Polyphemus and Hospitality

Video Transcript

Suppose there’s a new movie out that promises an epic hero, an evil villain, bloody battles, narrow escapes, and oh, yes, a one-eyed monster that eats people. You could probably guess, it’s another remake of Homer’s Odyssey, more specifically, Book 9, the story of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. The stories of Odysseus’ journey have been told and retold for thousands of years. While there have been several books and movies about the story, do you know the true story? Do you know how themes of loyalty, vengeance, and hospitality are combined in Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemus? It all began innocently enough. Odysseus and his men landed on an island and went in search of food. They found a cave complete with sheep. Expecting to be treated with hospitality, they made themselves at home and began to feast on the sheep. What they didn’t realize was that a giant – Polyphemus, the son of Odysseus’ archenemy Poseidon – was the owner of the cave. The sheep were his prized stock and he wasn’t feeling all that hospitable. At this point, we move from the theme of hospitality to the theme of vengeance. Not appreciating strangers helping themselves to his livestock, Polyphemus blocked the entrance to the cave, trapping Odysseus and his crew, and then grabbed two of the men and ate them. After a nap, he had a snack of two more members of the crew before taking his remaining sheep out to graze. Odysseus was ready for some vengeance of his own. When the giant returned to the cave, Odysseus offered him some strong wine and got him intoxicated. As the giant was sleeping off the wine, Odysseus and his men blinded him with a sharp wooden stake; however, they were still trapped in the cave. Early the next morning, Polyphemus opened the cave for his sheep to go out and feed. Showing loyalty to his crew, Odysseus told his men to tie themselves under the sheep in order to slip out of the cave unnoticed. They didn’t all live happily ever after, and there were many more difficulties before Odysseus alone made it home to Ithaca. Though blinded, Polyphemus continued to live on his island. Some say his blindness was the consequence of his poor hospitality. Sounds like the plot and themes are pretty current. If you didn’t know the origins of the story, would you believe it was written over 2500 years ago in ancient Greece?

About this transcript:

• Transcript title: Polyphemus and Hospitality • Corresponding Lesson: The Odyssey: Major Themes • Author and curator: Kathryn R. Price, M.Ed., NBCT for The TEL Library. • Creative Commons License: CC BY NC SA