What type of person might the cyclops represent

Also, Odysseus is told by Circe to pass her cave while journeying back to his homeland. Scylla's six heads snatch six men quickly to their doom. This shows how quickly an accident or tragedy can happen in real life and what unpredictable circumstances can arise.

If a sudden tragedy happens to you or someone you know, you must bear it, like Odysseus did. A giant whirlpool monster that swallows Odysseus' ship when he is returning from Thrinacia. She is opposite Scylla. Charybdis opens for a period of time, and closes for an equal amount of time. When his ship is swallowed, Odysseus hangs onto a branch until Charybdis closes. Charybdis is not only opposite Scylla because of where she is, but she is also opposite because of what she does.

Unlike Scylla, Charybdis sucks her victims in slowly. She represents things in your life that take you in very gradually, but once you do get "sucked in", they are very harmful to you. When you encounter these kinds of things, you must stop before it is too late. The more you have been "sucked in", the harder it is to stop or get out. The place where dead people go. Odysseus goes there after Circe told him to. He meets a seer who tells him how to return home to Ithaca safely.

Odysseus also meets his mother Anticleia. In order to talk to these "ghosts", he must let them drink blood. The Underworld is a place for death and the dead. Odysseus ventures there and returns intact.

There have not been many people who have done this. Most people go there only once: when they die. So, in our lives, this "Underworld" represents death. When someone you know dies, you must bear it.

Since Odysseus was very scared to go down into the Underworld, the Underworld can also represent our fears. Like Odysseus, we must face and overcome our fears. Herds of cattle that live on Thrinacia. They belong to Helios, the sun god. Helios punished Odysseus' crew because they killed some of the cattle. Why does Odysseus sleep with Circe? Why does Odysseus travel to Hades? Why does Odysseus fail to reveal his identity to Penelope when they are first reunited? Does Penelope really intend to marry one of her suitors?

How do Odysseus and Telemachus defeat the suitors? Characters Character List. Odysseus The protagonist of The Odyssey. Read an in-depth analysis of Odysseus. Read an in-depth analysis of Telemachus. Penelope Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Read an in-depth analysis of Penelope. Athena Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts.

Read an in-depth analysis of Athena. Calypso The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Read an in-depth analysis of Calypso. Read an in-depth analysis of Circe. Poseidon God of the sea. Zeus King of gods and men, who mediates the disputes of the gods on Mount Olympus. Eurymachus A manipulative, deceitful suitor. Eumaeus The loyal shepherd who, along with the cowherd Philoetius, helps Odysseus reclaim his throne after his return to Ithaca.

Eurycleia The aged and loyal servant who nursed Odysseus and Telemachus when they were babies. Melanthius The brother of Melantho. Polyphemus One of the Cyclops uncivilized one-eyed giants whose island Odysseus comes to soon after leaving Troy.

Previous Athena Pallas. Next Circe and Calypso. Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title. Are you sure you want to remove bookConfirmation and any corresponding bookmarks? My Preferences My Reading List. The Odyssey Homer. Homer described the Cyclopes as wild savages, who abstained from agriculture and laws other than every man for himself. He is extremely strong, he is violent, cruel, and worst of all, he is a murderer.

Not only does he kill some of the men by throwing them against the wall, he also eats them raw. Before Odysseus is able to get his men out of the cave, Polyphemus eats two more men for breakfast. The first and most obvious lesson is that self-control is a vital commodity for dealing with change.