The OdysseyThe Odyssey

By Homer?By Homer?

Book VIII – The CyclopsBook VIII – The Cyclops

King Alcinous has asked Odysseus to King Alcinous has asked Odysseus to reveal who he is after he was brought reveal who he is after he was brought to tears by the bard Demodocus’ to tears by the bard Demodocus’ song.song.

He reveals himself as ‘Odysseus, son He reveals himself as ‘Odysseus, son of Laertes’, and we get a hint of the of Laertes’, and we get a hint of the importance of his name and importance of his name and reputation to Odysseus.reputation to Odysseus.

‘‘Take me to the island…’Take me to the island…’ Odysseus begins to tell Odysseus begins to tell

of how he came to the of how he came to the island of the Cyclopes.island of the Cyclopes.

He mentions:He mentions: - Calypso who kept him - Calypso who kept him

captive for seven yearscaptive for seven years - Circe (whom we meet - Circe (whom we meet

in Book X), who turned in Book X), who turned his men into swinehis men into swine

The CiconesThe Cicones

- we see a shift in tone as - we see a shift in tone as he begins to recount he begins to recount how they left Ilium and how they left Ilium and sacked the city of sacked the city of Ismarus, land of the Ismarus, land of the CiconesCicones

- they destroyed its - they destroyed its menfolk and plundered menfolk and plundered its wealthits wealth

Land of the CyclopesLand of the Cyclopes

After nine days in a After nine days in a terrible gale sent by terrible gale sent by Zeus, Odysseus and his Zeus, Odysseus and his men come to the land men come to the land of the Lotus-Eaters. of the Lotus-Eaters.

The lotus fruit was a The lotus fruit was a mythical fruit which mythical fruit which made men forget their made men forget their worries and lose and worries and lose and desire to return home.desire to return home.

““Those who ate the honeyed Those who ate the honeyed fruit of the plant lost any fruit of the plant lost any wish to come back and bring wish to come back and bring us news. All they now us news. All they now wanted was to stay where wanted was to stay where they were with the Lotus-they were with the Lotus-Eaters, to browse on the Eaters, to browse on the lotus, and to forget all lotus, and to forget all thoughts of return.”thoughts of return.”

Land of the CyclopesLand of the Cyclopes

Odysseus had to force them to return to Odysseus had to force them to return to the ship.the ship.

Next they came to the land of the Next they came to the land of the Cyclopes, Cyclopes, ‘a fierce, lawless people who ‘a fierce, lawless people who never lift a hand to plant or plough but just never lift a hand to plant or plough but just left everything to the immortal gods.’left everything to the immortal gods.’

The Land of the Cyclopes is describes as wild and untamed, in comparison to the cultivated beauty of the Phaeacians.

PolyphemusPolyphemus

The Nymphs sent goats to Odysseus’ The Nymphs sent goats to Odysseus’ men to hunt.men to hunt.

Odysseus instructs his men to stay in Odysseus instructs his men to stay in the ship while he goes to see what the ship while he goes to see what kind of people live on the island.kind of people live on the island.

He sees the den of the cyclops where He sees the den of the cyclops where he had large flocks of sheep and he had large flocks of sheep and goats.goats.

PolyphemusPolyphemus

He describes him He describes him as as ‘unlike and ‘unlike and man who eats man who eats bread’.bread’.

At this point he At this point he chooses twelve of chooses twelve of his best men to his best men to come with him.come with him.

He brings unwatered wine and some He brings unwatered wine and some food with him as he has a sense of food with him as he has a sense of foreboding that they will encounter a foreboding that they will encounter a barbarous being.barbarous being.

When they reached the cave, the giant When they reached the cave, the giant was out tending his flock of sheep.was out tending his flock of sheep.

Inside, the cave is filled with cheeses Inside, the cave is filled with cheeses and full of lambs and kids.and full of lambs and kids.

PiratesPirates

The men beg Odysseus to allow them to The men beg Odysseus to allow them to take some spoils.take some spoils.

Odysseus refuses to leave at this point as Odysseus refuses to leave at this point as he wants to meet the owner of the cave and he wants to meet the owner of the cave and hopefully get some hospitality from him.hopefully get some hospitality from him.

The cyclops arrives back with some of his The cyclops arrives back with some of his flock and closes the entrance with a huge flock and closes the entrance with a huge boulder, trapping Odysseus and his men boulder, trapping Odysseus and his men inside.inside.

Polyphemus spies the men as he Polyphemus spies the men as he lights the fire.lights the fire.

He asks the men who they are; He asks the men who they are; traders or pirates?traders or pirates?

His booming voice fills them with His booming voice fills them with panic.panic.

Odysseus explains who they are, Odysseus explains who they are, appealing to him to observe the law appealing to him to observe the law of hospitality as Zeus commands.of hospitality as Zeus commands.

Polyphemus tells how the Cyclopes Polyphemus tells how the Cyclopes have no fear or reverence for the have no fear or reverence for the gods.gods.

Odysseus tells how Poseidon wrecked Odysseus tells how Poseidon wrecked his ship onto the island of the his ship onto the island of the Cyclopes.Cyclopes.

