Odyssey 6-10

book 9 is told in a flashback.as Odysseus sits in the palace of the Phaeacians telling the story of his wandering journeys.Providing some of the richest and most celebrated examples of his cunning, they speak much to the resourcefulness of the poet, who uses Odysseus’s voice to render a more complete picture of his hero’s journey, as to that of the hero himself. The apprehension that Odysseus feels as he heads toward the cave, which seems to prompt him to take the wine along, foreshadows his upcoming encounter with Polyphemus and the need for trickery to prevail. The significance of Odysseus’s blinding of the cyclopes becomes clear when Polyphemus lets his sheep out to graze the next morning; similarly, Odysseus’s lie about his name seems silly at first but adds a clever and humorous twist to the necessity of keeping the other Cyclopes from rescuing Polyphemus. Odysseus’s eventual revelation of his identity to Polyphemus ultimately proves foolish, and, because it embodies a lack of foresight, stands in stark contrast to the cunning prudence that Odysseus displays in his plan to escape from the cave. Though his anger at Polyphemus for devouring his shipmates is certainly understandable. By telling Polyphemus his name, Odysseus pits his mortal indignation against Poseidon’s divine vengeance. This act of hubris, or excessive pride, ensures almost automatically that Odysseus will suffer grave consequences. Indeed, his eventual punishment costs him greatly.He wanted to make sure that people know that he was the one who blinded Polyphemus, instructing Polyphemus to make others aware of what he has done. Odysseus believes that the height of glory is by spreading his name through great deeds.


The human tendency to give in to temptation is a main theme throughout Book 10. By boasting about his defeat of the Cyclops, the members of his crew prove unable to resist looking into Aeolus’s bag, which they were not supposed to do. Their greed ends up complicating their voyage. for example Odysseus lets a year waste away in the arms of the goddess Circe. While his crew certainly seems not to mind, even though his wife is waiting for him. Only when his crew “prods” him and calls him on his delays is Odysseus persuaded to leave Circe’s realm. Eurylochus issues an especially harsh reproach of Odysseus for mistakenly leading his crew to its destruction. He describes the death of their comrades at the hands of the cyclopes as evidence of Odysseus’s mistakes: “thanks to [Odysseus’s] rashness they died too!” (10.482). Though Odysseus checks his anger and calms down, his own crew questioning him shows the holes in his authority.