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Why does Odysseus not kill polyphemus when he first gets the opportunity to do so?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Because Polyphemus is the only one who can move the big rock that is blocking the cave.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Odysseus decides not to kill Polyphemus immediately because he knows that only Polyphemus can remove the boulder blocking the cave's entrance, needed for their escape. If he killed Polyphemus while he was asleep, they would be trapped inside the cave. Odysseus chooses to bide his time and come up with a plan to outsmart Polyphemus instead.
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How does Odysseus get Polyphemus to fall asleep?
Odysseus gets Polyphemus to fall asleep by giving him wine that causes him to become drunk. Odysseus then takes advantage of this opportunity to blind Polyphemus while he is sleeping.
What aspects of Odysseus' character are revealed in the incident with the cyclops Polyphemus?
In this incident, Odysseus shows his cunning and strategic thinking when he comes up with the plan to blind Polyphemus by getting him drunk on wine and then attacking him. He also displays his courage and leadership by being the mastermind behind the plan and leading his men through the dangerous and uncertain situation. Additionally, his arrogance and pride are revealed in his taunting of Polyphemus after blinding him, which ultimately leads to further challenges for him and his crew.
What test does Odysseus pass to prove that he is Penelope's husband?
Penelope asks Odysseus if he will arrange to have his bed moved out of their bedroom while she gets used to him being home. Odysseus replies that this is impossible because the bed is built around a tree which grows within and forms a fundamental part of the structure of the palace and so to move it would be impossible. Only Odysseus would have known this and so he passes Penelope's test.
What is an example of telemachus immaturity?
An example of Telemachus' immaturity is when he gets offended or angry easily at challenges to his authority, such as when the suitors insult him in the presence of his mother, Penelope. He is also hesitant and unsure of himself when it comes to taking charge of the situation in the absence of his father, Odysseus.
Multiple questions for the odyssey by Homer chapters 21 - 24?
SETTING OF ODDYSSEY CHAPTER 21 Years after the end of the Trojan War, the Greek hero Odysseus still hasn't come home to Ithaka, and many believe him to be dead. In fact, as Homer immediately lets us know, Odysseus is being held captive (for the purposes of sex, believe it or not) on the island of the goddess Kalypso. To make matters worse, Poseidon, the god of the sea, is ticked off at Odysseus, and sees no reason to let him get home. Back in Ithaka, Odysseus's wife Penelope is getting swarmed by a horde of unwanted suitors. Odysseus and Penelope's son, Telemachos, now a teenager, gets visited by the goddess Athene (who was always chummy with Odysseus). She tells him to go in search of news of his missing father. He takes her advice, first traveling to Pylos to visit King Nestor. Nestor takes him in, feeds him well - and then tells him to go see King Menelaos in Sparta. Once again, he does as he's told. In Sparta, Telemachos learns from Menelaos that Odysseus is alive and…well, being held captive on Kalypso's island. Menelaos also tells Telemachos about how his brother, King Agamemnon, was killed upon his return home from Troy by his unfaithful wife, Klytaimestra, and her lover, Aigisthos. Agamemnon was avenged by his son Orestes, who killed the murderers in return for their treachery. This isn't important to the plotline as much as it is a thematic point - it raises the question of whether Odysseus will be killed when he gets home, and, if so, whether Telemachos will step up to avenge his father's death. Meanwhile, back in Ithaka, Penelope's suitors plot to ambush and kill Telemachos when he returns home. Oh, the tension! Up on Mount Olympos, where the gods all hang out, the goddess Athene asks her father, Zeus, the King of the gods, to have mercy on Odysseus and force Kalpyso to release him. Zeus says, "Whatever," and in no time, Odysseus sails off on a makeshift raft. Unfortunately, Poseidon whips up some storms, and instead of getting home, Odysseus washes ashore in the land of the Phaiakians. Fortunately, Athene makes the resident princess, Nausikaa, develop a crush on him. Nausikaa