This is the key episode. Note the description of the island and the nature of Cyclopean society. Pay attention to O's behavior. Is it commendable? Is he a good guest? Is Polyphemus a good host? Look for mentions of Zeus and the guest-host relationship.What vice gets O into trouble? What virtue gets him out of it? What types of behavior do you think are approved and condemned by this story?
Yes, Odysseus is commendable because he takes charge of his men. He was also keeping his men in order and being organized. He is a good guest at times, for example he waits for the Polyphemus but for the most part he is a bad guest. First of all, he and his men ate Polyphemus' food, tricked the cyclopes by getting him drunk, and also stabbed him in the eye. On the other hand, Polyphemus is a terrible host because in the book it says that he ate 6 of the men. He is also a terrible host because he did not welcome the men and Odysseus with open arms and was very rude to the men. In the book on page 227, lines 575-79, Polyphemus screams out," Come here, Odysseus, let me give you a guest-gift and urge Poseidon the earthquake god to speed you home. I am his son and he claims to be my father, true, and he himself will heal me if he pleases- no other blessed god, no man can do the work!" This is a clue that was mentioned that lead me to know that Polyphemus and Zeus were related.The thing that Odysseus does to get in trouble is that he stabbed Polyphemus' eye and blinded him. He doesn't really get out of the trouble but he tricked Polyphemus. He told him that his name was, Nobody, so when the cyclopes cried out for help he yelled," Nobody has hurt me!!" In this story I think that some behaviors are disrespectful and clever. Polyphemus was disrespectful to the man and Odysseus. Odysseus was very clever by getting the cyclopes drunk and trick him into thinking that "Nobody" was his name.
ReplyDeleteI think Odysseus' behavior was somewhat commendable, because on pg.218 line 260, it tells that he and his crew ate all of the cheese that was waiting on the rocks in Polyphemus' cave. I thought this to be a little rude, since that wasn't theirs to begin with. But other than that, his behavior was well in check. On page 217 line 218, it shows that he even cared to bring with him some of his best wine to give to his host, which shows he was planning on being a good and respectable guest. Polyphemus, however, is not a good host. This is because he does not welcome them upon first sight, and he does not treat them well at all. He shows the first sign of hospitality on pg.219 line 284, when he asks where they came from, and why they are there. But that is where all hospitality stops, and he starts to devour his guests. The guest-host relationship, is that the giant eats the men, two at a time, and the guests shiver in fear awaiting their own deaths. The vice that gets Odysseus in trouble, is ambition to escape. The virtue that got him out of it, was his ability to lie, deceive, and use his planning skills. This story shows that a polite and friendly guest-host relationship benefits both the guest and the host. If either one is mean, many unfortunate events will follow.
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ReplyDeleteSo far so good, Odysseus is quite a commendable guest this chapter, at least in my eyes. He brings the special wine, to offer to his host, which shows a good display of courtesy from Odysseus. "...But I took a skin of wine along, the ruddy, irresistible wine that Maron gave me once.."(p.217). Also, Odysseus refuses to steal his host's sheep and nourishment, even after his comrade goads him to do so. And even if he sits down and starts eating his host's food, he offers first some to the gods, showing that Odysseus has not lost his humbleness. He obviously goes in with the desire to be a guest, as he says "...we're at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest gift..."(p.219). Polyphemus, showing that he is not afraid of the gods, refuses being hospitable to Odysseus, and even attempts to make escape impossible by asking Odysseus where his ship is. Fortunately, Odysseus, the smart one, tricks him by saying that his ship is already destroyed. I would say hubris gets Odysseus in trouble;he taunts the cyclops after he and his companions escape, by means of trickery, and is sent back to the island several times by stones thrown by Polyphemus. I would think prudence saves Odysseus. Him catching Polyphemus' attempted trick to destroy Odysseus' way back saved the entire crew, because if Polyphemus learned where his ship was, he would've destroyed it, and even if Odysseus escaped, it would take a great deal of trouble to obtain another one. Quick thinking, prudence, and being a good guest, even if the host does not present xenia, are the behaviors supported by this chapter. On the other hand, consequences of not fearing the gods and not being a good host are condemned in this chapter. Hubris is also condemned, because it earns Odysseus the fury of Poseidon.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that in this situation Odysseus is commendable. I think hospitality does not include entering someones house when they are not home and eating their food. Also the book says that Odysseus' comrades wanted to quickly plunder the giants belongings and be on their way. Although this would be stealing, it was the safer option for Odysseus and his troops. Odysseus shouldn't have thought that the host of the cave would exhibit xenia. They were in the land of the Cyclops, the lawless brutes " ... and reached the land of the high and mighty Cyclops, lawless brutes, who trust so to the everlasting gods they never plant with their own hands or plow the soil." Odysseus was an average guest, but he acted a little braggadocios. Polyphemus was a horrible host though. Not only did he not exhibit any form of hospitality, he ate some of his guests. Odysseus says that it would please Zeus if Polyphemus would express hospitality towards them. Polyphemus then blatantly states that he has no fear of Zeus and will do no such thing. Odysseus' virtue of cunningness gets him out of the mess though. He holds on the bottom of the sheep when Polyphemus checks the tops and he tells Polyphemus his name is Nobody. These two tricks get him out of the sticky situation. I think that hospitality is a virtue that is encouraged but should not always be expected. Also being braggadocios could possible lead to your demise.
