Comparisson Between Odyssey and Sympothy for Cyclops

Everyone has heard of Polyphemus, the dreaded Cyclops, in the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer and what a monster he was. However, has anyone stopped to think of Polyphemus’ perspective? In The Odyssey, Odysseus stumbles across the island of Cyclops, the next stop in his enduring quest. Odysseus is the hero in this novel and seeks hospitality, but instead the Cyclops is portrayed as a monster by eating Odysseus’ crew. In the same instance, from the Cyclops point of view he feels invaded and used, justifying his villainous actions. The Odyssey is Homer's epic of Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods. The Sympathy for Cyclops is a poem written by Holmes that portrays Polyphemus’ point of view in the incident regarding when Odysseus visits his island. In Homer’s, The Odyssey, and Holmes, Sympathy for Cyclops, the authors create two very different encounters and perspectives between Odysseus and Polyphemus through the poetic devices such as Simile and tone to convey the other as beastly and monstrous.

In Holmes, Sympathy for Cyclops, the author creates a first point perspective of Polyphemus and how he portrays Odysseus as the monster and villain. In the poem Polyphemus describes Odysseus and his men as, “When they came to my island, the hero and his crew (more like an invasive species of uninvited animals)” (1-4). In this simile Odysseus and his men are being compared to invasive species. Invasive specie is a non-native animal that causes harm to the environment. In this instance the Cyclops is referring to Odysseus and his men as causing harm to his home and invading his privacy illustrating Odysseus as the bad guy. Later in the poem Polyphemus ends the poem with, “They took everything and left me blinded. And he is still the hero” (21-22)? Polyphemus sets the tone by having the author want the reader to feel sorry and take pity for the Cyclops. The Cyclops was minding his own business when Odysseus and his men came, pillaging his home and taking everything he had. Odysseus stole and took everything from Polyphemus and that still wasn’t enough, they also had to injure him and take away his vision. Polyphemus isn’t sure why people call Odysseus a hero, why not instead a vile, beastly monster? In this poem Polyphemus depicts Odysseus to be the villain but in The Odyssey the story is told differently. Odysseus makes Polyphemus out to be a monster.

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, the author creates a first point perspective of Odysseus and how he portrays Polyphemus as the monster and villain. In the epic poem Odysseus explains how Polyphemus killed his men, “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” (9. 324-328). In this simile, Homer is comparing how easily Odysseus’ men were killed, being fragile like defenseless puppies. Polyphemus viciously murders Odysseus men right in front of him. Polyphemus can only be viewed, as a terrible beast that murders in cold blood. Also all Odysseus was asking for was hospitality and did not deserve his men who are practically family to him to be murdered. After Polyphemus eating and killing many of his men Odysseus offers him wine, “‘Here, Cyclops, try this wine—to top off the banquet of human flesh you’ve bolted down” (9. 388-389)! Odysseus establishes the tone by having the author wanting the reader to feel sympathy for Odysseus. Polyphemus is demon; he has already feasted on six