Summary
Ulysses and his crew desperately needed food, so they stopped on an island i the Aegean Sea that happened to be home to the Cyclops. They found themselves trapped in a cave with a cyclops, so Ulysses tricked him into drinking his wine, which knocked him out. He then stabbed it in the eye, forcing him to move the boulder that was trapping him in. Ulysses and his men then escaped by riding on the bellies of the sheep that were in the cave and ran back to their ship. They escaped, but not before the Cyclops threw a boulder at the ship, killing seven of the crew.
Questions to Think About
- Based on what you know about Greek mythology, why do you think Cyclops like to eat humans?
- What kind of character is Ulysses becoming?
- What about his leadership?
- Can you make predictions on what will happen based on the steps of the hero's quest?
- What do you think the gods think of Ulysses?
- Was it morally right that Ulysses blinded the Cyclops to feed his men?
Notable Quotes
"When he saw the huge fireplace and he eight goats spitted like sparrows, his heart sank because he knew that they had come into reach of something much larger than themselves." ~Narrator, Page 19
This is but one of many moments of doubt that Ulysses has experienced, telling him that his plan was flawed in some way.
"There was a loud rumbling sound; the cave darkened. Ulysses whirled around. He saw that the door had been closed. the far end of the cavern was too dark to see anything, but then -- amazed, aghast -- he saw what looked like a huge red lantern far above, coming closer. Then he saw the great shadow of a nose under it and the gleam of teeth.
This is but one of many moments of doubt that Ulysses has experienced, telling him that his plan was flawed in some way.
"There was a loud rumbling sound; the cave darkened. Ulysses whirled around. He saw that the door had been closed. the far end of the cavern was too dark to see anything, but then -- amazed, aghast -- he saw what looked like a huge red lantern far above, coming closer. Then he saw the great shadow of a nose under it and the gleam of teeth.