ReplyDeleteI think Odysseus was not the best of guests, but the Cyclops was the absolute worst host. Obviously, the Cyclops is an awful host, which is clearly shown on page 225 when Polyphemus says "I'd smash him against the ground, I'd spill his brains". Odysseus was not a very good guest either because the first thing he does is he threatens the Cyclops with the gods to allow him to stay in his cave. This moment is shown on page 220 where he says, "respect the gods...strangers are sacred- Zeus will avenge their rights". Obviously neither Odysseus nor Polyphemus' were abiding by the guest-host relationship that Zeus created. Odysseus gets in trouble because he is vain. His vanity causes him to threaten and anger the Cyclops in the beginning and later causes him to taunt the Cyclops as him and his crew were sailing away, which infuriated the Cyclops who brought down a curse upon Odysseus. Odysseus' cleverness, however, did get him out of his dilemma. He was clever enough to come up with a plan to escape from the giant's cave, which saved his life.
ReplyDeleteIn this book, I do not think Odysseus was a commendable character, because when he first arrives on the Cyclops cost, he sets off with twelve men, who enter Polyphemus' cave. They, upon arriving in the cave, spy "large flat racks loaded with drying cheeses" (7, 245), and devour them until they are full. When Polyphemus returns, he is also not a commendable host, for he looses his temper, and eats two of his guests. When Odysseus, prior to him devouring his men, tries to make Polyphemus think about being a good host, and respecting the gods will to be acceptable and courteous to guest, Polyphemus simply responds that he does not fear Zeus or the gods, so therefore he will show no xenia towards the strangers. Odysseus, again a not very commendable guest, fastens a spear from the cyclops club, and hides the spear. Lying to the Polyphemus, and saying "Nobody- that is my name", he tricks the cyclops, and to finish it off, stabs him in the eye. The vice that gets Odysseus into trouble was his ego when he chose the ram for his animal to sneak out, and almost got caught because Polyphemus wondered why it was walking slowly. In the end, his virtue of scheming and trickery allowed him and his men safe passage out of the land of cyclops, but ended up making an enemy of Poseidon, who was Polyphemus' father.
