Cyclops in Homer\'s \"The Odyssey\"

Cyclops in Homer's "The Odyssey" is one of the most memorable and striking creatures to be found in this narrative. The Cyclops is remembered as a true monster, and referred to throughout Odysseus' tales as a horrendous beast. However, if one reads the text with unbiased eyes, this creature appears to be a simple, good-natured, and even kind and gentle being. He tends his sheep with gentleness, takes no more from the land than he needs, and lives a humble and quiet life that disturbs no one. His home is invaded by a band of violent robbers that demand gifts and honor be given to them for being cruel and terrible wherever they roam. In addition, these robbers tell him that they have no intention of leaving the home for their ships have been destroyed, leaving this humble creature with no choice but to kill them in order to save himself and his peaceful people. Few readers, if honest with themselves, could fathom showing hospitality upon coming home after a long day's work and finding that their home had been broken into and their own food and belongings were being burned in a sacrifice to gods! Nonetheless, this lovable shepherd and guardian of a peaceful island is presented as horrible and monstrous. In order to understand what makes this Cyclops a monster at all, it is necessary to have an understanding of the values held in Greek culture that would establish this being as a monster, while establishing this band of robbers and mass murderers, otherwise known as the hero Odysseus and his men, as positive role models. "The Odyssey" is a work that glorifies the elite, upper-classes of Greece, while vilifying any that would question the role of the lower classes to serve their masters in humble gratitude.

The Cyclops in Homer's narrative is presented as being very large and monstrous in appearance. One of the most effective descriptions of the physical appearance of this creature is the following passage: "He was a horrid creature, not like a human being at all, but resembling rather some crag that stands out boldly against the sky on the top of a high mountain." (Homer, Book IX) This specifically explains that the monstrousness of the Cyclops is due in large part to how removed from humans it is. The Cyclops is presented as being a part of the natural world that defies the sky, a symbolic reference of course to the gods which oversee humanity, rather than as a part of advanced society. The fact that the Cyclops is described as being physically monstrous in such a way that identifies him as defiant and removed from humanity will become very important as the significance of the Cyclops in Greek culture is further explored. Other descriptions of this creature refer to his "huge paunch" (Homer, Book IX) which is another physical description that is used as a tool for revealing something about the social significance of the Cyclops and why he is in fact considered to be monstrous. The Cyclops, in addition to being described as a giant with massive strength, also has only one eye and teeth suitable for ripping whole raw men apart. This particular Cyclops, Polyphemus, fits the traditional description in Greek mythology of being a very strong giant with only one eye that lives in a rural setting.

In order to understand what truly made the Cyclops "monstrous" to the Greeks, it is important to first understand the origins of the thoughts and values presented in the writings of Ancient Greece. As is it made clear in historical documents, as well as in works of literature such as the Odyssey itself, there was not only one economic class in Greece. There was a very clear division of the classes. There were the elite, who were trained as warriors, like those glorified in the Iliad and the Odyssey, but were also educated otherwise in intellectual studies. The elite had the time and leisure to pursue an education of the body and mind alike. Then, there were the working and enslaved classes, that did all the labor for the elite. Because the lower classes did all of the labor, this actually provided the elite with the free time to study art, literature, philosophy, and so forth. In the Odyssey, one frequently sees Odysseus talking to slaves and workers, over whom he feels a natural superiority. This division is shown to such a degree that when he meets the woman who nursed him throughout his childhood, he threatens to kill her if she reveals who he is because she is just a slave to him and does not count as an equal human. Not very much is known about the actual biographical data of Homer, but it is obvious that the author of the Odyssey would have been a member of the elite upper classes, due to the fact that he was a writer.

Therefore, the ideals represented by the philosophy of the Odyssey are the ideals of the elite, not of the common people.

