Aim
How do Odysseus’ actions in “The Cyclops” support or refute his epic character?
Do Now (Whole Class Discussion)
As previously discussed, the term, “Xenia” is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, the generosity, and courtesy shown to those who are far from home and/or associates of the person bestowing guest-friendship. The rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest hosts.
Therefore, based on your understanding of the term, how important do you believe this attribute or behavior is to exemplify? Why?
Our lesson began with a class discussion on the term “Xenia” and how important we believe the attribute or behavior is to exemplify. Many of my classmates shared their thoughts on this question such as Oscar who said that it was important because the Greeks may be fearful of the gods and were afraid that they would be punished for not showing Xenia to guests. Ms. Peterson then brought up another question which was “Do you think it is important today to show hospitality?” To this question, Lapyan shared out that he believes turning away people from your home or in other words not allowing someone into your home is a lot more normalized today than it was in the past. This is because you never know what will happen if you allow a stranger into your home as you do not know anything about them or what they will do. Kenneth then added on by saying that nowadays there are places such as shelters where people can go to receive hospitality and that it is not necessary to go up to random houses to receive hospitality. This discussion concluded with the fact that many people still show hospitality today just not to strangers or people that we do not know. Today, hospitality is shown in many different ways such as inviting people over to our homes or being invited to other people’s homes, and in most cases when you go to someone else’s home they show you nothing but hospitality by asking things like “Would you like a drink?” or “Would you like something to eat?”
Reflect on the heroes you have encountered throughout your life, in various forms: literature, movies, or TV. Identify any weaknesses the hero(es) may have, and explain how it impairs their ability.
The class began another discussion, this time about heroes and the weaknesses they may have that can impair their ability. One hero that was brought up in the discussion was Superman and his weakness when encountering kryptonite, which makes him more vulnerable to getting harmed. Another weakness that was brought up in the discussion was that having different ideologies and perspectives may lead to conflicts between a group of people. This weakness was seen in the movie Avengers: Civil War when the many heroes fought against each other instead of helping each other solve other problems. Therefore, having different morals and views may lead to clashes between people which makes it quite difficult to work together and shows many weaknesses.
Vocabulary
- Epic similes in the Odyssey that give Homer’s narrative depth and force
- Elaborate comparisons, consisting of many lines, between two different objects, using “like”, “as”, “so”, or “just so”.
- A comparison made between something unfamiliar or strange to the audience and something that is more familiar to them
- Used to redirect the reader’s attention in unexpected, humorous, gruesome, or heroic ways
- Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen.
- Usually considered to be ominous, warning signs, or signs of bad things to come.
- Can take many forms and be accomplished in many ways
- Greek term meaning excessive pride or over-confidence
- Can cause the character to disregard reality or offend the gods, often leading to their downfall
- A character flaw often seen in the heroes of classical Greek tragedies
- Committing hubris was very much looked down upon in Ancient Greece
Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)
- A trait in a character that often leads to their downfall
- In Greek mythology, the trait of Hubris is often used
The Cyclops
After we discussed the new vocabulary we read together “The Cyclops”. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to have a group discussion but I have provided my own thoughts and answers to the questions.
1. Based on your understanding of foreshadowing, review lines 153-156. How is foreshadowing used, and what exactly is being foreshadowed?
In lines 153-156 the words “for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon us soon” foreshadows that Polyphemus will soon come back and bring harm to Odysseus and his men. Lines 153-156 also mention the wine that Odysseus made Polyphemus drink later on in the story. In these lines, foreshadowing is used to help create suspense in the story.
2. What heroic qualities does Odysseus display thus far?
(Heroic Qualities: Intelligence/Resourcefulness, Strength, Bravery and loyalty, Weakness)
What does the fact that he doesn’t want to attack the Cyclops reveal about his character?
Odysseus displays many intelligence qualities and resourcefulness qualities which can be seen throughout the story. One example of this is seen in lines 371-387 when Odysseus thought of a tactic to escape the cave. He used the sheep to escape the cave by slinging each of his men under each sheep and waited until morning to leave the cave. This is a very intelligent tactic and a very resourceful one as well. The fact that Odysseus doesn’t want to attack the Cyclops also reveals that he is very intelligent. If Odysseus and his men attacked the Cyclops and ended up killing him they would have no way to escape as Odysseus and his men would never be able to move the doorway slab. Odysseus realizes that the Cyclops is the only one who could help them escape so he chooses to blind him but not kill him.
3. Refer to lines 232-243. How does Homer use figurative language to create imagery? (identify examples and explain their effect)
In lines 232-243, Homer uses figurative language to create imagery by using specific diction and Homeric similes. An example of this is seen in line 247 where it states “gaping and crunching like a mountain lion.” This makes the reader visualize a very gruesome sight where the Cyclops is eating the men. Another example is seen throughout these lines where specific words and phrases such as “splattering” and “squirming puppies to beat their brains out” are used to also help visualize the horrifying scene.