ReplyDeleteI think that in the beginning Odysseus was really trying to be a good guest, and by this point he has been to so many different houses that he knows what he is doing. Which is shown on page 217 line (218) when he says "But i took a skin of wine along," This shows that Odysseus knows he should bring a gift to his host which is part of hospitality/ Xenia. On the other hand when Polyphemus arrives from the pasture to his cave Xenia is not displayed one bit. He is rude! Especially on page 219 lines (284-287) when the cyclops says " '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?'" This first of all shows that he is not following the Xenia code, he skips right to the interrogation, no chairs no food or drink. They then refer to Zeus, the god who loves strangers, in fact he protects them. But the cyclops responds that he could care less about what Zeus thinks. This implies that because he is a giant and the son of Poseidon he thinks he is above everyone else, even the gods. If that was not bad enough he then eats two of Odysseus' men and goes to sleep in front of his guests. So yes i think Polyphemus deserved what Odysseus did to him because he was a horrible host. And it was not a surprise when he was blinded or when Odysseus told him that his name was nobody so that he could not get anyones attention. But after completing the whole escape plan with the genius idea of grabbing onto the bottom of the goats Odysseus is feeling on top of the world. In other words, hubris. This caused him to be stupid by taunting Polyphemus who was obviously very mad and which later causes even more trouble for Odysseus. But all in all Odysseus and his men would not have been saved from the cyclops if it were not for his cleverness and ability to think on his toes. But just because he escapes does not mean he gets out trouble free, later karma, or the wrath of the gods will come back to get him
ReplyDeleteThough getting the Cyclops drunk and then stabbing its eye is not exactly commendable behavior for a guest, Odysseus had no choice, as he had to escape the Cyclops before he ate him. However, Odysseus did come bearing gifts of wine for his host which was thoughtful of him. His men also want to steal their guest's cheese and slip away, which Odysseus says no to. Polyphemus displayed a lack of xenia and was an awful host. He chooses to interrogate the men before they have been provided with food, drink and entertainment. Eating your guests is also not included in the Greek code of hospitality. Zeus and the guest-host relationship is mentioned in lines 304-305: "Zeus of the Strangers guards all guests and suppliants: strangers are sacred-Zeus will avenge their rights." Odysseus tells this to Polyphemus, hoping he will treat them kindly in fear of the wrath of the gods. The vice that gets Odysseus in trouble is hubris. Once he and his men have escaped, Odysseus taunts the Polyphemus, thinking he is above the consequences of rankling a powerful cyclops with Poseidon for a father. The virtue that gets him out of this situation is Odysseus' cleverness, as he and his men would have been eaten alive if not for his plan. I think that the revolting behavior of the Cyclops, as well as Odysseus' boastful taunts, will be the type of behavior that is condemned. Odysseus' cleverness and bravery will be approved.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus' behavior is not commendable. He is an extremely bad guest for the cyclops, Polyphemus. Not only does he enter the cave while Polyphemus is not there, but Odysseus also took food from the cyclops. Odysseus and his men then trick the cyclops, and succeed in stabbing Polyphemus' eye and blinding him. Odysseus can not take all of the blame for being a bad guest. Polyphemus probably assisted in Odysseus' behavior by being such a terrible host. Polyphemus tries to trap Odysseus and his men on the island by asking them where their ship is. Luckily, Odysseus does not fall into the trap. Polyphemus also shows obvious violence towards Odysseus and his men by threatening them. In Odysseus' story, he mentions Zeus when talking about himself as a guest, "Respect the gods, my friend...Zeus will avenge their rights!"(p.220). At this point in the story, Odysseus is telling Polyphemus to be kind to strangers because Zeus shows favoritism to strangers, and will always avenge their rights. In other words, Odysseus is telling Polyphemus to be kind to him or else Polyphemus will be punished by Zeus. In the story, the vice that eventually gets Odysseus into trouble with the cyclops is hubris. Odysseus believes that he is much more cunning then the giant which eventually leads him into doing seemingly reckless things. What saved Odysseus from hubris was his cunning ability to get himself out of difficult situations. In Odysseus' story of the cyclops, it seems that both insolence and cruelty are mutually approved by both Odysseus and Polyphemus. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Odysseus and Polyphemus both seem to have entirely condemned xenia.
