Homer has touched on a universal theme, the lure of oblivion through drugs. Aug 18, 2011 the text for this translation and the short synopses of the sections into which the book is divided, are taken from the edition of the odyssey, book ix, edited by j. At dusk polyphemus returned, milked his sheep and goats, and ate two more men for dinner. Hospitality is a very important and widely recurring theme hosts who do not give good hospitality are usually punished. With apparent ease, they sack the city, kill the men, enslave the women, and enjoy a. Hospitality in the odyssey by ciara nicolaou on prezi.
We sailed hence, always in much distress, till we came to the land of the lawless and inhuman cyclopes. Polyphemus at first shows hospitality but soon turns hostile and devours two of. He devours two of odysseuss men on the spot and imprisons odysseus and the rest in his cave for future meals. Phemius, the renowned ithacan bard, outlines the tale early in the odyssey 1. The odyssey book ix major themes graphic organizer intervention from gods help from women hospitality moderation tragic hero dark word of zeus for us, our evil days l. When odysseus curiosity leads him to polyphemus cave, his men want to raid it and leave. In thanks for the wine, polyphemus promised to eat him last and fell asleep, vomiting human flesh. The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. May 12, 2017 the story of odysseus and the cyclops polyphemus. Start a free trial of quizlet plus by thursday lock in 50% off all year try it free. Odysseus introduces himself and begins his story, starting with the moment his men leave troy. We assume youll extend hospitality or suffer the wrath of zeus, protector of. Book 9 quiz study set learn with flashcards, games, and more for free.
For this post, i want to focus on the polyphemus section. As the giant became drunk, odysseus mentioned that his own name was nobody. Odysseus is a bona fide hero and exemplifies some of the best qualities of mankind. Following the victory at troy, he and his men sail to ismarus, the stronghold of the cicones. Poseidons proposal to punish the hospitable phaeacians with special ties to. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Get an answer for in book 9 of homers odyssey, what can we learn about the. There may be a lot of justice in the odyssey, but there isnt a court of law to be found.
Polyphemus belongs to a second generation of cyclopes who were less powerful than the first generation, yet were still feared for their great size. According to the ancient greek rules concerning hospitality, polyphemus ought to have made them welcome and given them food and. And ulysses answered, king alcinous, it is a good thing to hear a bard with such a divine voice as this man has. Book ix of the odyssey is called nekuia, which is an ancient greek rite used to summon and question ghosts. Justice seems to be based around some divine sense of causeandeffect. The next four books books 9 12 deal with the heros wanderings and are the most widely known in the epic. The reader learns about the characters through the themes. The odyssey books 912 summary and analysis gradesaver. Odysseus wants to take his sword to polyphemus right then, but he knows that only polyphemus is strong enough to move the rock that he has placed across the. Layers of meaning in the odyssey if you would like to learn more about some of the hidden themes throughout the odyssey, such as spiritual growth, loyalty, perseverance, and hospitality, take a look at this site. Polyphemos is the oneeyed giant son of poseidon and thoosa in greek mythology, one of the cyclopes described in homers odyssey. At the close of the ninth book of the odyssey odysseus and the other survivors. There is nothing better or more delightful than when a whole people make merry together, with the guests sitting orderly to listen, while the table is loaded with bread and meats, and the.
Next morning, he breakfasted on another two, and imprisoned the rest in the cave. We discussed one of these themes, hospitality, and the other themes on this webpage are very interesting as well. The odyssey can be thought of as a manual for a host of how to and how not to show hospitality to a guest and vice versa. Usually, when mythic heroes undertake the dangerous voyage to the underworld, its for the. Polyphemus and his fellow brutes have no laws, no councils, and no traditions of civility or hospitality. Polyphemus is a deformed, oneeyed brute who plays the role of an archvillain.
The king of gods, zeus, supports proper hospitality. Polyphemus, the cyclops, and son of poseidon lacks in hospitality which was an unwritten rule among the greeks. At the end of book nine, odysseus reveals his name to polyphemus in. Odysseus offered polyphemus his strong wine, and polyphemus drank three bowls. Wise to the cruel behavior of the cyclops, odysseus gives him the name. When the cyclops polyphemus was his name came home that afternoon. The men feel it was a foolish act because of the curse polyphemus placed on odysseus. Theme of hospitality in the odyssey 785 words bartleby. Once odysseus sees how rich polyphemus is, he refuses his mens request to. What is the theme of hospitality in the odyssey 857 words 4 pages. Purchase a copy of this text not necessarily the same edition from. Odysseus insists on staying to try the hospitality of the owner, a decision that ultimately results in the death of several of his men. But his pride in his name foreshadows odysseus questionable judgment in identifying himself during the escape from polyphemus. Each form of hospitality, whether generous or cruel, distinguishes the civilized hosts from those who are not.
Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. Summary after identifying himself to the phaeacians at the feast, odysseus tells the story. Odysseus encountered him on his return from troy and became trapped in the giants cave. In the odyssey, what laws of behavior and attitude does. We learn that poseidon, god of the sea, holds a grudge though we dont know exactly why against odysseus and is making the guys voyage home a pretty difficult one. The cyclops lack of hospitality is meant to be symbolic, i think. Apr 11, 2015 odysseus eventually blinds the cyclops and escapes through trickery, causing polyphemus to pray to his father, poseidon, for revenge upon odysseus. Maron was also known for being the charioteer of dionysus the greek god of wine so it can be assumed that the 12 jugs of his best wine are the twelve best.
The odyssey book 9 flashcards flashcard machine create. The odyssey quizzes about important details and events in every section of the book. Stephen holliday odysseus uses his wit, one of his great heroic attributes, to trick the cyclops. To escape the hero plied him with wine and as he slept plunged a burning stake into his eye.
Hospitality in the odyssey essay 479 words bartleby. There is nothing better or more delightful than when a whole people make merry together, with the guests sitting orderly to listen, while the table is loaded with bread and meats, and the cupbearer draws wine and fills his. Jan 29, 2020 polyphemus then sealed his fate by offering odysseus a guestgift, or xenia. The major themes in the odyssey are especially significant because they serve to form the moral and ethical constitution of most of the characters. Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. In book 9 of homers odyssey, what can we learn about the guest. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 9 12 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. His experiences range from the generous hospitality of the phaeacians to the deathly hospitality of the cyclops.
After his crew plundered ismaros, a coastal town of the kikones, they fought the army of the kikones. When odysseus first encounters the cyclops, odysseus entreats him to show them hospitality in the name of the gods. Polyphemus polyphemos cyclops giant of greek mythology. Polyphemus first appeared as a savage maneating giant in the ninth book of the odyssey. Polyphemos polyphemus was a maneating kyklops cyclops gianta monster with a single, orbshaped eye in the middle of his forehead. The caves inhabitant soon returnsit is the cyclops polyphemus, the son of poseidon. I took with me a goatskin filled with dark sweet wine that maron, son of euanthes, priest of apollo guardian god of ismarus, had given me, because. The odyssey was originally written by homer, an ancient greek, and has been translated by many different people. Lord alcinous, most illustrious of men, it is a fine thing, in truth, to hear a bard such as this, with a godlike voice. He requested hospitality, but the cyclops, scorning the gods and the ways of men, devoured two of odysseus companions. Zeus of the strangers guards all guests and suppliants. In the odyssey, by homer, odysseus experiences various forms of hospitality.
The internet classics archive the odyssey by homer. Telemachus, the focus of the first four books of the odyssey, provides an early example of good hospitality as both a host and a guest. Students familiar with some of the legends of the odyssey but new to the epic itself might be surprised to see that the section on the lotuseaters is only about twentyfive lines long 9. The odyssey books 16 summary and analysis gradesaver. The cyclops, polyphemus, was a bad host to odysseus and his men. May 23, 20 by contrast with the phaecians, odysseus had previously met the race of the cyclops, whose chief iniquity seems to be that they did not practice the norm of hospitality. I say myself there is nothing more delightful than when all the people feel this joy, and the banqueters sit in their rows, listening to the minstrel in the hall, tables in. Last week, i discussed my experience reading the odyssey in the original greek.
In it, odysseus tells his king alcinous all about his fantastic and unusual trip to the underworld in which he did just that. Back in ithaka, odysseus tests eumaios hospitality, until eumaios takes offense at the beggars insinuations of being a burden and welcomes him to stay until telemachos returns. Soon the caves inhabitant, cyclops polyphemus, the son of poseidon, returns. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 912 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. The odyssey book 9 the cyclops lyrics in this passage, odysseus and his men have just escaped the land of the lotuseaters, where they given fruit causing the crew to forget about going home. Polyphemus grabs two of odysseus men, beats them dead, and eats them whole. The annenberg cpbproject provided support for entering this text. Odysseus had ventured with twelve picked men into the cave of polyphemus, a cyclops and son of poseidon.
Odyssey essay on hospitality, an essay fiction fictionpress. The details are not articulated there either, but the story of ajaxs attempted rape of cassandra in athenas temple and the lack of punishment meted out to him by the greeks would have been well known. In book 1, athena comes to ithaca in disguise as the hero mentes to convince. The more complicated a character is, the more he or she engages these major themes. Book ix and ulysses answered, king alcinous, it is a good thing to hear a bard with such a divine voice as this man has. Polyphemus was expected to welcome the visitors and offer them presents, but the. Odysseus reveals his name and homeland to alcinous, and says calypso held him against his will prior to his arrival.
Odysseus responded that they were achaeans that had lost their way home, and urged the cyclops, whose name was polyphemus, to obey custom, respect the. Muir, and published by the bristol classical press, 1980. Summary after identifying himself to the phaeacians at the feast, odysseus tells the story of his wanderings. Odysseus has escaped from the sea and has been received at the court of king alcinous.