Poseidon And Odysseus Comparison

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The painting above depicts a scene from an ancient Greek poem known as “The Odyssey.” Odysseus and his men are journeying their way towards their homeland, Ithaca, Greece after their ten-year long battle, famously known as the “Trojan War.” They endured many hardships trying to get back their hometown. The one hardship that stood out the most and has been repeated throughout English literature is the story of Odysseus and a cyclops, named Polyphemus, who is the son of Poseidon. The name of the painting above is “Odysseus and Polyphemus,” painted by a well-known Swedish painter named Arnold Bocklin in 1896. This painting captures a victorious moment when a group of tireless and determined group of likeminded people outsmarted the cyclops. Bocklin sets our attention on the coastline of the island where cascades of dangerous waves erupt in white foam. The waves caused by stormy weather rock the boat violently back and forth. It is clear that a terrible storm is approaching while Odysseus and his men are trying their best to row in unison. A vivid drama unfolds between Odysseus and the cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men are the protagonist. They are seen riding on a small, but…show more content…
What we did not see in the painting was that before Odysseus left the island, he was taunting Polyphemus. When Odysseus and his men were at a safe distance, Odysseus told Polyphemus his true identity. Odysseus said that his name was not “No Man,” it is “Odysseus” (Newton, p. 1). Here, Odysseus essentially made a fool out of Polyphemus. For this reason, Polyphemus became outraged and called upon his father, Poseidon, to bring anger towards the ocean (Newton, p. 2). The painting, “Odysseus and Polyphemus,” portrays a descriptive explanation of the drama between the protagonist and antagonist. An in depth understanding of the story allows the onlooker to appreciate the painting so much
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