ReplyDelete(Before I begin: note- I don't know how to italicize text and will surround text that is supposed to be italicized in forward slashes)
ReplyDeleteOverall, I feel as though Odysseus' behavior could be considered commendable, but it all depends upon perspective. While I admit that Polyphemus was hardly a good host, it cannot be said that Odysseus was a good guest. In all fairness, when Odysseus says, and I quote: "From the start my comrades pressed me, pleading hard, 'Lets make away with cheeses, then come back- hurry, drive the lambs and kids from the pens to our swift ship, put out to sea at once!' But I would not give way- and how much easier it would have been- not till I saw him, saw what gifts he'd give." (Book 9, lines 252-258). I must admit that it was honorable of Odysseus to stop his men from stealing Polyphemus' food. However, seeing as though the master of the house was away, I feel as though Odysseus and his men should have at least waited for him to come back. Despite Odysseus' lack of manners and utter disrespect for the law (assuming breaking and entering was illegal back then too), Polyphemus' performance as a host was hardly a decent one. The rules of Xenia state that a host must provide food and drink for their guest(s). Polyphemus not deprives his guests of nutrition, he also attempts to eat them. The code of Xenia also states that a host should serve his guests. Polyphemus has his guests pour him bowl after bowl of wine. That does not seem like a very Xenia-like of him. I think that the ancient Greeks would agree with me; Homer certainly did. On lines 269-271, Odysseus says: "That's the custom. Respect the gods, my friend. We're the suppliants: strangers are sacred- Zeus will avenge their rights!". Polyphemus then blatantly responds frankly by stating that cyclopes are unafraid of Zeus and his wrath. A vice that gets Odysseus into trouble is his unholy hubris, which he exhibits various times throughout the text, such as when he taunts Polyphemus. This action results in Polyphemus throwing a great boulder at Odysseus' ship. When he taunts him further, he insults Poseidon and loses any chance he'll ever get of earning his forgiveness. Ever. I will say this though- his wittiness ends up saving his life. Had it not been for his great wit, he would have told Polyphemus his real name, which could have resulted in Polyphemus killing him instantly in order to avoid an old prophecy from coming true. This is an overall confusing story, because it encourages lying to your host, and condemns hubris. So while it gives us a great life lesson- pride comes before the fall- it also goes against one of the first rules society teaches us when we are you, because it gives us the impression that lying on not only good, it is rewarding.
I believe that while Odysseus was not a model guest, his action towards the Cyclops were just, even if he was the guest. Odysseus is somewhat a good guest because he originally was just looking for some help with his journey and some of the hospitality that is seen as mandatory by the gods. After all, Odysseus starts out with saying, “…We’re at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest-gift, the sort that hosts give strangers.” (pp. 219 – 220, lines 300 – 302) Though at the same time, Odysseus is not so great when he and his men uninvited entered Polyphemus’ home and stole his food. He had also brought the wine in case he needed to trick Polyphemus. Thinking about trying to deceive your host in advance was a disrespectable virtue that Odysseus had. Though at the same time, Polyphemus’ actions were magnitudes worse and violated the code of Xenia. When Polyphemus first notices Odysseus and his men, he says, “Strangers! 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?” (p. 219, lines 284 – 288) This violates the first code of Xenia which is to invite any guests into your home and treat the well with food and drink. Though Polyphemus defies Odysseus’ warnings when Odysseus says, “We’re suppliants – at your mercy! Zeus of the Stanger guards all guests and suppliants: strangers are sacred – Zeus will avenge their rights!” (p.220, lines 303 – 305) Even though the code of Xenia states that it is okay to interrogate your guests, it states that such is only appropriate once the guest has been invited in your home and is given food and drink. Polyphemus also is basically saying that Zeus wouldn’t dare touch him and thus he can do whatever he wants. Polyphemus also does the opposite of Xenia by taking food and drink from guests and not the other way around. Polyphemus’ food is the humans that he eats, and the drink is the special wine. Overall, Polyphemus is a horrible host. Odysseus gets into trouble when he actually tells the Cyclops his name and Polyphemus prays for a miserable life for Odysseus. His pride gets him into trouble but saves himself when he tricks Polyphemus into letting him escape because the gods and goddesses like Athena considered cunning and the ability to use deception well respectable. I think that this story is showing how Xenia was a highly valued virtue and to go against such would bring consequences, Polyphemus losing his eye in this case. This story is also showing how deception and lying are valued when Odysseus calls himself “Nobody” to make the other Cyclops decide not to help Polythemus because he is either crazy or is being attacked by Zeus.
