales, how Odysseus’s story into a metaphor for the human experience, how memories of the Mycenaean era were preserved in oral stories of gods and heroes, James Joyce’s Ulysses: Remixing The Homeric Myth. Relax. Focus on lines 185-190. What does Odysseus think of the way the cyclops Polyphemus lives in The Odyssey? 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, . 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. After eating, drinking, and resting, Odysseus and his men fell asleep in the cave, only to be awoken by a giant cyclops named Polyphemus. Underline the two gruesome Homeric similes—extended comparisons using like or as—in lines 59-65. Focus on lines 264-281. 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. When the Cyclops Polyphemus asks Odysseus where his ship is, Odysseus lies and says it was destroyed upon the rocks of the shore. Read the metaphor in line 133. as a blacksmith plunges a glowing axe or adze odysseus does not … All rights reserved. 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. Why does this turn out to be clever and humorous? A little later, when Odysseus blinds the one-eyed Polyphemus, the cyclops calls out to his brothers, “Nobody has blinded me.”. He does this because he knows that Polyphemus will destroy his boat if he thinks it … In respect to this, what name did Odysseus give the Cyclops? 45. that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is "Nohbdy". Instead, Odysseus hatches a plan. Q: Why was it a mistake for Odysseus to tell the Cyclops his real name? A land inhabited by the Cyclopes, huge and fearsome giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead. Odysseus uses the Cyclops drunken stupor to his advantage and takes the opportunity to push the olive wood spear into Polyphemus’ one eye. This passage describes the first meeting of Odysseus and his men with the one-eyed giant Polyphemus. © The Teaching Company, LLC. They do not plough or sow the earth, for everything there grows by itself: wheat, barley, grapes and what you will. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. What story does Odysseus tell the phaeacians? The cave’s inhabitant soon returns—it is the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. From the lecture series: Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature. This is a tight spot, and only through considerable trickery does Odysseus get most of his men out. Coming ashore at an island close to the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus notes that it would be a good land for agriculture, a good harbor for ships, and a place with plenty for hunting; but the Cyclopes have no ships and can’t take advantage of all this. 17. Read lines 238-243. 47. Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. The next stop is the land of the Cyclops, lawless one-eyed giants. But the problem is obvious: That would leave them trapped in the cave. The cyclops laughed and said, ‘I do not fear the gods; they fear me.’ Goatskin full of sweet liquor, twelve two-handled jars of brandy, seven shining golden talents, a solid silver wine bowl, seven golden talons. raider of cities. What name did Odysseus give Cyclops? 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. Explain. Focus on lines 185-190. Polyphemus arrives back home to his cave and brings his sheep in and rolls a huge boulder to cover the entrance to the cave. What does Odysseus shout to Cyclops which makes the Cyclops tell of the prophecy now fulfilled? He can’t let the act remain anonymous, and in his hubris, he pays a price for it. What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is in line 315? Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Polyphemus was a giant one-eyed Cyclops. Since Odysseus—Nobody—gave him the wine, he’ll eat Nobody last as the guest gift. Polyphemus quickly noticed Odysseus and his men had made themselves at home in the … 1. So sit back! 18. When they arrive, the reader learns the Cyclops' name is Polyphemus. 19. What is the Cyclops’ name? What does Odysseus plan to do to the Cyclops? What does this tell you about the rules of hospitality in the ancient Greek world? Why does Odysseus lie to the Cyclops about his ship? How many of Odysseus’s original twelve men survived the adventure of the Cyclops? What does the Cyclops do after drinking the wine? Why does Odysseus tell a lie to Polyphemus in the Odyssey? One of those encounters is with a giant cyclops named Polyphemus. 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. Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops when the giant kills his men? What "favor" does the Cyclops grant Odysseus after being served the wine? 1. so the eye of the Cyclops sizzled round that stake! Why didn't Odysseus tell Cyclops his name as soon as he asked? He does this because he knows that Polyphemus will destroy his boat if he thinks it is sitting out there. But this demonstrated a lot of forethought and cleverness. 2. 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. Odysseus wants to protect his stores from the Cyclops. and the drill keeps drifting faster, never stopping— Odysseus has shown tremendous resourcefulness, and not a little restraint, in getting free. Odysseus told the cyclops that his name was "Nobody". 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. and bored it, round and round in the giant’s eye 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. “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. Odysseus and his crew will face a new and different challenge that will threaten their lives. One of them, Polyphemus, traps Odysseus and a scouting party in his cave. Here is how Odysseus tells the story to the Phaeacians: Hoisting high that olive stake with its stabbing point, 1. Polyphemus and Odysseus began talking, and Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is. 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.”. This passage describes the first meeting of Odysseus and his men with the one-eyed giant Polyphemus. What does Odysseus do with the sharpened stake made from the olive tree? 4. 2. He and his men find an unattended cave, filled with cheese, milk, lambs, milking implements, everything in perfect order, a shepherd’s dwelling. Odysseus and the crew will return to the Cyclops island to avenge the death of the men that the Cyclops ate by in turn eating the cyclops Odysseus and his crew will return home safely and quickly. Odysseus comes up with one more clever scheme to get them out. The blinded Polyphemus feels all over the cave for these men, but doesn’t find them; they’re still trapped inside. The story of The Cyclops Cave was the first of many epic stories in The Odyssey.