Meaning Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey
Homer explicitly illuminates the storytelling of Odysseus' adventure. He describes the cyclops lair, where he and twelve of his crewmen where held captive for taking cheese and expecting a welcoming gift from the cyclops that lived there.
"'I and the men you see escaped a sudden death.' Not a word in reply to that, the ruthless brute. Lurching up, he lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups- their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor- and ripping them limb from limb to fix his meal..." (220). (Telling the story of how he and his men escaped the wrath of the cyclops they stole cheese from. Odysseus tries to trick the cyclops into giving them a guest gift and sending them on their way. Odysseus' plan backfires and gets the crew stuck in the cyclops lair.) …show more content…
When they were full the men asked to take more cheese and leave, but Odysseus refused wanting to meet their host and get a guest gift. They waited for the cyclops to return to his cave. When the cyclops returned, Odysseus and his men hid, but the cyclops saw their shadows in the light of the fire. Odysseus demanded a guest gift or else feel the wrath of Zeus. The guest gift they received was quite unexpected, the cyclops swooped down and grabbed two of Odysseus' men, killed them then ripped them limb from limb and ate them. Clever as he was, Odysseus offered the cyclops some of the finest wine he had. The wine put the cyclops to sleep after a few cups, then Odysseus stabbed him in the eye with a steak he had sharpened. Angered, the cyclops sat in front of the door waiting for Odysseus and his men to try to leave. Odysseus keenly hid his men and himself on the underbelly of the flock and waited until morning. When the flock left their pens to pasteurize Odysseus and his men left along with them. They ran back to their ship and set sail, Odysseus taunting the ugly
"'I and the men you see escaped a sudden death.' Not a word in reply to that, the ruthless brute. Lurching up, he lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups- their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor- and ripping them limb from limb to fix his meal..." (220). (Telling the story of how he and his men escaped the wrath of the cyclops they stole cheese from. Odysseus tries to trick the cyclops into giving them a guest gift and sending them on their way. Odysseus' plan backfires and gets the crew stuck in the cyclops lair.) …show more content…
When they were full the men asked to take more cheese and leave, but Odysseus refused wanting to meet their host and get a guest gift. They waited for the cyclops to return to his cave. When the cyclops returned, Odysseus and his men hid, but the cyclops saw their shadows in the light of the fire. Odysseus demanded a guest gift or else feel the wrath of Zeus. The guest gift they received was quite unexpected, the cyclops swooped down and grabbed two of Odysseus' men, killed them then ripped them limb from limb and ate them. Clever as he was, Odysseus offered the cyclops some of the finest wine he had. The wine put the cyclops to sleep after a few cups, then Odysseus stabbed him in the eye with a steak he had sharpened. Angered, the cyclops sat in front of the door waiting for Odysseus and his men to try to leave. Odysseus keenly hid his men and himself on the underbelly of the flock and waited until morning. When the flock left their pens to pasteurize Odysseus and his men left along with them. They ran back to their ship and set sail, Odysseus taunting the ugly