The Rise And Fall Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

“The man of twists and turns believes that he has escaped all of his woes! As simple as that; the great Odysseus seems to have overcome all obstacles blocking him from returning to his lavish life. Well not so fast, mortal!” shrieked the immortal Poseidon, outraged after witnessing Odysseus and his son emerge victorious from the bloody battle against the suitors. Swiftly, Poseidon descended to the rocky isle of Ithaca, taking the form of his son; Polyphemus, the son that the prideful King Odysseus blinded so cleverly. “Well, we will see if the king’s wit can save him from the wrath of a GOD!” thought Poseidon. Patiently, the god of earthquakes took cover in a grove of olive trees until the orange-stained sky drifted off into a deep, dark, black; solely illuminated by the strong goddess of the moon, Selene. The immortal god placed a fog over himself, so as not to be seen or heard by the men tasked with guarding King

The disguised god mused himself waiting for the moment that Odysseus would notice the colossal figure in his room. The second that the doomed king glanced forward, Polyphemus had his enormous hands wrapped around the king’s neck! As life was finally seeping out of the king, Polyphemus heard a cry from behind: it was Telemachus! “You have slain my noble father!” screamed the prince, “What are you, cruel beast!? Who sent you? Never mind that, I will avenge my father and hang your lifeless body in my halls for all to see!” Armed with a sword, the brazen prince charged the mighty cyclops. Alas, even the greatest fighters may not match the skill and agility of a god! With a simple flick of the wrist, the giant knocked the prince’s sword from his strong grasp and jammed the weapon into the mortal’s throat, his life blood trickling down his bare chest like spilled wine. The shrieking Penelope stood no match against the god, as he ended her life with a simple knock to the head: a painless death for a fair