takes him home to meet her parents, the King and Queen of Phaiakia. In return for their hospitality, Odysseus tells them everything that's happened to him since the end of the Trojan War: Odysseus left Troy with a ship of his Ithakan men. At their first stop, they plundered the locals' stuff. Several storm-tossed days later, they landed on the island of the Lotus-eaters. A few guys ate the lotus flower and forgot their homes and families, and had to be taken back to the ship by force. Next, Odysseus and his men came to the land of the Cyclopses - giant one-eyed monsters. Odysseus and his men stumbled into a cave, which, unfortunately, belonged to one of these man-eating creatures. The Cyclops sealed the entrance to the cave with a huge boulder and ate a few of the Ithakans. Odysseus kept his cool, though, and told the monster his name was "Nobody." Then he got the Cyclops drunk on wine and stabbed it in the eye with a sharpened log. When the creature - whose name turns out to be Polyphemos - cried out that "Nobody is killing me," the other Cyclopses were like, "Then pipe down, already!" Odysseus is one clever dude. Next, Odysseus tied his men under the bellies of Polyphemos's flock of sheep. The next morning, when the blinded monster opened the cave to let them out to pasture, he only touched the tops of the sheep to make sure nobody was riding them - and was duped again. The actual "Nobody" made his escape last, clinging to a ram. (Here's a picture of his escape.) The problem is, as Odysseus was sailing away with his men, his ego got the better of him. He taunted the Cyclops, telling him his real name. This was a dumb idea because Polyphemos was the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. He prayed to his father to make Odysseus suffer. And suffer. And lose all his men. And maybe die too. This is why Poseidon hates our hero so much. Next, Odysseus and his men came to the island of Aiolos, god of the wind. He helped Odysseus out by putting all the winds - except for the west-bound breeze they needed - into a nice little bag. Unfortunately, Odysseus didn't tell his men what's in the bag. On the way home, they opened it up, thinking it was full of treasure. Big mistake. All the winds jumped out and ran riot, thus driving them to the island of Circe, a sorceress. She turned many of the men into pigs. With the help of the gods, Odysseus got his men turned back into humans and had sex with Circe. For a year. Then one of his men said, "Can we get going already?" and Odysseus said, "OK." But then Circe instructed them that they had to go the Underworld and get advice from the prophet Teiresias. So off they went. Teiresias prophesied that Odysseus would make it home, but not without difficulty. Odysseus spoke to several other famous dead people (like his war buddies Achilleus and Agamemnon). He also met the ghost of his mother, Antikleia, who had died of grief over her son's prolonged absence. Then, after a quick pit stop back at Circe's island, where they got some more directions, Odysseus and his men sailed on. Soon, they passed by the Sirens, monstrous women with beautiful voices who try to lure sailors to their deaths. Odysseus made his men plug their ears and tie him to the mast so he could listen to the song without chasing after it. In this way, he became the only man to hear the Sirens' song and survive. Next they met two horrible monsters, also female, named Skylla and Charybdis. As predicted by Circe, Skylla (who has six heads) ate six Ithakans; the rest barely escaped Charybdis (a giant vortex who sucks up the sea and vomits it back out again). After that they landed on the island of Helios, the sun god, where his very special cattle were kept. Despite having been warned by Teiresias and Circe not to eat the cattle, Odysseus's men couldn't control their hunger. Bad call. Not long afterward, everyone died in a storm - except for Odysseus. He wound up on Kalypso's island, where he was held prisoner for seven years. So, that's it for Odysseus's story to the Phaiakians. They are so moved by his suffering that they load him up with treasure and ferry him back to Ithaka. (Unfortunately, in return for their trouble, the god Poseidon turns them and their ship into stone.) Once Odysseus gets home, Athene disguises him as a beggar so he can scope out the situation. Odysseus then recruits the assistance of the swineherd, Eumaios, who puts him up for the night while Athene flies to Sparta to retrieve Telemachos. When Telemachos gets back, Odysseus reveals himself to