The Odyssey - Study Guide

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The Odyssey

Book 9 ~ Study Guide

from John McIlvain

An Overview for the Student

Book-by-Book Study Guide

Literary Responses to the Odyssey

Image source: http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/main/courses/classics100/museum2/art_museum2.html

Note: This site is designed to be used with Robert Fagles' translation of the Odyssey, published by Penguin USA. It was prepared for a 9th grade English class.

Books:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

IN THE ONE-EYED GIANT'S CAVE

SCENE: In the palace of Alcinous in the land of the Phaeacians where Odysseus tells of the Lands of the Cocones and the Lotus Eaters as well as of the Island of the Cyclops.

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS: Odysseus and Polyphemus: a son of Poseidon and a Cyclops.

Odysseus identifies himself to his hosts and agrees to tell the take of his adventures. He describes his pillage of the Cicones where his men become greedy, and the "honey sweet fruit" of the Lotus Eaters that entrances his men. He then tells the story of his experience with Polyphemus, the Cyclops who traps him and his men and whom he escapes through guile. The exhilaration of his triumph leads him to commiting the biggest error of his life – boasting who he is to his victim – a creature who just happens to be a son of Poseidon.

PAY ATTENTION TO:

Odysseus' failure to control his men in the land of the Cicones.

His rescuing them in the land of the Lotus-eaters, and saving them in the land of the Cyclops.

Odysseus' adventurous attitude as he lands on the Cyclops' land.

The reverse of the hospitality found in Phaeacia.

The "farm" culture of the Cyclops.

Odysseus' cleverness in calling himself "Nobody."

Odysseus' flattery of the Cyclops.

The vividness of Odysseus' "attack." The similes used to describe this.

The cleverness of his escape.

The curse of Polyphemus.

Odysseus' leadership qualities; his adventurous spirit; his courage and cleverness; his lapse into pride (hubris).

EPITHETS: Who is...

"teller of tales?"

"god of the sea blue mane who rocks the earth?"

QUESTIONS:

Where do Odysseus and his men go first after they leave Troy?

Who are the Cicones?

Who are the lotus eaters?

How does Polyphemus prevent Odysseus and his men from leaving his cave?

What does Polyphemus' diet consist of?

Are the Cyclopes in any way civilized?

What mistake does Odysseus makes as he sails away?

QUOTATIONS TO REMEMBER
"I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world
for every kind of craft – my fame has reached the skies.
Sunny Ithaca is my home. . .
and I, myself, I know no sweeter sight on earth
than a man's own native country. (21)

I sacked the city,
killed the men, but as for the wives and plunder. . .
we shared it round so no one, not on my account,
would go deprived of his fair share of spoils.
Then I urged them to cut and run, set sail,
but would they listen? Not those mutinous fools;
there was too much wine to swill...
And all the while the Cicones sought out other Cicones. . .
the Cicones broke our lines and beast us down at last,
Out of each ship, six men-at-arms were killed.
(45)

So off they went and soon enough
they mingled among the natives, Lotus Eaters, Lotus Eaters
who had no notion of killing my companions, not at all,
they simply gave them the lotus to taste instead...
Any crewmen who ate the lotus, the honey sweet fruit,
lost all desire to send a message back, much less return...
grazing on lotus, all memory of the journey home
dissolved forever. But I brought them back, back
to the hollow ships, and streaming tears – I forced them.
(102)

"The rest of you stay her, my friends-in-arms.
I'll go across with my own ship and crew
and probe the natives living over there."
(192)
A grim loner, dead set in his own lawless ways.
 Here was a piece of work, by god, a monster...
           a man mountain
rearing head and shoulders over the world.
(210)
I told most of my good trusty crew to wait,
to sit tight by the ship and guard her well
while I picked out my dozen finest fighters
and off I went. (215)

But since we've chanced on you, we're at your knees
in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest gift,
the sort that hosts give strangers. That's the custom.
Respect the gods, my friend. We're suppliants, at your mercy!
Zeus of the Strangers guards all guests and suppliants:
strangers are sacred – Zeus will avenge their rights!
"Stranger," he grumbled back from his brutal heart,
"you must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere,
telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath!" (300)

So he laid his trap
but he never caught me, no, not me, wise to the world
I shot back in my crafty way, "My ship?
Poseidon, God of the earthquake, sunk my ship."
(316)

... he left me there, the heart inside me brooding on revenge,
how could I pay him back, would Athena give me glory? (355)

