Very good series giving a generalised overview of the predominant myths and legends that have shaped our worldviews. The presenter, or muse, would sing, yet all of the god pitied lord odysseus, all but poseidon, raging cold and rough agaist the brave king till he came ashore at last on his own land. Durring his voyage, poseidon, the sea god, seeks revenge on odysseus and makes sure his quest to get back home is very difficult. However, due to poseidons revenge for what he had done to his son, odysseus had to spend eight years on that island. Polyphemus the cyclops who odysseus and his crew blinded was poseidons son, which was a large part of the reason why poseidon was not best pleased with him. Theme of revenge in homers odyssey essay 878 words. Escaping poseidons curse graphic myths and legends by dan jolley, thomas yeates illustrator most enjoyable although significantly reduced retelling of the ancient tale. While journeying homewards, odysseus makes the mistake of harming the cyclops, who happens to be poseidons son. Odysseus gets the kyklops drunk and stabs out his eye, allowing an escape. Reluctantly, odysseus tells the phaeacians the sorry tale of his wanderings. How did poseidon get revenge on odysseus and his crew. Some thoughts on revenge in the odyssey the bohemian. Poseidons proposal to punish the hospitable phaeacians, a people with special ties to the seagod and so subject to his will, zeus seems at least to moderate his brothers actions4, but zeus does not act on odysseus behalf until the council of the gods in book 1, and by that time the conditions of the cyclops curse have all but been fulfilled. I supplicate you, by zeus the olympian and by themis who breaks up the assemblies of men and calls them in session.
As several scholars have noted,19 the revenge that poseidon takes upon odysseus for his blinding of polyphemus and the retribution that helios demands upon. In the odyssey, what does poseidon do to get revenge on odysseus. Poseidon helped odysseus to win the trojan war, but odysseus refused to pay him proper credit. One story tells of the greek hero odysseus and his long journey home to the island of ithaca. With his former prisoners now out of reach, the blind giant lifts up a prayer to his father, poseidon, calling for vengeance on odysseus. Escaping poseidons curse last edited by fables87 on 022520 07. She comforted and cared for him until he recovered. What do we call today the result of what polyphemus. Homers the odyssey shows the ancient greek value of vengeance. Many of the characters in the epic exact revenge on another character including odysseus, poseidon, and helios. Polyphemus is a member of the cyclopes, a race of oneeyed maneating gi. Analysis books 9 through 12 are told as flashbacks, as odysseus sits in the palace of the phaeacians telling the story of his wanderings. The conflict that unfolds in regards to odysseus revenge begins when he leaves for the trojan war. Because the phaeacians escort many people across the sea so the people can travel safely, poseidon is angry and feels dishonored.
Odysseus struggled for 10 years before he could return to ithaca. From troy, the winds sweep him and his men to ismarus, city of the cicones. What does the cyclops ask his father poseidon to do for him. Revenge is an important underlying theme in the odyssey because, in essence, it explains why odysseus journey was so prolonged and treacherous. Poseidon in the odyssey the odyssey, by homer, is the archetype of all heroic stories. How did poseidon get revenge on odysseus and his crew answers. And when the suitors families found out about the killings at the palace, they were. In revenge, poseidon raised storms to keep odysseus from sailing home.
Theme of revenge in homers odyssey 868 words 123 help me. Another myth is that odysseus blinded one of poseidons sons, cyclops polyphemus. However, the hero only dreamed of going home and reuniting with his wife and son. Poseidon helped odysseus to win the trojan war, but. Odysseus and his men try to steal food from polyphemus while he is away tending to his flock homer 362. Revenge in the odyssey is clearly defined and has specific impacts on odysseus, telemachus and the suitors. According to odysseus account in the odyssey, most of his struggles came from a curse that the cyclops polyphemus placed on him as revenge for blinding him. Escaping poseidons curse gets high marks across the board. Polyphemus cries out to his father for revenge, and poseidon obliges, regularly intervening to ensure that odysseus journey home is as long, hard, and as. Poseidon caused odysseus and his family constant misery but he did not kill the haggard wanderer, he just kept driving him away from his home and thus, his happiness. His grudge against odysseus is one theme in the odyssey. This is also reflected in homers epic, the odyssey. Odysseus blinds one of his children, the cyclops polyphemus. Poseidon facts and information on greek god poseidon.
Also, telemachus and odysseus need to get revenge on the suitors for disrupting their family. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Unfortunately, the cyclops is the sea god poseidons son. What does poseidon want to take revenge upon odysseus.
What to know about poseidons grudge against odysseus. When someone is kneeling down giving a guy a blow job in the shower, he then proceeds to shoot his hot sticky load in both of her eyes, then he bails out, turns the cold water on, and laughs his ass off. Poseidon cant kill odysseus because the fates have. However, zeus commanded him to withdraw from the battlefield, and he reluctantly obeyed. To get revenge poseidon delayed odysseus from coming home from the trojan war. This is the audio version of the puffin classics version of homers odyssey, as retold by geraldine mccaughrean. Odysseus angered poseidon, the god of the sea, when he blinded polyphemus, the cyclops, who is poseidons son. Revenge is the main theme in the iliad, with achilles revenge on agamemnon and hector, and in the odyssey, with poseidons revenge on odysseus and odysseuss revenge on the suitors, and. The odyssey contains many people getting revenge on others, like poseidon reprimanding odysseus for blinding his son, odysseus and telemachus repaying. In the odyssey, what does poseidon do to get revenge on.