ReplyDeleteI think Odysseus is as gracious as a person could be when entering the home of a man-eating giant. It says that "artisans would have made this place to good to live", suggesting that Odysseus probably wasn't expecting any hospitality from the cyclops. However stealing Polyphemus's cheese and wanting to "drive the lambs and kids from the pens" was not commendable of his men. Odysseus does require them not to do so, so at least he is trying to be honest. In addition, Odysseus and his men go into Polyphemus's cave and eat his food when he is not even home. When he arrives, they "scuttled in panic into the deepest dark recess", almost as if they were not only afraid, but ashamed. Odysseus is commendable when he announces who they are rather than trying to sneak out. After the cyclops eats several crew members, Odysseus tricks him into drinking some wine, which was very good and special. Even though he is not acting hospitably( he's preparing to jab the cyclop's eye) the offering of wine is still an act of Zenia. I think under these very straining circumstances Odysseus is as commendable as possible, and that Polyphemus is not. (Though can you really expect a man-eating monster to be hospitable?) I believe that Homer is making an effort to point out than neither of their actions are acceptable in Greek society. Polyphemus clearly does not fear Zeus, because he believes that cyclopes could easily overpower Zeus. He even goes as far as to say " I'd never spare you in fear of Zeus's hatred". Meaning that even the gods can not protect Odysseus from him.
ReplyDeleteAs stated on lines 201-214, the island that Polyphemus lived on was a very vast island. it is described by Odysseus in the shortest terms as "a cavern just at the shore, gaping above the surf, towering, overgrown with laurel." He also noted the big flocks of sheep and goats and the "quarried boulders that sunk deep in the earth and enormous pines and oak-trees looming darkly." I wouldn't say his behavior was commendable but it was acceptable. I mean if u got caught robbing a cyclops' house, (which is what Odysseus and his men did was break-in and enter), wouldn't you come up with some lie as to why you are there? You wouldn't just come out and tell the truth just to end up getting eaten. Similarly relating to his lie, this shows us that Odysseus is a very deceptive guest. This is shown while trying to cover up his fault, he remembered the most important thing between greek strangers and hosts, Xenia. He uses this to twist his story around to make it believable to Polyphemus that he was actually a lost guest. What back-fired on Odysseus was that Polyphemus had no respect for him and Zeus and showed no sign of Xenia. This relates to how bad of a host he is as shown in lines 306-316 of the Odyssey. The comment about Xenia gets Odysseus and his men in trouble. In a way, one could interpret that the deaths of his men that were cooked and eaten was because of the statement that he made to Polyphemus. However, Odysseus being so crafty with his actions and words gets him and his men off the island safely. For example, starting at line 388 you see how Odysseus trick the Cyclops with his words and says he brought the wine to make a "fine libation." The only part I don't understand is what made Polyphemus feel it was mandatory to drink the wine. From the description in the book, I could imagine him gulping down the drink like humans drink shots. I do have to give Odysseus props, because I wouldn't have thought about saying my name was Nobody so when the Cyclops cried out that "nobody" would come. This specific action committed by Odysseus was commendable in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Odyssey", the island of the Cyclops is described as "thick with woods where the wild goats breed by hundreds. No trampling of men to start them from their lairs, no hungers roughing it out on the woody ridges, stalking quarry, ever raid their haven." (lines 131-134) The nature of the Cyclopean society seems very vulgar and savage. There are many goats on the island and it states in the book "here big flocks, sheep and goats, were stalled to spend the nights," (lines 203-204). These animals are the cyclops' food. I think Odysseus' behavior is deserving pride and commendable because he did not succumb to the Cyclops when he told him to leave and threaten him. Odysseus' crew of fighters from his ship wanted to take the monster's cheese and then leave, afraid of being harmed by this large monster. I think we should praise him because it shows that he is a good leader and can lead his men through anything. Odysseus is a good guest because he brings a gift to the Cyclops which is the wine that Maron, Euanthes' son, gave him. However, Polyphemus, the cyclops, does not demonstrate xenia as he should. Even though Odysseus brought a gift, Polyphemus just drank all of the wine that Odysseus had and did not even demonstrate any of the acts of hospitality that should be made. Odysseus tried to break the ice with Polyphemus and related back to Zeus saying, "Respect the gods, my friend. We're suppliants-at your mercy! Zeus of the Strangers guards all guests and suppliants: strangers are sacred-Zeus will avenge their rights" (lines 303-305). Odysseus is talking about how wherever he goes, strangers are always welcomed and are protected by Zeus. The vice that gets Odysseus in trouble is his snide comments and retorts towards Polyphemus that makes the cyclops angry, but it is his fighting skills that get him out of it and help him save most of his men minus the few that Polyphemus ate. The behaviors encouraged by this story are being a leader and learning how to fight your own battles in creative and good ways. Behaviors discouraged are throwing back snide and arrogant comments that will get you into trouble.
