Polyphemus the Cyclop

Polyphemus the Cyclop

Vocabulary:

Boughs: tree branches
Achaeans: (ah kee uns) Greeks
Ewe: (uu) female sheep
Bleating: Baaa-baaa; the sound a sheep makes
Hewn: to shape an object, usually of wood, with a knife.
Ambrosia: drink of the gods
Smithy: a blacksmith’s workshop
Adz: a tool with a long curving blade
Sage: wise or a wise person
Rosy fingers of Dawn: personification
Death sat there large: metaphor
Kinky: short, tightly curled hair or wool
Pectoral: chest
Carrion: road kill; dead animal body
Rogue: an unscrupulous person, an untrustworthy fellow; George Bush is a rogue.
Adversary: enemy; an opponent
Lob: to throw a heavy object like a rock or a grenade
Stern: the back of a boat
Girdle: to encircle

What was one of the most important things to the Greeks? The ties between the guests and the hosts.
Polyphemus: son of Poseidon.

According to the critic Erwin F. Cook, THE ODYSSEY portrays a series of contrasts between metis (cunning intelligence), and bie or bia (violent might). Odysseus demonstrates metis throughout his adventures, as does his patron, Athena. Poseidon and other figures who oppose Odysseus represent bie. Cook argues that in THE ODYSSEY and in other works, Poseidon and Athena are opposed to each other. They represent the "Greek polarization of nature and culture". Poseidon represents the brute force of nature and Athena represents the ingenuity which renders that power useful or protects us from it.

Symbols: The olive pole, which was used as a weapon by Odysseus against Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, is a symbol associated with the goddess Athena. According to Greek myth, Athena and Poseidon once competed for sovereignty over Attica, the region in which Athens is located, by offering gifts. Poseidon produced water in the barren Acropolis; Athena produced an olive tree. The Olympian gods who judged the competition, decided that Athena's olive tree was a better offering than Poseidon's water and declared her the winner. The contemporary audiences of THE ODYSSEY would be very familiar with this myth and would have recognized the use of the olive pole as another triumph of Athena over Poseidon, the triumph of the intellect over brute force.

Page 660; Polyphemus the Cyclops

This is in “media res” which means that we start the story in the middle. Remember that Odysseus is sitting in the court of Alcinous telling the story of what happened during the last ten years.  This part of the story is in flashback!

Remember the ties between the host and guests are sacred. Who violated these ties in The Cyclops?

What did Odysseus and the men do when they found themselves in the Cyclop’s cave?

What did the Cyclops do when he came into the cave?

Did the Cyclops know that Odysseus and his men were there?

What did he do when he first saw them?

What did Odysseus say that offended the Cyclops?

The Cyclops took it as a rebuke (scolding) or that Odysseus was scolding him.

What is the Cyclop's attitude about the gods?

What clever lie did Odysseus tell the Cyclops and why did he tell it?

What did the Cyclops do next?

The men were described as two small puppies struggling in the hands of the Cyclops.  “Like squirming puppies....” This is an example of a simile.

“When the young Dawn with fingertips of rose lit up the world....” This is an example of personification for Dawn or sunrise does not have fingertips.

The Cyclops ate two more men for breakfast ;-(

Cap a quiver - the cap or top of a case of arrows.  To cap a quiver means to put the cap or top back on the case of arrows.

The Cyclops put a huge boulder in the door of the cave like an ordinary person would put a cap back on a quiver of arrows so that the men couldn’t escape.

Then men, under Odysseus’ direction, find an olive tree which has already had its branches cut off by the Cyclops.  It looks like a huge mast on a ship.  They sharpen one end of it so that it is very sharp. What do you think they are going to do with that sharp stake?

When the Cyclops comes back, he eats two more men. Odysseus offers him some wine which the Cyclops likes. He likes it soooo much he gets drunk!

Reeling: to stumble around

Seer: to burn on the surface.

The Cyclops:

Please answer in complete sentences:

After the Cyclops eats some of Odysseus’ men, what plan does Odysseus hit upon to escape?

What clever trick did Odysseus use to deceive the Cyclops?

Describe the effect Odysseus’ plan had on the Cyclops.

How did Odysseus and his men escape from the cave?

What foolish thing did Odysseus do after he and the men got on board the boat?

What is the weird?  What was the prediction the ancient wizard foretold about the Cyclops’ fate? Why is it ironic?

How did the Cyclops curse Odysseus?  What effect is it going to have on the rest of the story?