his son. Then Odysseus heads to the palace, still disguised as a beggar. Without revealing his true identity, he talks to Penelope and tries to convince her that Odysseus is on his way home. She doesn't believe him. Odysseus uses this opportunity to see which of his servants are still loyal to the household and which have joined the suitors. At a certain point, Penelope, tired of waiting around, offers the suitors a test: she sets up a contest of physical prowess and declares that she will marry the winner. The deal is, all the men have to try to string Odysseus's old bow and shoot it through the heads of twelve axes. Many suitors try and fail - until the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) asks for a chance to try. He succeeds, drops the disguise, and, with the help of Telemachos, several loyal servants, and Athene's protection, kills all the suitors in a massive and bloody slaughter. Then Odysseus reunites with his wife, and everything seems hunky-dory - except for the detail that he's just killed all the young noblemen of Ithaka and their parents are furious. The next morning, Odysseus leaves the palace, reunites with his father Laertes, and lays low while the angry moms and dads start looking for vengeance. Just when it looks like more violence is on the way, Athene appears and tells everyone to just quit it already: let's all settle down and get along. This sounds like a good idea to everyone, and peace is restored in Ithaka.
How does Odysseus blind the cyclops Polyphemus?
Odysseus cuts a 6 foot pole off a giant green olive club, tells his men to sharpen it, and then afterwards hides it in the cave. When the cyclops returns home, Odysseus then proceeds to get the cyclops Polyphemus drunk. Polyphemus does so, and falls asleep. Odysseus and his men thrust the pole into the fire to heat it. When it is just about to ignite, they grab the pole and thrust it, flaming, into the cyclops Polyphemus' eye, turning it like a screw.
In Odyssey what happens to the cyclops in the end?
In the end of the Odyssey, the cyclops Polyphemus is blinded by Odysseus and his men before they escape from his cave. As a result of this act, Polyphemus calls upon his father Poseidon to seek revenge on Odysseus, leading to further challenges in Odysseus' journey back home.
Why do none of the other cyclopes help polyphemus after he is blinded?
Other cyclopes do not help Polyphemus after he is blinded by Odysseus and his men because they are not portrayed as a united community in Greek mythology. Each cyclops is depicted as individualistic and living in solitude in their own caves, so there is no sense of camaraderie or unity among them to come to Polyphemus's aid.
What aspects of Odysseus' character are revealed in the incident with the cyclops Polyphemus?
In this incident, Odysseus shows his cunning and strategic thinking when he comes up with the plan to blind Polyphemus by getting him drunk on wine and then attacking him. He also displays his courage and leadership by being the mastermind behind the plan and leading his men through the dangerous and uncertain situation. Additionally, his arrogance and pride are revealed in his taunting of Polyphemus after blinding him, which ultimately leads to further challenges for him and his crew.
What aspects of Odysseus character are revealed in the incident with the cyclops?
His curiousity - He wishes to know what the people of the cyclops are like. His greed - He wishes to receive gifts from the cyclops. His courage - He is the first to speak to the cyclops because the others are too afraid. His wisdom - He wisely recognizes that killing the Cyclops would trap them in the cave. His intelligence - Odysseus creates a plan to escape the cave. His skill with tools - Odysseus is able to sharpen the olive trunk into a sharp point. His physical prowess - Odysseus drives the olive trunk into Polyphemus' eye like a screw. His patience - Odysseus waits patiently to escape the cave, waiting until dawn to try to escape. His charisma - Odysseus gets Polyphemus to relax and has him accept his gift of wine. His skill with words - Odysseus cleverly gives Polyphemus a fake name His leadership skills - Odysseus is able to get his men to not kill the cyclops immediately, but aid him with his plan to escape. Furthermore, he makes sure his entire crew is out of the cave before he leaves himself. His arrogance - Odysseus taunts Polyphemus as he leaves the island. His stubbornness - Even after his crew begs him not to, Odysseus continues to taunt Polyphemus.
