Polyphemus Monstrosity In The Odyssey

Polyphemus claimed he wasn’t afraid of their Gods and due to this he was hostile towads his “guests” and ate two of Odysseus’ men on first encounter. He broke the “laws” of cordiality and was very unkind.

Appropriation is defined as being able to shift ideas, visuals, key concepts, characters and settings from one context into another in order to manipulate old notions into new innovated ones, for example the Odyssey by poet, Homer in comparison to Margret Atwood’s the Penelopiad. The Penelopiad as a modernized, fresh view of a vaguely described character, which originated from the Odyssey named, Penelope. Penelope is an obscure or cryptic female character who is interpreted to be a cunning, sly, secretive, intelligent, passionate character that can be compared to Shakespeare’s Juliet. Penelope goes through stages of enlightenment, struggle and happiness and questions the way society works as well as trustworthy relationships. The Penelopiad

In The Odyssey, the Cyclops is a monster because of his key differences from mere human beings, specifically his lack of wit and of morals. Depicting these qualities as monstrous support that cleverness and a general regard for human life were heavily valued in Greek culture.

After Odysseus lies to the Cyclops about the origins of the crew and himself, the story states, “But in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies...Then he dismembered them and made his meal, gaping and crunching like a mountain lion.” (p.820 189-190, 192-193) This is an epic simile that describes the way the Cyclops ate the men and how the men behaved when being picked up and comparing them to animals. The men being eaten were compared to puppies, an animal people generally consider weak, and the Cyclops to a mountain lion, an animal traditionally considered strong. This makes an interesting image in the minds of readers that will create a detailed description of the scene. Soon after this occurred, the Cyclops goes to sleep. The Odyssey says, “But Cyclops went on filling up his great belly… then lay down like a mast among his sheep.” (p.820 197, 199) This is a simile that compares the way the Cyclops lies down to go to sleep to a ship. This simile increases the way the Cyclops is seen as powerful figure. The example of figurative language here makes the audience imagine the scene in their minds therefore enriching the description of the scene. These descriptions help the text as a whole feel more immediate to the reader. This has enabled The Odyssey to transcend the test of

In the story, Odysseus is still speaking to the Phaeacians, but is now telling them of his encounter with Polyphemus, the cyclops. Strong winds blew Odysseus and his men to Polyphemus’ island, where they unloaded and entered a cave that Polyphemus happened to live in. When he entered the cave, he closed the entrance with a large boulder that only he could move, trapping himself, his sheep, and Odysseus inside. After he ate some of Odysseus’ men, Odysseus devised a plan to get the cyclops to move the boulder so that the men could escape. He gave Polyphemus liquor, making him drunk, and shoved a massive makeshift spear into his the cyclops’ only eye. Polyphemus immediately moved the stone, but then blocked the entrance with

As violence has an extremely negative connotation in modern society, the use of the death penalty is morally ambiguous, and is a highly debated topic; however, violence is far more legitimized in the society of the Odyssey, and therefore, death is a far more acceptable form of punishment. This idea is exemplified by the way in which violence is discussed between characters within the Odyssey. In particular, this general acceptance of violence is demonstrated through the fact that many of the characters within the Odyssey share an almost unanimous belief that the suitors should be put to death to pay for their crimes. When Telemachus informs Menelaos that there are suitors residing in Odysseus’ home, Menelaos responds “I pray he comes as once he was...If only that Odysseus met the suitors,/ they’d have their consummation, a cold bed!“ (Homer 4.371-372). Furthermore, when Athena advises Telemachus on how he should handle the suitors, she suggests,

In the section “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave” from Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero through his character traits and behaviors. When Odysseus and his men attack the city of Ismarus, the Cicones’ strong hold, Odysseus made sure to fairly distribute the spoils among his men. Odysseus’s behavior shows that he is a great leader, a characteristic of a hero. While Odysseus and his crew are in the Cyclops’ cave, Polyphemus, the cyclops, notices them. Polyphemus asks who they are with a monstrous tone, “‘Strangers!' he thundered out, 'now who are you? Where did you sail from, over the running sea-lanes? Out on a trading spree or roving the waves like pirates, sea-wolves raiding at will, who risk their lives to plunder other men?'” Odysseus and his crew become frightened, but despite this, Odysseus shows the heroic trait of bravery by answering back confidently, “The hearts inside us shook, terrified by his rumbling voice and monstrous hulk.

