1. Pages 898 – 907 The Conflict with the Cyclopes
The Odyssey
Pages 898 – 907
The Conflict with the Cyclopes

2. Page 898 Date? “The Odyssey” Characters The Cyclopes
Heroism of Odysseus
Conflict
Odysseus v internal
The anti- Greeks
They have no community, no history, no law and order, no farming
“A Shaggy mountain reared in solitude”
Odysseus puts his own life before his men’s lives.
Odysseus doesn’t know whether the Cyclopes are wild / lawless men or hospitable and God fearing.

3. Page 899
Euanthe’s Wine
Brought as an offering or trade to the possibly hospitable people of the island.
Much stronger than the wine we have today.
Brings a wine skin or a bottle of it to the Cyclopes.

4. Page 900 Date? The Odyssey Setting The Cave of the Cyclopes Conflict
Odysseus v. His Men
Heroism of Odysseus
Faults of Osysseus
Lots of cheeses
Lots of goats
Goat milk or “whey”
However everything is oversized
Odysseus’ men want to take the goats, cheese, and whey and leave.
Odysseus wants to meet the Cyclopes and more importantly he does not want to steal.
Odysseus does not steal, this shows us that stealing was
un-heroic.
Constantly on a quest for knowledge.
- Odysseus is always a little too curious. He did not have to meet the Cyclopes.

5. Conflict Odysseus vs. The Boulder in The Door
As the Cyclopes comes home he does not see the men in his cave at first.
He goes about his normal behavior.
This begins by putting a boulder in the doorway that
“ Two dozen four-wheeled wagons, with heaving wagon teams, could not have stirred the tonnage of that rock from where he wedged it over the doorsill.”

6. Scary Cyclopes

7. Page 902 Date? The Odyssey Faults of Odysseus Reaction of the Cyclopes
Heroism of Odysseus
Arrogance:
Odysseus acts like he is better than the Cyclopes.
He does not realize that the Cyclopes is related to the Gods.
Threatens Zeus’ wrath if the Cyclopes doesn’t trade with them.
Calls Odysseus a “ninny” or an idiot
Wants to know where the rest of Odysseus’ men are.
Intelligence / guile:
Odysseus sees through the Cyclopse’s question and does not give away the location of the other men.
Tells him that he is shipwrecked and the other men are dead.

8. Odysseus thinks he’s so cool!

9. Page 903 Date? The Odyssey Conflict
Odysseus v. The Cyclopes’ cannabalism
Heroism of Odysseus
The Cyclopes eats two of Odysseus’ men … eating them like a mountain lion (simile).
Odysseus rushes to kill the Cyclopes, but thinks first.
If he kills him they will be locked inside the cave forever.
Intelligence and self control
Wants to kill the Cyclopes but realizes that he has to figure a way out of the cave first.

10. Odysseus Plans His Escape…

11. Page 904 Date? The Odyssey Heroism of Odysseus Conflict
Odysseus v the sleeping Cyclopes
Craftiness / creativity
Looks around the cave and comes up with a plan to use a sharpened oar to stab the Cyclopes in the eye after he falls asleep.
Odysseus chooses his 5 best men left for the attack
Gets the Cyclopes drunk on Euanthe’s wine.
After the Cyclopes passes out they heat the spear in the fire.
They blind him and hide in the cave.

12. Cyclops the light weight…

13. Page 906 Date? The Odyssey Heroism of Odysseus
Intelligence / forethought / guile
The Cyclopes asks for Odysseus’ name
Odysseus tells him that his name is “Nohbody”.
He does not give the Cyclopes his name because with his name, the Cyclopes would be able to curse him.
No fear, leadership, encouraging
While he attacks the Cyclopes, he does not hesitate .
He is obviously the General ordering his men on in the fight.
He maintains a positive attitude in the face of danger.

14. The dangers of alcohol!

15. Page 907 Date? The Odyssey Character Polyphemus Conflict
Polyphemus Internal
Heroism of Odysseus
The name of the Cyclopes with whom the men have been fighting.
Polyphemus thinks that Odysseus’ name is “Nohbody”
When he calls out to the other Cyclopes, they do not come to help because they think he has hurt himself or is sick
No community: They don’t care, tell him to pray to Zeus for a cure.
Intelligence / forethought
Polyphemus tries to tempt Odysseus into running out of the cave, but squats over the entrance.
Odysseus sees the temptation… He is not fooled.

16. Page 908 Date ? The Odyssey Heroism of Odysseus Conflict
Polyphemus v. Internal
Creativity / Intelligence
Odysseus uses the sheep and goats as a way to escape Polyphemus’ cave.
Putting others before yourself.
Odysseus is the last of his men to leave the cave.
Polyphemus doesn’t understand why the lead ram is not in front of all the other sheep.
He believes the Ram must feel sorry for him and losing his eye.

17. Page 910 Date ? The Odyssey Heroic Traits of Odysseus Flaw / Faults
Boastful
Odysseus has to let Polyphemus know who put him down. He has to get the fame that comes with blinding the Cyclopes.
- Arrogance
Because of his boasting, Odysseus gives away his name and location.
Polyphemus can now curse him and attempt to sink his ships.

18. Page 911 Date? The Odyssey Conflict: Polyphemus v. Internal
Polyphemus was told that Odysseus was coming and that he would blind him.
He did not think that Odysseus was the man that was foretold because he was so small and puny.
He did not expect to be tricked.
He wants Odysseus to come back and be “friends” with him.

19. Page 912 Date ? The Odyssey Conflict Odysseus v. Supernatural Force
Odysseus v. Zeus
Polyphemus curses Odysseus because he refuses to come back and be friends with him.
The curse states:
That Odysseus never see his home.
That if it is his destiny to reach home, let it take him a long time to get there.
Let him lose his men before he gets there.
Odysseus knows that things are going to go badly for him because Zeus rejects O’s sacrificial offering.
He knows that destruction of his ship and crew are a destiny they can not avoid.