ReplyDeleteI believed that Odysseus's behavior was both commendable and not commendable in this situation. His actions were commendable, because he went to the Cyclops's den and brought a gift of wine for Polyphemus. He also did not steal from Polyphemus like his comrades wanted him to. On there other hand, Odysseus clearly knew Cyclops were very unfriendly, and they were "blind to the law" . He first displayed characteristics of being a bad guest when he lied to Polyphemus about his ship. Also, he was a bad guest when he and his companions stabbed Polyphemus in the eye while he was sleeping. Since Odysseus knew they ways of the Cyclops, he should have been more cautions about his actions around them. Though, the main reason why Odysseus's behavior was acceptable was because Polyphemus was a terrible host. First of all, Polyphemus did not welcomely greet his guests, and he did not perform good manners of xenia. He called them strangers and demanded to know who they were. He also killed and ate most of his guests! If Polyphemus wanted to be treated well, he should have treated his guests kindly and respectfully. On page 226 lines 535 to 536 Odysseus says, "... you shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guests in your own house- so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!"
ReplyDeleteThese lines are saying that Polyphemus displayed terrible xenia by eating his guests in his own house. This gives Odysseus an excuse for blinding Polyphemus, and Odysseus explains that this occurred because Polyphemus failed to perform acceptable actions of hospitality. Hospitality was a big deal back in this time period, and it was considered disrespectful to the gods and to guests if you didn't preform xenia.
On page 228 lines 584 to 595, Polyphemus prayed to Poseidon to grant Polyphemus, his son, a curse upon Odysseus that he would never make it home, or he would return alone, extremely late, and to a home of pandemonium. This showed where Odysseus was at fault. Odysseus taunted Polyphemus when they were escaping from the Land of the Cyclops. This was what got Odysseus in trouble, because he could have gotten away safely without doing more harm. However, Odysseus was too proud and filled with too much hatred to control himself. It was because of this mistake that caused him to have such a painful and long journey home. The virtue that gets him out of it is his loyalty to Ithaca, his courage to brave through this journey, and his clever thinking. In this story, I think lying was condemned along with too much pride. Behavior that was approved would be the trickery to save yourself, along with bravery and courage.
The Cyclopean island there is thick woods and hundreds of goats. The island is empty of human kind, and it seems that they just feed off of the goats. They do not have any ships either. Throughout book 9 Odysseus is not a very good guest. The one good thing he did was bringing wine. He should not of just went into the cave and started eating he should of waited to be invited in by the Cyclopes. Polyphemus is not a good host. He is supposed to offer them entertainment and not question the until later. In the book Odysseus says, “Were at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest gift. “I think the vice that gets Odysseus into trouble is his curiosity. Because he is curious to see the island of the Cyclopes and then he is curious to enter the cave. His witty and crafty nature allows him to escape the sticky situation. I think this story approves of creativity but condemns too much curiosity.
ReplyDeleteIn this particular chapter, I think Odysseus' behavior, for the most part, is commendable. At other times, Odysseus is rude and ungrateful. He continuously keeps his men in line and is a good leader, but he is not a very good role model because of the poor choices he makes. For example, the way he handled the Cyclops was immature and unnecessary. When Odysseus and his men travel into the Cyclops' cave, he brings a gift of wine. In this way, he is being a good guest. At the same time, Odysseus demands a gift in return which is ungrateful of him. Also, Odysseus ends up hurting his host, which makes him a bad guest. In my opinion, Polythemus was not a very good host either. Instead of portraying xenia to his guests, Polythemus is very rude and refuses to give the men gifts. On the other hand, Polythemus does interrogate them about where they are from and what their names are. This is the one and only example of how Polythemus is hospitable in any way. At the end of the chapter on page 228, lines 585 through 587, state Polythemus yelling out "Hear me- Poseidon, god of the sea-blue mane who rocks the earth! If I am really your son and you claim to be my father-" This is not the full sentence, but from this, i realized that the Cyclops is the son of Poseidon. The trouble begins when Odysseus comes up with the idea to mess with Polythemus and ends with him stabbing his only eye to blind him. Although Odysseus makes it out of the cave alive, he doesn't completely get rid of his troubles because now Poseidon is after him as well. Overall, I think that the way Odysseus is always caring for and watching out for his men is a commendable behavior. I also think that the way Poseidon, Polythemus' father, sticks up for his son is very sweet. Despite this, I think that for the majority of this chapter, the behaviors are immature and not very commendable.
