Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

“I’d never spare you in fear of Zeus’s hatred, you or your comrades here, unless I had the urge.” -Book 9, Line 312

1. Why does the adventure start in the Giant's cave?

Odysseus's journey starts out with him arriving at the land of the cyclops. It starts this way to show why Poseidon hates Odysseus so much. Odysseus poked out the eye of Polyphemus the cyclops, who is the son of Poseidon. This scene also shows how quick thinking and cunning Odysseus acts in stressful situations. The interaction with Polyphemus and Odysseus gives a better understanding of how Odysseus can lead his men and how his hubris affects other people.

“he killed me, with my own accursed wife…”- Book 11, Line 463

2. Look at the particular interaction Odysseus has with

The Lotus Eaters tempted Odysseus and his crew with the lotus flower. The lotus caused men to forget about their past and lose all desire to return home. On the cyclopes island Odysseus and his mates wanted Polyphemus’s food and wine. Circe provided food, wine, and comfort for Odysseus. That distraction added an entire year to Odysseus journey. Calypso also tempted Odysseus while on her island with fornicaton and immortality. If Odysseus and his crew ignored the distractions in front of them they would have reached Ithaca years earlier, and many of them would still be

Odysseus told Polyphemus his name only to gloat and make fun of the cyclops for being so stupid. Odysseus also listened to the siren song just so he could tell people that he had done so and survived. Later in his journey as he matured he relied on his wits and repressed his irrational emotion. On the island of Phaeacia he displayed his cunning ability and proved he has learned from his experiences.

“By god, I’d rather slave on earth for another man…”- Book 11, Line 556

6. Why does Achilles believe that living as a poor farmer on earth is better than being a glorious lord of the underworld? How does this connect to Odysseus?

Achilles was a great war hero of the trojan war and received a lot of fame unmatched by any other. When he died he went down to the underworld as somewhat of a celebrity. However, all this fame and glory did not help Achilles cope with the grief and suffering of ruling the breathless dead, and he would rather live a humble, quiet life instead. Odysseus wants fame and glory, equal to Achilles, but he also wants to live with his family in Ithaca. We can infer that when Odysseus learned about the pain that comes with the underworld, he no longer desired such a level of