Why does odysseus surprise polyphemus

When Polyphemus let his sheep out into the pasture, Odysseus and the remaining crew rode out with the sheep. Odysseus gives Polyphemus a false name and then Odysseus and the men find a large olive stump and sharpen it into a massive spear. They then hide it and then Odysseus and the men feed Polyphemus wine until he is drunk and then they Odysseus and the men spear Polyphemus' eye, blinding him and then Odysseus and the men hide underneath the sheep, with Odysseus hiding beneath the largest ram.

Odysseus and his men wait in the cyclops cave, as Odysseus is curious as to who the cyclops is. As Polyphemus brings in his sheep, he spots the men in the cave. He did not give Polyphemus a name. Polyphemus beseeches his father to punish Odysseus for blinding him under trickery.

Because Polyphemus is Poseidon's son, and Poseidon wants Odysseus to never make it home. Log in. The Odyssey. Study now. See Answer. Best Answer. Study guides. The Odyssey 20 cards. What did Penelope take from the wooers. How did Odysseus kill Antinous. What did the soothsayer theoclymenos say concerning the fate of the wooers. How long after he had been gone did Odysseus return to Ithaca. The Odyssey 21 cards. Which scenario is the best example of public health promotion.

What character would be the best example of an archetype. What is the function of an antagonist in a story. What is the purpose of a society's oral tradition. Who is the father of Odysseus. Who does the real beggar Irus want to fight in the book Odyessey. Q: Why does Odysseus surprise polyphemus? Write your answer Related questions. Who is polyphemus from Odysseus? What was Polyphemus's relation to Odysseus? Why are the cyclops surprised it was Odysseus? New Ability or Eclectic Traits?

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Princeton, NJ. Slatkin , L. In: Schein , ed. Stanford , W. The Ulysses Theme. A Study in the Adaptability of a Traditional Hero. Vernant , J. The Refusal of Odysseus. Van Wees , H. Status Warriors. War, Violence and Society in Homer and History. Wilson , E. Reference Works. Primary source collections.

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Online Publication Date: 03 May Abstract Metadata References Metrics. Having gained victory and considerable plunder, Odysseus wants to be on his way. His men, on the other hand, drink and feast as the Cicones gather reinforcements, skilled warriors who eventually rout the Greeks. Odysseus loses six men from each of his ships and is lucky to get away by sea.

Odysseus escapes, but storms and a strong north wind drive his ships off course. As he rounds Cape Malea near Cythera, north and slightly west of Crete , he needs only to swing north by northwest miles or so to be home. The winds drive him away. Nine days later, he reaches the land of the Lotus-eaters. Homeric geography is suspect, but some scholars place this at or near Libya.

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 Lotus-eaters is only about twenty-five lines long 9.

Homer has touched on a universal theme, the lure of oblivion through drugs. The Lotus-eaters have no interest in killing the Greeks; the danger is the lotus and the forgetfulness it causes. This time, Odysseus' judgment prevails, and he manages to get his men back to sea before too many are seduced by the honey-sweet fruit that wipes out ambition and memory.

The Cyclops, whom the wanderers visit next, contrast most vividly with the Phaeacians. The Phaeacians once lived near the Cyclops but moved to Scheria to avoid the lawless brutes. While the Phaeacians are civilized and peace loving, the Cyclops have no laws, no councils, and no interest in civility or hospitality.

It is during this episode that Odysseus' judgment comes into question. Having feasted on goat meat on an offshore island, Odysseus and his men could move on. However, Odysseus is curious about who lives on the mainland. Taking a dozen of his best men, as well as a skin of extremely strong wine that he received from a priest of Apollo, Odysseus sets out to investigate a cavern near the mainland shore.

It is the lair of Polyphemus, a Cyclops. Discovering abundant food in the cave, the men want to raid it and sail off, but Odysseus insists on staying to try the hospitality of the owner, who proves to be no charming host. Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon and nearly as powerful as the gods himself, scoffs at the concept of hospitality and welcomes his guests by devouring two for supper and trapping the rest inside his cave for later meals.

When the Cyclops leaves, Odysseus devises a plan. From an olivewood that the giant uses as a club, the Greeks fashion a pointed lance about a fathom six feet long and char the point to hardness. When Cyclops returns that night, he downs two more men for supper, and Odysseus offers him the skin's contents.