Polyphemus makes no reply but grabs Polyphemus makes no reply but grabs some of the men and dashes their some of the men and dashes their heads against the floor.heads against the floor.

CarnageCarnage

Their brains ran Their brains ran out onto the out onto the ground and soak ground and soak the earth.the earth.

He tears them limb He tears them limb from limb and eats from limb and eats them.them.

After his meal, he After his meal, he lays down to sleep.lays down to sleep.

Odysseus thinks of stabbing him and Odysseus thinks of stabbing him and killing him but realises that they killing him but realises that they need him to move the boulder from need him to move the boulder from the mouth of the cave.the mouth of the cave.

The next day, the cyclops again eats The next day, the cyclops again eats some of the men.some of the men.

Odysseus spies a staff of green olive-Odysseus spies a staff of green olive-wood, sharpens it to a point and wood, sharpens it to a point and hardens it on the fire.hardens it on the fire.

The planThe plan

Odysseus picks lots to see who will help Odysseus picks lots to see who will help him drive the staff into the cyclops’ eye him drive the staff into the cyclops’ eye and the lots fell on the very men he would and the lots fell on the very men he would have picked himself.have picked himself.

Odysseus give him unwatered wine, which Odysseus give him unwatered wine, which he fills three times over for him.he fills three times over for him.

He tells him his name is ‘Nobody’. The He tells him his name is ‘Nobody’. The Cyclops says he will eat nobody last, and Cyclops says he will eat nobody last, and the rest before him! the rest before him!

The blinding of the CyclopsThe blinding of the Cyclops As the cyclops falls As the cyclops falls

down drunk, they down drunk, they stab him in the eye stab him in the eye and twist it ‘until and twist it ‘until the blood boil[s] up the blood boil[s] up round the burning round the burning wood.’.wood.’.

The other Cyclopes The other Cyclopes hear Polyphemus’ hear Polyphemus’ wails and come to wails and come to see what all the see what all the commotion is about.commotion is about.

NobodyNobody

Polyphemus wails of Polyphemus wails of course that nobody has course that nobody has injured him.injured him.

The other Cyclopes think The other Cyclopes think that he is mad and since that he is mad and since this must come from Zeus, this must come from Zeus, he cannot be helped.he cannot be helped.

They tell him to pray to They tell him to pray to daddy Poseidon. daddy Poseidon.

PunPun

The Greek for The Greek for no oneno one is is me tisme tis (oddly (oddly contrasting the Hiberno English ‘tis contrasting the Hiberno English ‘tis me!).me!).

As one word, As one word, metis, metis, it means clever it means clever scheme/ resourcefulness.scheme/ resourcefulness.

Odysseus is laughing here because of Odysseus is laughing here because of the double entendre.the double entendre.

The Cyclops sits in the doorway, The Cyclops sits in the doorway, expecting to catch the men on their expecting to catch the men on their way out, but the Cyclops has way out, but the Cyclops has underestimated Odysseus.underestimated Odysseus.

They tied themselves to the underside They tied themselves to the underside of the giant’s rams, with Odysseus of the giant’s rams, with Odysseus under the largest ram and each of the under the largest ram and each of the other men taking three each.other men taking three each.

Polyphemus notices that the last ram Polyphemus notices that the last ram is lagging behind.is lagging behind.

He tells them of the same woes that He tells them of the same woes that he told the other Cyclopes.he told the other Cyclopes.

As Odysseus and his men make for As Odysseus and his men make for their boat, Odysseus cannot resist their boat, Odysseus cannot resist boasting to the Cyclops that he has boasting to the Cyclops that he has overpowered him and that the gods overpowered him and that the gods have punished him for his crimes.have punished him for his crimes.

The crew are terrified and urge Odysseus The crew are terrified and urge Odysseus to shut up.to shut up.

Odysseus however, through pride, Odysseus however, through pride, obstinacy, arrogance or all of the above, obstinacy, arrogance or all of the above, cannot resist telling Polyphemus that it cannot resist telling Polyphemus that it was was ‘Odysseus, sacker of cities, the son of ‘Odysseus, sacker of cities, the son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca’ Laertes, who lives in Ithaca’ who blinded who blinded him.him.

We must remember here that We must remember here that

name and reputation were of name and reputation were of

great importance to the Greeks.great importance to the Greeks.

ProphecyProphecy

Polyphemus now remember that the prophet Polyphemus now remember that the prophet Telemus once told him that a man called Telemus once told him that a man called Odysseus would rob ohim of his sight.Odysseus would rob ohim of his sight.

He believed he would encounter a great man, He believed he would encounter a great man, not puny Odysseus.not puny Odysseus.

He tells Odysseus that Poseidon is his father He tells Odysseus that Poseidon is his father and that he will ‘help him on his way home’.and that he will ‘help him on his way home’.

RevengeRevenge

Polyphemus calls on Poseidon to ensure Polyphemus calls on Poseidon to ensure that Odysseus never reaches home.that Odysseus never reaches home.

Polyphemus throws a boulder into the Polyphemus throws a boulder into the sae at them.sae at them.

This is another example of how a Greek This is another example of how a Greek hero’s hero’s hamartia hamartia due to his fatal flaw due to his fatal flaw ((hubrishubris, for example) caused his , for example) caused his downfalldownfall..