The Demise Of The Cyclops In The Odyssey, By Homer
851 Words4 Pages
The story of the Cyclops in The Odyssey is brief, yet greatly important to the meaning of the book as a whole. As a continuation of The Iliad, The Odyssey continues to aid the Greek people as they enter the crossroads of civilization, in hopes to lead them down the right path. Throughout The Iliad and now in the story of the Cyclops, Homer has consistently presented the consequences of following a warlike way of life, thus leading the Greek people away from that road. In this story Homer provides proof for this ideology, thus continuing to further the Greek people down the right path. When Homer introduces the Cyclops they are described as so, “lawless brutes, who trust so to the everlasting gods they never plant with their own hands or plow…show more content… As a final note against the self-serving, prideful ways of their ancestors, Homer uses Odysseus to prove his final point. After Odysseus had craftily tricked the Cyclops into allowing his men to escape, he turned his back and pridefully cursed Polyphemus over and over never stopping to check his rage. Unfortunately, this folly cost Odysseus a safe and quick return home causing him to voyage on the seas for another nine years before his return. “So headstrong―why? Why rile the beast again? . . . So they begged but they could not bring my fighting spirit round. I called back with another burst of anger, ‘Cyclops―if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so―say Odysseus . . .” (Homer, 227). Here Odysseus, who was fortunate enough to escape the island of the Cyclops became prideful in his own cleverness and could not help but to send his gratuitous remarks back the Cyclops’ way. Even Odysseus’ men knew better than to further enrage the Cyclops. And though they tried to stop Odysseus, he would not calm down and he continued to hurl insults at the Cyclops. Furthermore, prior to Odysseus’ arrival at the island of the Cyclops, he has a brief encounter with the Cicones. Homer showed that as a warlike people, conquering others will only cause them to retaliate and return stronger. Coincidentally, the