Introduction to Theme A theme is a meaning that goes beyond the plot, something less about events and more about significance, and it allows people to draw a conclusion from a book or story. The theme I will be focusing on is Monsters, which seeks to identify key data connected to the stories of monsters to identify characteristics of a monster within Greek myth. Monsters in Greek myth are often uncivilized, meaning that they exude behaviors which are savage and inappropriate. Monsters which are uncivilized are present in The Essential Homer, but I will specifically be focusing on uncivilized monsters in “Book 9” of The Odyssey. Furthermore, uncivilization in Monsters is present in a painting called The Cyclops Odysseus Series by Romare Bearden, …show more content…
The Odyssey in The Essential Homer
In “Book 9” of The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men arrive at an island across the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus became curious about the Cyclopes, so he decided to take his crew over to the land of the Cyclopes. According to Homer, they are giant creatures with only one eye that lived as lawless savages. Cyclopes have been compared to the people of the Golden age because the gods gave them everything they need, but they are more savage and uncivilized than the people of the Golden age. As they arrived, Odysseus saw a cave and described the owner of the lair as a huge, manly creature who pastured his flocks by himself, lived apart from others, and knew no law. This represents uncivilization in Monsters because civilized beings socialized with friends and family and lived according to the law; opposingly, the Cyclopes did the exact opposite of that. Odysseus ordered some of his men to stay on the ship and told 12 of his best men to come with him to the cave. They then arrived at the cave of the Polyphemus, a Cyclops, and saw that he lived with his lambs and their kids. This represents uncivilization in Monsters because civilized beings did not live in a cave
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Therefore, this painting takes place before six men in Odysseus’ crew were devoured by Polyphemus. I know that Odysseus’ ship is going toward Polyphemus because the Cyclops’ eye is perfectly fine, meaning it has not yet been gouged in by Odysseus and a few of his men. This painting represents uncivilization in Monsters because it shows that the monster, otherwise known as the Cyclops, lives in a cave. This is different from civilized beings, who live in houses. Furthermore, Polyphemus is pictured happily alone without any neighbors, which represents that the Cyclopes did not socialize with each other. Monsters, and in this case they Cyclopes, are uncivilized because civilized beings were social with friends, family, and neighbors. Opposingly, Cyclopes lived alone and preferred it that way. Polyphemus is pictured staring at the men with his tongue out as if the men are tasty, foreshadowing that he is going to eat them later on. Furthermore, the Cyclops is much larger than the ship that Odysseus is sailing in, giving the viewer an idea of how large the Cyclopes really
In the Odyssey by homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the Cyclops encounter is one of Odysseus’ greatest flaws and successes at the same time. It began to go downhill when Odysseus lies about his name and the condition of his ship. When him and his men are captured by the cyclops Odysseus claims his name is nobody, and his ship was wrecked, he does this to aid his escape plan and as a tactic to guard his name and men. When the escape plan is put into play, Odysseus stabs the cyclops in the eye with a red hot spear all the while him lying about his name was put into use because the cyclops yells, in agonizing pain, nobody stabbed him in the eye, this causes the other cyclops to lower there guard and not go to assist their brethren. All
Earlier in the epic, Odysseus frequently abuses his role as captain of his crew because of his curious nature. He makes several stops on their journey home in search of more opportunities to prove his skillfulness, even though he is already a king and has won a major war. One of these stops is at the Island of Polyphemus, home to the cyclops famed for eating all humans that enter his cave. Even though Odysseus is well aware of the danger ahead, his curiosity tempts him to
Polyphemus is Wanted In Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Odysseus meets a cyclops named Polyphemus. The Ithacan army finds a cave full of food, and they decide to collect some goods. The cyclops then comes and encloses them in the cave.
The Cyclops are not immediately introduced as detestable monsters. Homer first describes them as “high and mighty” but also “lawless brutes,” both a positive and negative attribution. While having “no meeting place for council, no laws either, …” might have been an abhorrent to Greek culture, living “not a care in the world” would have undoubtedly appealed to outdoorsmen who prefer the untamed wilderness. Beyond that, we don’t know if the entirety of these Cyclops are belligerent or passive. The only insight that exists is of a loner Cyclops that lives apart from the entire community.
The cyclops is a giant, one eyed, insatiable cannibal who eats people's flesh and bones. But cyclopsis are not always portrayed that way like in the story “The Sea Of Monsters”. The cyclops is described as someone looking for a bride and takes who he thought was a lady cyclops as said bride. Though the cyclops in this story does still have the intention of eating a human they wait to indulge themself showing self control. But in the story “The Cyclops”, the cyclops is portrayed as a cannibal who eats people whenever he feels the urge.
Throughout the story, Odysseus demonstrates his courage that ultimately allows him to survive. One of these moments was during his journey back to Ithaca, where he faces a race of man eating giants called the Cyclops. Odysseus originally stops his ship there to relish a feast while on his journey back to Ithaca, but while doing so, out of curiosity explores the island. Soon, he finds a deserted house and decides to wait of the owner. The owner was unknowingly one the Cyclops, named Polyphemus.
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!'
Summary: Cyclops 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.
When Odysseus is leaving the cyclops cave, his egotistical behavior is shown when he tells Polyphemus who hurt him. Odysseus screams to Polyphemus, “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he
When they get back to the boat and Odysseus yells out to the Cyclopes his name. Which means a harder journey for Odysseus and his men because Polyphemus is Poseidon's son. In this book Odysseus shows his pride when he yells from the boat and almist gets him and his men killed. In the movie Odysseus pride is most shown when he blames her situation solely on his men.
The seventh thesis “The Monster Stands at the Threshold…of Becoming” brings attention to the fact that we are the creators of monsters. They make us question why we have created them; how we perceive the world, how we have misinterpreted so that we can reevaluate cultural assumptions about the different race, gender, sexuality.
Odysseus should be considered unheroic because he refused to listen to anyone's suggestions and kept putting his men in dangerous situations. For example, Odysseus’ men told him to take the cheese and lambs and leave but Odysseus told them,”Ah, how sound was that! Yet I refuse, I wished to see the caveman, what he had offer- no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends” (Homer 5). This demonstrates unheroic behavior because they didn't know whether or not the cyclops would be nice but instead of putting safety first, Odysseus insisted on meeting the cyclops. He let his curiosity take over and stopped caring about what would happen to them.
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. Odysseus easily trick the Cyclops bragging, “I poured him another fiery bowl - three bowls I brimmed and three he drank to the last drop, the fool”(9.404-406). To describe the bowls of wine as fiery foreshadows the demise of the Cyclops. Odysseus was able to use his brain, not strength, to make the Cyclops drink himself into a stupor.
A major theme in the Odyssey is reciprocity: people getting what they deserve. Reciprocity is an important theme in the Odyssey because it explains why Odysseus’ journey was very long and treacherous. Eurylochus, Antinous, and Odysseus all suffered consequences due to poorly made actions. Each of them made the wrong decisions which lead to death and a long/adventurous journey. Eurylochus was the first to be killed by Odysseus and his men due to his actions.
4.They cyclops name is Polyphemus. 5.This disrespect could forshadow that the future cyclops might rebel, and be savages against humans. 6.Odysseus and his men escape the cyclops by getting him drunk with wine and then stabbing him in the eye and when other cyclops came to see what was wrong Odysseus and his men ecsaped