Embedded Files
The Odyssey (Book 9)
Polyphemus, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, 1802.
The Cyclops Named Polyphemus
The Cyclops Named Polyphemus
In Book 9 of Homer's The Odyssey, we are introduced to Polyphemus— one of the many cyclopes inhabiting the island Odysseus and his men had crashed into. According to Odysseus, Polyphemus was "A grim loner, dead set in his own lawless ways. . . a monster built like no mortal. . . a man mountain rearing head and shoulders over the world" (Homer 217). From the hero's description alone, readers are prompted to envision a massive and rugged one-eyed brute.
Now take a moment to look at the image directly on the left; it is Polyphemus depicted by German painter, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Does he look as brutish as Odysseus' description of him? Though no one really knows what the Cyclops looks like, the preceding question prompts this thought: no one knows what Polyphemus looks like, so who are we to trust Odysseus's description of the Cyclops?
Who is Polyphemus Really?
Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph, Thoösa. Aside from his appearance in The Odyssey, the Cyclops himself is a relatively prominent figure in Greek mythology.
It is made known in the epic poem by Homer that Polyphemus is a "creature of routine" and lives a plain life; everyday he tends to his flock of goats and sheep, performs basic daily life-sustaining activities, and bathes in his own solitude.
Though the Cyclops' life does not sound very riveting, there is a detail in Greek mythology which throws some complication into his seemingly mundane existence. Polyphemus was enamored with a sea nymph, the Nereids named Galatea (as pictured on the right). He was so infatuated with her that upon finding out she had feelings for another, he killed the man who caught her attention.
The Cyclops, by Odilon Redon, 1941.
What is the Significance: The Cyclops' Singular Eye
Given background information on Polyphemus, it possible to make the presumption that the Cyclops as a character symbolizes foolishness. To explain this idea, consider the following:
Cyclopes are humanoids with a singular eye; they are only able to see the world through monocular vision. The metaphorical implication of monocular vision is that someone with only one eye "sees less", hence has a significant disadvantage in perceiving the world versus someone with two eyes.
In the case of The Odyssey, let us compare the attitudes of the two characters, Polyphemus and Odysseus.
Polyphemus, the One-Eyed Giant
Polyphemus, the One-Eyed Giant
The world is only what he is given; everyday is the same.
Acts senselessly over an unrequited love.
In most cases, fails to think outside of the box.
Odysseus, the All-Seeing Hero
Odysseus, the All-Seeing Hero
The world is his oyster; everyday prompts new adventures.
Recognizes what he truly loves: his homeland and family.
Creative and capable of abstract thought.
Ultimately, this comparison reveals that Polyphemus does in fact "see less" than Odysseus, as their attitudes in perceiving the world directly translate into their character and what they symbolize. Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant, symbolizes foolishness and Odysseus, the all-seeing hero, symbolizes cleverness. There is a clear metaphor here for monocular versus binocular vision, and that is seeing with one eye constitutes detrimental narrow-mindedness and a lack of imagination. Meanwhile, the ability to see with two eyes represents opportunistic open-mindedness and creative thinking.
Why Monocular Vision is Unfavorable
Monocular vision is not favorable because, in a metaphorical sense, it implicates narrow-mindedness and the inability to see the world as what it could be, rather than what it is.
In Polyphemus' case, his incompetence in comparison to Odysseus is the consequent result of his attitude. Because Polyphemus perceives the world through monocular vision and ultimately "sees less" than Odysseus, he has an indifferent attitude towards the world. Odysseus, who perceives the world through binocular vision, is able to see the world as more than it is and what it could be— as a result, the hero has a positive and opportunistic attitude towards the world.
There is nothing desirable about monocular vision; if given the choice between the options to see less or more, everyone should choose the latter option, right? The ability to "see more" as constituted by the metaphor of binocular vision ultimately refers to the ability to perceive open-mindedly and to think abstractly. Both abilities granted to those who choose to perceive the world through binocular vision are absolutely critical to our success in life!
Reflection
At the top of my notes for Professor Giannapoulou's second lecture, I wrote and starred the question: "what is the implication of monocular vision?" In all honesty, I had no idea where this question would take me in regards to the direction of this assignment. However, looking back now, I am glad this question from the lecture stuck out to me because I ran with it.
I think that Book 9 of The Odyssey had a lot of interesting things to pick apart, such as the role of xenia in the story or the contradictions of Odysseus, though I think I made the right choice in picking my topic for this activity. Because we discussed the aforementioned points in discussion, I felt that I should challenge myself to really talk about my own ideas. Admittedly, this activity was a little difficult, especially starting out because I was not sure what to talk about. My uncertainty ended up prompting me to do some research on my own. In the end, I really enjoyed learning more about Polyphemus and spent a decent amount of time exploring his character in Greek mythology; I am also pretty content with how this activity turned out design-wise!
References
References
Informational
Homer. The Odyssey. Penguin Books, 1996.
Atsma, Aaron J. "Polyphemus." Theoi Project, https://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GigantePolyphemos.html#:~:text=POLYPHE%E2%80%B2MUS%20(Poluph%C3%AAmos).,Sicily%2C%20and%20devoured%20human%20beings. Accessed 12 October 2023.
Atsma, Aaron J. "Galatea." Theoi Project, https://www.theoi.com/Pontios/NereisGalateia.html. Accessed 12 October 2023.
Photos
Böcklin, Arnold. Odysseus and Polyphemus. 1896. MFABoston, https://collections.mfa.org/objects/564102/odysseus-and-polyphemus?.
Tischbein, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm. Polyphemus. 1802. Greek Mythology Link, https://www.maicar.com/GML/000Iconography/Polyphemus/slides/3717.html.
Redon, Olidon. The Cyclops. 1914. Kröller-Müller Museum, https://krollermuller.nl/en/odilon-redon-the-cyclops-1.
Tibaldi, Pellegrino. The Blinding of Polyphemus. 1550-51?. Web Gallery of Art, https://www.wga.hu/html_m/t/tibaldi/1/2scene11.html.
Page updated
Report abuse