He will pine for xena and ignore his kingdom, thus i will still have my revenge. Here are more details as to the nature of the grudge poseidon had against odysseus in greek mythology. Throughout these two epics, what is just revenge and what the action of revenge is are much different than what revenge is seen through todays society. When odysseus blinded poseidons son, poseidon wanted revenge on odysseus. In book one, it is introduced that poseidon has rage agaist odysseus. Poseidon would not forgive the indignity that odysseus had visited upon his son and zeus could not save odysseus from poseidons wrath. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading odysseus. He doesnt return home for the next twenty years, mostly because of the god poseidons revenge. Poseidon neptune, the greek god of the sea had a son,a giant called. When ployphemos is wounded, thwarted, and mocked by odysseus, he calls out to his father for vengeance. Odysseus and his men escape from polyphemus island after cleverly hiding themselves under the cyclops sheep to leave his cave.
In the odyssey, why was poseidon angry at odysseus. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Victims of the gods vengeance center for hellenic studies. Odysseus angered poseidon by blinding his son polyphemus. Odysseus and his crew finally escape, having lost six men per ship. A graphic novel retelling of the myth of odysseus, the greek hero who, on his trip home from the trojan war, faced the cyclops, the sirens, and even poseidon, the god of the sea. He is the reason odysseus has been kept off course and not allowed to return home poseidons revenge. This is perhaps my most favorite part of the odyssey. Durring his voyage, poseidon, the sea god, seeks revenge on odysseus and makes sure his quest. In cyclops, the 5thcentury bc play by euripides, a chorus of satyrs offers comic relief from the grisly story of how polyphemus is punished for his impious behaviour in. While sailing home, odysseus and his men come to encounter polyphemus, poseidon s cyclops son. The men plunder the land and, carried away by greed, stay until the reinforced ranks of the cicones turn on them and attack. In other words, then, polyphemus asks poseidon to exact revenge for the injuries done to him by odysseus.
So he turns the phaeacians returning ship to stone 177. Polyphemus cries out to his father for revenge, and poseidon obliges, regularly intervening to ensure that odysseus journey home is as long, hard, and as dangerous as possible. Vengeance is another major theme of the odyssey, found in the plot of poseidons revenge on odysseus, the story of orestes and electras revenge on aegisthus and clytemnestra for the murder of their father agamemnon, and on telemachus and odysseuss destruction of the suitors and the maidservants. I wont interfere, but i put a very strong spell on ulysses. Poseidons anger towards odysseus reveals a tension between the private and the public realm. Escaping poseidons curse a greek legend graphic myths and legends. There is a major problem in connection with the wrath of poseidon in homers odyssey. The legend of odysseus, a resourceful hero exploring. A few examples of revenge in the poem include orestes revenge on aegisthus, zeus revenge on odysseus and his men, and poseidons revenge on odysseus. As an irate father, poseidon has a very personal, private grudge against odysseus. Odysseus and telemachus exact revenge on the suitors for their crimes. In the odyssey by homer, poseidon takes revenge on odysseuswho blinded poseidons sonby creating storms for years that keep him from returning.
His primary means of transportation was a chariot pulled by horses. Helios forces zeus to destroy odysseus crew in retaliation for the slaughter of his cattle. In this epic poem, many of the greek gods are involved in odysseus journey, but not all affect him odysseus in a positive way. Poseidons revenge was tempered by zeus who forbade poseidon from killing odysseus. There are many other myths about poseidon wanting to rule more land. Vengeance in the odyssey in the odyssey, vengeance is one of the most important themes, as it is why almost all the conflict in the story happens. Poseidon is so angry at odysseus for the harm he inflicted on the cyclops, that through the influence of all powerful zeus, he punishes odysseus along with his other children, the phaeacians. Polyphemus prays to his father, poseidon, for revenge and casts huge rocks towards the ship, which odysseus barely escapes. This book is highly recommended for middle and high school readers, and perhaps for some advanced readers in the upper elementary grades, too. Favorite answer poseidon delays odysseus return home and reunion with his family by causing various storms and high winds to push odysseus further from ithaca, and at one point causes a shipwreck.
Poseidon s anger towards odysseus stems from his son polyphemus desire to avenge the loss of his eye. The wrath of poseidon in odyssey essay 1951 words bartleby. Poseidon delays odysseus return home and reunion with his family by causing various storms and high winds to push odysseus further from ithaca, and at one point causes a shipwreck which drowns all his. When odysseus finally reached home, he and telemachus made a plan to exact revenge on the suitors. He wont be able to return home for 10 years because of poseidons revenge. For ten long years, poseidon caused odysseus constant misery, but he did not kill the haggard wanderer, he just kept driving him away from his home and happiness. I do not know that the cyclops did anything as revenge, but in the book the odyssey,it explains that the cyclops father, the god poseidon, is angry at odysseus and will not let odysseus return.
Escaping poseidons curse a greek legend graphic myths and legends jolley, dan, yeates, thomas on. The ancient greeks believed that revenge was necessary in order to preserve honor and pride, whether that be stealing back a goat or killing the man who killed your father. In ancient greek culture, revenge was a common theme. First, poseidon constantly upbraids odysseus for blinding his son, polyphemus, by making his journey home extremely difficult. One thing that is bad for odysseus, though, is the fact that kyklops is the son of poseidon, god of the earthquake. Poseidon is so angry at odysseus for the harm he inflicted on the cyclops, that.