Aim: How do Odysseus’ actions in “The Cyclops” support or refute his epic character?
Do Now:
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 and host.
Therefore, based on your understanding of the term, how important do you believe this attribute or behavior is to exemplify? Why?
Our class discussed that back then, people believed that strangers visiting might be gods in disguise, so it was really important to exemplify the behavior of xenia to avoid angerment from the gods. In the time period we live in, it is still important to practice this behavior, just to a less extent. It’s still polite to treat your guests with hospitality and respect, as well as the guests treating the hosts with respect. However, nowadays, we probably wouldn’t invite random strangers into our home; it would probably be limited to friends, family, and relatives.
Weaknesses
Heroes have weaknesses that often impair their ability to execute tasks, or be a hero. Our class discussed some weaknesses that heroes (from TV, books, movies, etc.) might have. Mariah said how Superman’s weakness was kryptonite—he is physically harmed by it when he gets close to or comes into contact with it.
Homeric Simile
Homeric similes, also known as Epic similes, give Homer’s narrative depth and force.
They are elaborate comparisons, consisting of many lines, between two different objects using “like,” “as,” “so”, or “just so”.
It’s a comparison between something unfamiliar or strange to the audience and something that’s more familiar to them
Example: (from The Cyclops) “...straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and leaned on it turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking, having men below to swing the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove” (Lines 331-336).
In everyday speech, we often use short similes (Ex. She’s tough as nails). However, a Homeric Simile is used to redirect the reader’s attention in unexpected, humorous, gruesome, or heroic ways.
Reasons Homer might use this technique:
Uses objects of comparison that were familiar with his audience
Meant to ensure that you understand the visual that is being shown
Used to glorify his characters, enrich his text, deepen the readers’ understanding
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen. They are usually considered to be ominous, warning signs, or signs of bad things to come. Foreshadowing can take many forms and be accomplished in many ways, with varying degrees of subtlety. However, if the outcome is deliberately and explicitly revealed early in a story (such as by the use of a narrator or flashback structure), such information does not constitute foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing creates atmosphere for upcoming events, suspense for the story, and informs the readers about what possible things can happen later.
Hubris
Hubris is a Greek term meaning excessive pride or over-confidence (think arrogance)
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
Examples of hubris and their effects:
Tragic Flaw, Hamartia (it means the same thing)
Tragic Flaw or Hamartia (hamartia’s literal meaning is “to miss the mark”) is a trait in a character that often leads to their downfall. In Greek Mythology, the trait of hubris is often used.
Examples:
In the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, Percy’s tragic flaw is extreme loyalty. He would risk his own life, and even the world, if it meant saving his friends and family. In The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen’s tragic flaw can arguably be selflessness or self-sacrifice, similar to Tris Prior in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. However, I do think that this selflessness is what makes them heroes, even though it may lead to their downfall. Katniss and Tris both do make bold, and oftentimes, rash decisions, which may also be their tragic flaw.
Reading of The Cyclops
Next, we read The Cyclops from Homer’s Odyssey.
Here is a summary of what happened in the passage:
Odysseus and his crewmates arrived at a land where Cyclopes, one-eyed giants, lived. Odysseus decided to enter the cave, as he wished to see the Cyclops, despite his crewmates’ pleas to leave. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, found them in his cave. He eventually picked up two of Odysseus’ crewmates, ate them, and trapped the others in the cave.
Later, Odysseus got Polyphemus to drink some wine, which Odysseus had brought along earlier. Odysseus told him that “Nohbdy” is his name. Polyphemus was drunk and fell asleep. While he was sleeping, Odysseus and his men heated a spike and drove it into Polyphemus’ eye, piercing it and blinding him. Polyphemus awoke in pain, and the other Cyclopes came outside his cave, to see what was ailing him. Polyphemus shouted to them that “Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!” Since the other Cyclopes heard that “nobody” was causing him any trouble, they left him be.
Odysseus then strapped himself and his men each underneath a sheep. When dawn rose, Polyphemus let the sheep out of the cave, unaware that the men were hiding beneath them. Odysseus and his men escaped, but Odysseus shouted to the Cyclops, proclaiming his true name, taking pride in his ability to beat Polyphemus (which shows hubris). Polyphemus prays to Poseidon, who is his father, that Odysseus should suffer for what he has done. Poseidon heard him, and after knowing Odysseus’ name, he will make the rest of Odysseus’ journey back home difficult.
Virtual debate
We then had a virtual debate through Google Classroom, taking a side with either Odysseus or Polyphemus, defending their actions and considering whether they were justified or not.
Throughout the discussion, we had to follow proper discussion etiquette and stay respectful. We also needed to reply to someone else’s response, in which here were the guidelines and helpful reminders.
Whose actions are more justifiable? Who is to blame?
Reflection
In this lesson, I learned about tragic flaws, foreshadowing, Homeric similes, hubris, Odysseus’ character and Polyphemus. From reading The Cyclops, I gained insight about epic characters, character flaws, and thought more about justified actions (through analyzing Odysseus’ and Polyphemus’ actions and participating in a virtual debate). Odysseus is oftentimes considered the hero, but many people in the virtual debate argued that it was Odysseus who caused the death of his men. And Polyphemus, a Cyclops, who is traditionally viewed as a monster, a villain, someone stopping the hero from achieving their goal, was considered justified through closer inspection of many classmates. I previously learned about anti-heroes, characters who are considered “heroes” or have a noble mission, but lack conventional heroic traits, or may act villainous at times. Some examples of anti-heroes are Batman, Green Arrow, and the Winter Soldier. I believe Odysseus is such an example of an anti-hero, and through analyzing his character and actions, I understand the term more. This was a really interesting thing to think about because in my opinion, anti-heroes not only make the story more interesting (although at times frustrating), they somehow make the character more human, because not everyone acts like a hero—some people are arrogant, unforgiving, vengeful, and stubborn, so providing this anti-hero gives a more realistic view on people, and most of the time makes me want to root for the character to get a redemption.
I also thought about other stories and made connections to the lesson which was really interesting—I got to see how character weaknesses are important in a character since it makes them more interesting, relatable, and human. Almost every hero or character I’ve read about has a flaw (one that often leads to their doom) and it was insightful to take a deeper look at it and explore it. Seeing how their flaws affected their life and drove the story forward gave me a better understanding of those characters.
I learned that Homeric similes are comparisons that can deepen the readers’ understanding by comparing something unfamiliar to something more familiar. The Homeric similes in The Cyclops were quite visual and strengthened my understanding of what was happening. Foreshadowing is where future events are deliberately suggested before they happen and can create atmosphere and suspense. Learning more about tragic flaws, Homeric similes, foreshadowing, and The Cyclops can make me understand other stories better, and consider their actions more deeply. Using this information, I can also craft my own stories better and inspect other stories on a deeper level (mainly in terms of character). I learned that a tragic flaw can give a character depth, make them more human, and is a way to make the story more interesting. The virtual debate opened my eyes to different perspectives, and made me ask myself questions that I wouldn’t have thought about before.
Additionally, I just recently finished reading the book Circe by Madeline Miller, which explores Circe’s life and journey as a sorceress and a goddess. Odysseus plays a role in that journey, and learning more about him in The Cyclops was helpful in understanding Odysseus’ actions, character, and life. I will use what I learned in this lesson to help me understand characters, flaws, and stories better, as well as using the information to better craft my own.
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