Odyssey Book 9

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  • Book 9
    • Flowchart
      • O introduces himself as hero and tells the Phaeacians of his fame. He begins his story with the Cicones. They went to the island and ransacked the village capturing livestock and possessions. O wanted to escape with their plunder but his men insisted on staying. The other Cicones came down from in land and won a battle against them. Six of O's men were killed but the rest rowed away unharmed
        • they sailed on until they reached the land of the Lotus eaters. O sent in a landing party who remained inland for a long time. O followed them in and found they had been given lotus plants to eat which banished them of Nostos and made them want to stay. O dragged his men back to his ship and tied them and they sailed away
          • they next reached the land of the Cyclopes and the island next to it: Goat Island. The ported at Goat island which was luxuriant and O went with a landing party to the Cyclops island to see if the people were 'savages' or 'god-fearing people'. They head to a gave close to see which was the den of a 'lawless giant'. O had taken strong wine with him and food. They found baskets of cheese in the den. After getting cheese O's men wanted to leave but O wanted to stay and meet the owner of the cave
            • O was greet by a massive Cyclops crying a huge bundle of dry wood who was angered by the men in his cave. O tried to use his status saying they are Achaens and reminding the Cyclops of his duty to Zeus through Xenia. The Cyclops remarks he doesn't revere the Gods believing he is more powerful. He then picks up two of O's men dashes their heads against the floor and ad eats them. The next morning the Cyclops completes his three tasks that the repeats everyday:
              • relights his fire
                • milks his sheep
                  • puts the young to their mothers
    • themes
      • Law of Xenia
        • the Cyclops perverts the law of Xenia
          • instead of offering them food he eats them and his gift is that he will eat O last - shows he is uncivilised
      • cilivisation
        • we see the Cyclops is not civilised. they have no harbour and he lives in a cave
        • on seeing smoke rising O had been hopeful he would find civilisation but was wrong
      • O's identity
        • much like in Phaeacia it was very hard for O to keep his identity hidden
          • his sense of Kleos, pride, means he had to reveal his identity at the end as it was his duty as a hero
      • O as a leader
        • O can be seen as a good leader in the first adventure as he wants to leave before the Cicones come
        • in the land of the Cyclopes he can be seen as a bad leader as wants to stay to met the owner of the cave
          • but he does use his wit and cunning to get the Achaeans out of the situation
    • techniques
      • O uses formulaes throughout book 1
        • 'all together we struck the white surf with the blades... grieving for the dear friends we had lost...'
          • shows the end of one of O's journeys - is at end of all 3 adventures
        • the formulae of the Cyclops get his sheep ready
          • this marks to O when the next two men are going to be eaten and how long he has to act
        • 'savages' or 'god-fearing people'
          • shows how civilised or uncivilised people are and marks the beginning of O meeting someone new
      • epic similes
        • 'like a man boaring a ship's timber with a drill'
          • uses a simile the audience can relate to create a more vivid imagination in their mind
        • 'hissed...in the same way that an axe... hisses when a blacksmith plunges it into cold water'
          • uses a sound the audience knows - more vivid
        • 'like the mast of some black ship'
          • the size of the Cyclops and his tools
        • 'like a mountain lion leaving nothing'
          • 'as though they had been puppies'
            • how helpless the Achaeans are compared to the size of the Cyclops
        • 'more like some wooded peak in the high hills, standing out alone apart from the others'
          • represents the size of the Cyclops

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