The Odyssey is a story filled with adventure, bravery, and peril.(H) The Odyssey was written by Homer, a blind poet, in the 8th century, and it was intended to be a sequel to The Iliad, another story written by Homer.(HC) The story is based around the Greek gods, which were commonly believed to exist when Homer wrote The Odyssey.(HC) The Odyssey inspires perseverance in continued hardship and love for family, ideas which are as relevant today as they were when The Odyssey was written.(CM)

Double standards exist everywhere you go. In society, women and men are held to different standards. Whether it comes to strength, leadership, or appearance, they affect everything and everyone. These contrasting principles also apply to sexual fidelity. Often, men are praised and looked up to to having many sexual relationships. On the other hand, women are shamed for having the same relationships. These double standards are portrayed in literature as well. In Homer’s The Odyssey, we see these double standards applied to its’ story and characters. It was especially applied to Odysseus, the main Greek hero in this epic. Greek epic heros are figures that are meant to represent the ultimate mortal the ideals and common values in Greek culture,

While Polyphemus may seem like too barbaric to be described as acting similar to that of a 20th century preacher, when both get into a fight they can be equally brutal. When the cyclops is met he has a wooden club with him. This club is probably used for attacking things. Then when they meet Big Dan under the tree, Big Dan decides to attack Everett and Delmar with a thick broken branch from a tree. Then in The Odyssey, Polyphemus kills Odysseus’ men in brutal ways by ripping them apart and then eating their remains, and in O’ Brother Where Art Thou, Big Dan kills Pete the toad by squishing him in his hand. Not only are the two barbaric in their attacks and cruelty, but the also both use old barbaric ideas and similar ways of thinking. In The Odyssey the cyclops shows a defiance to religion and uses it to lure and mock Odysseus when he claims he is stronger than Zeus. In the same way Big Dan uses Bible sales to lure Everett and Delmar into the trap alone under the tree. Then later in the story he mocks the religions by being in the KKK and burning crosses. In addition to these Polyphemus believes he is a more powerful being then Odysseus and his crew because he is a cyclops and is stronger. In the same way Big Dan thinks he is a more superior race than Tommy and the rest his friends when they look black. In the end both characters act with similar brutish and

Heroism, tends to be difficult to define and remarkably ambiguous in literary works. In the Odyssey, however, Homer clearly defines a hero as a humble, determined, and loyal individual; thus, according to Homer, it is not enough to claim to be a hero, but it is also important to exhibit those qualities that Homer values as heroism. Odysseus, despite claiming heroism, upholds these traits inconsistently, as seen in his taunting of Polyphemus. In contrast, Telemachus, Odysseus’ overlooked son, dramatically grows up over the course of the epic and ultimately reveals his truly heroic qualities by the end of the poem. Thus, because Odysseus claims to be a hero, but fails to remain humble, determined, and loyal throughout the epic, he is not a hero.

Odysseus regards Polyphemus as inferior because of behavior that he sees as uncivilized when compared to

First of all, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you by my unintentionally prolonged journey home, and I hope to be reunited with you and Telemachus as soon as possible. I want you to know that I miss you with all my heart, and will do everything in my power to return quickly, but have found myself rubbing the wrong way with the Gods.

However, the monsters are not as interested in the indulgence of juicy steak, wine, or even the enticing and mystical lotus flowers, but rather in human flesh and blood. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, that Odysseus encounters on his journey gruesomely devours many sailors, tempted by the thought of being able to consume human “innards, flesh, and marrow bones.” The Cyclops continues his feast, “filling his belly with manflesh and great gulps of whey” (IX 312-322), as he greedily causes the demise of many sailors. This passage further reminds readers of the negative consequences of succumbing to the temptation of overindulging. It also acts as a clear warning to readers that feasting in excess is animalistic and inhuman. The Cyclops’ feast, although abhorrent, shares similarities with Odysseus’ crew’s feasts: the power of temptation and an intense craving for food drives both of their gluttonous

It is Captain America’s duty to not just protect the American people, but to lead and guide them. He is the face of all that America stands for from his star spangled suit to his values and heroism. Captain America symbolizes freedom and protection. I feel like he 's often understood to symbolize America, but he stands for more than that. He had never run from a fight and always insisted on standing up for himself and his beliefs. His ability to keep fighting for what he believed in, no matter the consequences, is a strong characteristic of his. He proved that nobody should ever give up hope because giving up is never an option for something you truly believe in.