The Cyclops can therefore be analyzed as a representation of what is "monstrous" enough about the non-elite members of society in order to justify the unequal and oppressive treatment of that social class. To begin this analysis, one can return to the physical description of this creature. First, the Cyclops is described as being unlike Odysseus and the other heroes of the story because he is "not like a human being at all." (Homer, Book IX) This dehumanizes the creature, so that it is clear to the audience who the "good" and "bad" guys are in the situation. The Cyclops is further described as being like a "crag that stands out boldly against the sky." (Homer, Book IX) This can be interpreted (in an admittedly Marxist line of thought) as showing the Cyclops as monstrous by presenting a vision of him as standing up against the gods (symbolically represented by the sky). Even the greatest heroes in Greek Mythology, such as Prometheus (Kirk), are punished for defying the gods, and therefore it is an even further "sin" for a monstrous creature to do so. He is also monstrous in this description because he is standing "boldly" which means he is taking away some of the attention from the true "hero" of the story, Odysseus. Glory and recognition were regarded as very important values to the elite of Ancient Greece, and Odysseus continuously reminds the reader of this fact through his often entirely selfish antics. The physical description of the Cyclops also refers to his huge belly, which is another reference in his appearance to the monstrous behavior of the non-elite. The working classes do not have the right to gorge themselves upon the fruits of their own labor, and doing so would be seen as gluttonous and greedy. In fact, the elite often implied (or stated bluntly) that the working classes were a part of that social group because they were in fact greedy and sought wealth in their labor, despite the fact that the elite had great riches themselves. Finally, it is significant that the Cyclopes have only one eye in particular because of the importance Greek mythology places on the eyes, sight, and blindness, for with only one eye a creature would symbolically only see and know half as much as a human with two eyes.

The way in which the Cyclops interacts with Odysseus is further evidence of what was truly monstrous to the elite Greeks. When Odysseus is caught by the Cyclops, he attempts to convince the creature to be kind to him and not harm any of his men by appealing to the will of the gods. Zeus, says Odysseus, takes travelers into his protection, and so should the Cyclops. However, Polyphemus responds defiantly. "Talk to me, indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We Cyclopes do not care about [Zeus] or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they." (Homer, Book IX) the fact that the Cyclopes do not fear and worship the gods, and believe themselves to be stronger than the gods themselves, is presented as monstrous behavior. The monstrousness of not properly respecting the gods is reinforced because it is presented as being the reason that the Cyclops kills our hero's men. (Again, this is referring back also to the physical description of the creature.) the reason that Odysseus is caught by the Cyclops at all is due to the fact that he is not willing to simply steal the cheese and livestock of the Cyclops while the cave is vacant and therefore safe, and insists on waiting around for the Cyclops to come home. This is not due to some code of honor saying that it is wrong to steal, as evidenced by the fact that the men help themselves to the Cyclops' wine, cheese, and other goods while they wait for him, as well as by any understanding of Odysseus' character from his previous and future actions. Odysseus waits for the Cyclops to return home because he "wanted to see the owner himself, in the hope that he might give me a present." (Homer, Book IX) Odysseus introduces himself and his men to the Cyclops as essentially being mass murderers, and they expect that the Cyclops will present them with gifts and offerings for these deeds. "We therefore humbly pray you to show us some hospitality, and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may reasonably expect." (Homer, Book IX) it may appear ridiculous that Odysseus expects the Cyclops to show him hospitality and give him presents after he has broken into his home, stolen his food, and declared that they have caused widespread destruction and killed many people. However, keeping in mind the way in which Odysseus treated even the woman who was like a mother to him, it can be seen that this is the treatment the elite expected from the lower classes. The non-elite were supposed to serve the elite and make them comfortable, and any action that did not serve this purpose was considered to be monstrous. Odysseus was seeking glory through recognition of his importance by the Cyclops, however the Cyclops instead offered him only that he would eat him last for giving him the gift of wine. Because of the importance of glory, the Cyclops is also a monster, for Odysseus is the one who should do the mocking and tricking, and the limelight is meant for him as well. When the Cyclops tries to make jokes and ironic statements with Odysseus, in combination with the refusal to pay homage to Odysseus' greatness, this is a reference back to the physical description where he is shown to be a monster by standing boldly despite the fact that he is not a part of the elite or recognized members of society.