ReplyDeleteI personally think Odysseus’ initial behavior isn’t commendable, but he at least showed some respect for the host by waiting for him to come home. While I don’t think it’s right for him to enter the home and eat the food while the host isn’t there, it is much better than stealing the food and leaving like his men suggested. Odysseus starts out a pretty good guest. For example, when Polyphemus questions them he explains that they are simply guests at the mercy of the host. However, Odysseus and his men soon go from guests to intruders. Polyphemus shows complete and utter disregard for any form of Xenia, making him a terrible host. He even threatens them saying “I’d never spare you in fear of Zeus’ hatred,” on line 312 of page 220. Polyphemus also eats two of Odysseus’ own men. After all this, Odysseus wants revenge and being the crafty and clever man that he is, came up with a plan to blind the Cyclops. But he first gets Polyphemus to have a lot of wine. When Polyphemus asks Odysseus of his name, Odysseus tells him “nobody.” It is this witty response that gets him out of trouble later. After Odysseus blinded Polyphemus with the club, the Cyclops cried out and his friends heard him. Odysseus was in trouble now because he could have had to face Polyphemus’ friends. But because Odysseus said his name was “nobody,” Polyphemus cries to his friends “Nobody’s killing me now…” and his friends think nothing of it and leave. The virtue of deceit ultimately saves Odysseus in this situation. In this story, one can see that cleverness, lying, and rightfully deserved revenge are approved even though most of the time these are bad behaviors. The story condemns disregarding Xenia.
ReplyDeleteI believe that odysseus first behavior isn't commendable , but he did allow them to enter. He ate the food before the host offered it to him. Odysseus tricks Cyclops into making him think that his name is nobody, so when cyclops calls for help, he cries out that "nobody" is hurting him. Cyclops friends don't think anything of it and don't come to help. This shows the cleverness of Odysseus and he is able to escape being eaten by cyclops and is safe.
ReplyDeleteI believe O's behavior was commendable in some parts and in others not at all. It was commendable because he kept his army well organized and he waited for Polyphemus to come home. It was not very commendable because he took advantage of the giant by using his cunning words. As well as getting Polyphemus drunk and then stabbing him in the eye with an olive branch, therefore, blinding him. Even though O was a bad guest, Polyphemus was not a good hostess either. On page 226 lines 535 is shows that Polyphemus ate six of Odysseus'men and showed no forms of Xenia at all. Showing Xenia is very important in the Greek culture. Polyphemus has direct ties with Zeus because his father is Posiden. We, the readers know that because Polyphemus says that when hurting me you will get punished my Posiden, because he is my father. Odysseus wanted to make sure that he would not get in trouble or caught when stabbing Polyphemus in the eye, so he told Polyphemus that his name is "Nobody". So, when Polyphemus is being hurt all he can say is "Nobody is hurting me". Then no one is going to come rescue him. Odysseus sly ways with words gets him out of trouble and escapes safely from the island.
ReplyDeleteIn this book, I don't think that Odysseus' behavior was commendable. The only commendable thing he did was keep his army under control. He kept them from "plundering" the Cyclopses' home, which is quality of a good leader. Other than that, his behavior was not commendable at all. First of all, he comes into the Polyphemus' cave when he's not there. Not only does he walk in when the host is not there, he eats the Cyclops's food. In Greek culture, it is expected for everyone to show Xenia, or hospitality. But Xenia does not include the guests barging into someone's without them present. Xenia certainly does not include guests stealing food. Even thought Odysseus is a horrible guest, Polyphemus is not a very good host either. He is not only very rude to them, but he also eats six of Odysseus' men. Odysseus first gets the Cyclops drunk, and then tells Polyphemus that his name is "no one." Then, Odysseus stabs him in the eye. When Polyphemus tries to call for help, he says "No one is hurting me!" Therefore, nobody comes to help him. Odysseus; cunningness and his talent with words got him out of the problem, but also got Poseidon really mad at him. This is because the Cyclops was Poseidon's son. Poseidon's wrath made it even more difficult for Odysseus to get home to Ithaca.
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