4. How should we judge the heroic qualities of Odysseus based on his actions with the Cyclops?
Based on Odysseus’s actions with the Cyclops it can be seen that Odysseus is a very intelligent and resourceful person as he did end up escaping the cave with his men. However, it was Odysseus who brought them upon this situation after all since he wanted to see the Cyclops. In lines 171-174 it states “Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer--no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends.” This shows that while he is quite an intelligent and resourceful person it was because of him his men got eaten in the cave.
5. Contrast Polyphemus’ values and the values of Odysseus (hospitality [xenia], respect for the gods, protections for his men).
Can you identify any qualities/characteristics that both Odysseus and Polyphemus share?
If Odysseus represents civilization, and Polyphemus represents nature, what do you think Homer is saying about the relation of man to nature?
i. Can you see potential dangers (that are becoming increasingly evident, especially in the modern era) in this position taken by Homer?
Polyphemus and Odysseus have completely different views when it comes to things such as hospitality and respect for the gods. In the story, it is seen that Polyphemus doesn’t really care for something like xenia nor does he respect the gods. In lines 218-225, it states “We Cyclopes care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus or all the gods in bliss” Odysseus on the other hand, highly values xenia and the gods. Odysseus went into the cave and expected to receive xenia as that is what he values and is used to. He also values the gods as seen in lines 214-216 where he says “We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest.”
One quality that both Odysseus and Polyphemus share is their arrogance. Both men are very arrogant as Polyphemus boasts how he isn’t afraid of the gods and then savagely eats the men. Odysseus is also very arrogant as he believed he would be able to defeat the Cyclops and escape. If Odysseus represents civilization and Polyphemus represents nature, I believe Homer is saying that nature is stronger than civilization as you cannot control what nature does. But civilization is a lot smarter than nature which is why ultimately Odysseus was able to escape the cave without getting eaten by Polyphemus.
In this position taken by Homer, there are many potential dangers that can be mentioned. One potential danger is the environment of the world, day by day the quality of the world decreases due to things such as global warming and air pollution. Both of these issues are the effects of civilization as civilization overpowers nature.
6. As previously discussed, the story is told through flashbacks (Odysseus is revealing the past events of his journey), therefore, how has Polyphemus’ curse impacted the course of Odysseus’ future.
Polyphemus’s curse impacted the course of Odysseus’s future as he made it more difficult for Odysseus to return home. As seen in lines 484-493 Polyphemus curses Odysseus by praying to his father Poseidon by saying “and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home” Poseidon heard his prayers and made Odysseus’s journey home much more difficult.
Reflection
What did I learn?
Why did I learn it?
How will I use what I learned?
In this lesson, I learned about Homeric Similes, Foreshadowing, Hubris, Tragic Flaw, Odysseus, and Polyphemus. I learned many new vocabulary terms, some that I already knew from past knowledge and some that were very new to me. These terms such as Hubris helped me gain a deeper understanding of the story, especially with Odysseus and Polyphemus since they both are very arrogant characters. I also learned about Homeric Similes which are used in the Odyssey to redirect the reader’s attention in different ways like unexpected ways, humorous ways, gruesome ways, or heroic ways. Through the reading of the Cyclops, I gained a better understanding of Odysseus’s character and Polyphemus’s character. Two characters who have different values yet also share similar traits. Odysseus is a character that is highly intelligent and resourceful but his hubris led to a situation where he lost a few of his men. Polyphemus is a character that let his hubris get the best of him and he ended up getting blinded in the eye by Odysseus and his men. After gaining a better understanding of the characters and the story I realized that the situation between Odysseus and Polyphemus can be applied to our modern situations. Thinking back to Question 5 if Odysseus represented civilization and Polyphemus represented nature said that “I Homer is saying that nature is stronger than civilization but since civilization is a lot smarter than nature ultimately, Odysseus was able to escape the cave without getting eaten by Polyphemus.” This can be applied to our modern world situations since as the days go by the environment of the world decreases in quality due to things such as global warming and air pollution. Both of these issues are the effects of civilization as civilization overpowers nature which relates to Odysseus overpowering Polyphemus and escaping. To sum it up, Odysseus and Polyphemus can be related to our modern situations as I believe that Homer is trying to say how nature is stronger than civilization but civilization is smarter than nature.
Resources
Odysseus and the Cyclops Part I [4:51]
Odysseus and the Cyclops Part II [5:13]
A odisseia - Cíclope ( The odyssey - cyclops ) [8:41]
Athena: The Goddess of Wisdom - The Olympians - Greek Mythology - See U in History: Watch (2:38)
The Odyssey by Homer | Book 8 Summary and Analysis [2:04]
The Odyssey by Homer | Book 9 Summary and Analysis [3:06]
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