The Cyclops Review Day

1. The Cyclops Review Day 1/6/13

2. Characters You want to know • Odysseus: Main Guy- Epic hero- Left his home to go fight in the Trojan war and takes him 20 years to make it back • Polyphemus- Cyclops who discovers Odysseus and Odysseus’ men in his cave • Poseidon- God of the sea – Claimed that he is Polyphemus’ father- Makes Odysseus’ travels insanely troublesome because of Odysseus blinding his son.

3. Key events • The men land on the Land of the Cyclops • Odysseus begins by immediately criticizing the Cyclops - He calls them uncivilized and brutes. They do not farm or take care of their crops which are gifts from the Gods. - The Cyclopes have no laws - The Cyclopes deal out rough justices to women and children • He leaves some men with his ship and takes a small group to go hunting for food • They find a cave filled with food • They try to steal the food- take off- and leave from danger • Odysseus tries to stay because he feels that the owner of the cave owes him gifts because Odysseus landed on the owners shore.

4. The men see polyphemus and run and hide • When Polyphemus spots them Odysseus steps up and tries to become a leader and confront the cyclops • Polyphemus eats two of the men in front of the rest. • The men are distraught. They try and tell Odysseus they need to kill the Cyclops • Odysseus tells them if they kill Polyphemus they will not be able to exit the cave because the stone “door” is holding them in the cave

5. Polyphemus eats two more men in the morning and then traps the rest in the cave when goes out to herd his sheep • When Polyphemus is out with the sheep Odysseus and his men find a club – they sharpen the edge and harden the edge over a flame. • When Polyphemus returns Odysseus offers him wine. He drinks 3 bowls of wine that has a high alcohol content. Usually they mix one cup of wine with 20 cups of water • Polyphemus begins to start feeling the effects of the alcohol and asks Odysseus what his name is; Odysseus intelligently answers “Nohbdy” (line 315) and tells him that their ship was destroyed when they landed on the island

6. When Polyphemus collapses and passes out from the alcohol Odysseus and his men jam the stake into his eye • Polyphemus screams howls and moans in pain. The other Cyclopes come and check in on why he is screaming and Polyphemus replys “Nohbdy tricked me Nohbdy Ruined me” • The Cyclops sits that the door and moans in pain • Odysseus does not let his men leave because he knows the Cyclops will try and catch them. Instead he and his men tie themselves to the bottom of the sheep. • In the morning when the sheep go out to graze polyphemus pets each one as they exit the cave making sure Odysseus and his men did not escape, but he did not check the sheep’ stomach

7. Odysseus and his men make it to the boat and as they are about to escape Odysseus shout back to the Cyclops and tells him his real name and where he is from. The Cyclops then informs him that his father is Poseidon and he will seek revenge for blinding Polyphemus

8. Video Review • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEO5tPSLakM 4:20 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94DaYFcHZNc