..."Nobody, that's my name. Nobody –"
(410)
I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home 
like a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright's drill
that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl
and the drill keeps twisting, never stopping –
So we seized our stake with it fiery tip
and bored it round and round in the giant's eye...
           its crackling roots blazed
and hissed –
           as a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or adze
 in an ice-cold bath and the metal screeches steam
 and its temper hardens – that's the iron's strength –
so the eye of Cyclops sizzled round that stake.
(419)
"Nobody's killing me now by fraud and not by force."
There was one bellwether ram, the prize of all the flock
and clutching him by the back, tucked up under
his shaggy belly, there I hung, face upward
both hands locked in his marvelous deep fleece,
clinging for dear life, my spirit steeled, enduring. . .
So well we held on, waiting Dawn's first light. (455)

"Cyclops –
if any man on the face of the earth should ask you
who blinded you, shamed you so – say Odysseus,
raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,
Laertes son, who makes his home in Ithaca!" (558)

Hear me –
Poseidon , god of the sea blue mane who rocks the earth,
If I really am your son and you claim to be my father –
come, grant that Odysseus, raider of cities . . .
Laertes son, who makes his home in Ithaca . . .
never reaches home . . . or if he's fated to see
his people once again . . . let him come home late
and come a broken man – all shipmates lost,
alone in a stranger's ship –
and let him find a world of pain at home."
(584)
Odyssey Guide

Least Tern - John McIlvain - March 6, 2004

"I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world for every kind of craft – my fame has reached the skies. Sunny Ithaca is my home. . . and I, myself, I know no sweeter sight on earth than a man's own native country.	(21)
I sacked the city, killed the men, but as for the wives and plunder. . . we shared it round so no one, not on my account, would go deprived of his fair share of spoils. Then I urged them to cut and run, set sail, but would they listen? Not those mutinous fools; there was too much wine to swill... And all the while the Cicones sought out other Cicones. . . the Cicones broke our lines and beast us down at last, Out of each ship, six men-at-arms were killed.	(45)
So off they went and soon enough they mingled among the natives, Lotus Eaters, Lotus Eaters who had no notion of killing my companions, not at all, they simply gave them the lotus to taste instead... Any crewmen who ate the lotus, the honey sweet fruit, lost all desire to send a message back, much less return... grazing on lotus, all memory of the journey home dissolved forever. But I brought them back, back to the hollow ships, and streaming tears – I forced them.	(102)
"The rest of you stay her, my friends-in-arms. I'll go across with my own ship and crew and probe the natives living over there."	(192)
A grim loner, dead set in his own lawless ways. Here was a piece of work, by god, a monster... a man mountain rearing head and shoulders over the world.	(210)
I told most of my good trusty crew to wait, to sit tight by the ship and guard her well while I picked out my dozen finest fighters and off I went.	(215)
But since we've chanced on you, we're at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest gift, the sort that hosts give strangers. That's the custom. Respect the gods, my friend. We're suppliants, at your mercy! Zeus of the Strangers guards all guests and suppliants: strangers are sacred – Zeus will avenge their rights! "Stranger," he grumbled back from his brutal heart, "you must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere, telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath!"	(300)
So he laid his trap but he never caught me, no, not me, wise to the world I shot back in my crafty way, "My ship? Poseidon, God of the earthquake, sunk my ship."	(316)
... he left me there, the heart inside me brooding on revenge, how could I pay him back, would Athena give me glory?	(355)
..."Nobody, that's my name. Nobody –"	(410)
I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home like a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright's drill that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl and the drill keeps twisting, never stopping – So we seized our stake with it fiery tip and bored it round and round in the giant's eye... its crackling roots blazed and hissed – as a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or adze in an ice-cold bath and the metal screeches steam and its temper hardens – that's the iron's strength – so the eye of Cyclops sizzled round that stake.	(419)
"Nobody's killing me now by fraud and not by force." There was one bellwether ram, the prize of all the flock and clutching him by the back, tucked up under his shaggy belly, there I hung, face upward both hands locked in his marvelous deep fleece, clinging for dear life, my spirit steeled, enduring. . . So well we held on, waiting Dawn's first light.	(455)
"Cyclops – if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so – say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes son, who makes his home in Ithaca!"	(558)
Hear me – Poseidon , god of the sea blue mane who rocks the earth, If I really am your son and you claim to be my father – come, grant that Odysseus, raider of cities . . . Laertes son, who makes his home in Ithaca . . . never reaches home . . . or if he's fated to see his people once again . . . let him come home late and come a broken man – all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger's ship – and let him find a world of pain at home."	(584)