What do Odysseus and his men do to Polyphemus the Cyclops before they escape?
Gets him drunkOdysseus gets Polyphemus drunk on wine, so much so that Polyphemus falls into a deep sleep.Pokes out his eyeWhen Polyphemus has fallen asleep, Odysseus and his men grab a large burning log, and wrap leather around the end. They thrust the burning log into the Cyclops Polyphemus' eye, at the same time pulling the leather around the log so that the flaming log burrows like a screw into his eye. This blinds Polyphemus and causes him to bleed profusely.Makes him look like a foolOdysseus earlier tricks Polyphemus by saying his name is No Man, or Nobody. After having his eye gouged, Polyphemus cries out for help saying "Nobody is hurting me!", making the other Cyclops laugh at Polyphemus' ridiculousness.Taunts himAs Odysseus and his crew are escaping, Odysseus taunts Polyphemus, revealing his true name.
What are examples of Odysseus being smart and cunning in order to stay alive?
We'll first he gets Polyphemus drunk and then stabs his eye out and then he ties his men to the underside of sheep and they escape. He also plugs his ears with beeswax when approaching the sirens
Why Odysseus cursed in the beginning of the book the odyssey?
He is cursed because he blinds Polyphemus, the cyclops, and Polyphemus just happens to be Posiedons son. Posiedon gets really mad at him and vows that he will return home a broken crew-less man, if he returns at all. So he causes a lot of trouble for Odysseus because in order to get home he must travel on the sea, which also happens to be Posiedon's realm.
Whom did Odysseus spare death?
Odysseus spares the cyclops Polyphemus' life, rather than risk further casualties. He also spares Circe's life in exchange for her promising to do no harm to him and go to bed with him. When he gets back to Ithaca, he spares Phemius the minstrel, and Medon the herald.
What language does Odysseus use to the Cyclops?
He calls himself "Nobody" or "No-Man". He also gets the Cyclops drunk and pretends to be "Nobody" instead of himself. Polyphemus (cyclops) gets drunk and asks Odysseus his name. He replied with "Nobody." As the cyclops falls down and collapses, Odysseus and his mean put red hot staff into his eye. When the cyclops screams and awakens, people around him ask him what's wrong. Cyclops replied with, "Nobody's killing me!."
Who makes Odysseus angry?
Odysseus gets angry at many points.The Iliad:He gets angry at Thersites at Troy, when he advocates against Agamemnon after Agamemnon took Achilles' prize, Briseis. Odysseus is angered by Agamemnon, when he accuses Odysseus and his men of shirking back from battle.Odysseus is extremely angry when Antiphus kills his comrade Leucus with a spear to the groin.Odysseus is angry at Socus, whom wounds Odysseus, and puts him out of action. Odysseus kills Socus for his actions.Odysseus gets angry at Agamemnon for suggesting they retreat in the night.The Odyssey:Odysseus gets angry at his men for not withdrawing from Ismarus when he asks them too. Odysseus gets angry at the Cyclops Polyphemus for eating his men.Odysseus gets extremely angry at his crew for opening the bag of winds from Aeolus just when they were about to reach Ithica.Odysseus gets angry at Circe for transforming his men into pigs.Odysseus gets angry at Eurylochus, for not wanting to return to Circe's house because he is too cowardly.Odysseus gets angry at Eurylochus and his men for slaughtering the golden Cattle of Helios.Odysseus is extremely angry to find that his castle is full of suitors asking for Penelope's hand.Odysseus is angry at Melanthius for supplying the suitors with arms from the storeroom.Odysseus gets angry at the suitors' families for daring to attack him in revenge for their deaths.
Who is the first person Odysseus meets when he gets home?
He meets Athene first, but Eumaeus the swine herd is the first human he meets, in the guise of a beggar.
