Clarissa Michaud
Period 3
Response #4
Book 9
“Now when I cupped my hands I heard the crew / in low voices protesting: / ... ‘Why bait the
beast again? Let him alone!’ ... I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, / but let my anger
flare” (Homer 159-160)
Odysseus is renown for his cunning, yet his hubris causes him to make foolish mistakes. Even
when the Kyklops, Polyphemos, is no longer a threat to Odysseus, and Odysseus could easily
depart safely, he chooses to stay and taunt the Kyklops. Odysseus displays arrogance and is
greedy for kleos. He is foolish and choses to ignore the inevitable wrath of the gods by telling
them his name. The crew understands that the kleos from blinding the Kyklops is not worth the
anger of the gods. Even though they are also on a mission for kleos, their pride does not overtake
them enough for them to say that they are from Ithaka. Odysseus’s cockiness causes him many
later problems; he angers Poseidon, who curses him. It was Odysseus who blinded the Kyklops,
yet it is his men who are all cursed to die, despite the fact that they tried to keep him silent.
Odysseus’s actions in the heat of the moment were mindless, showing he acts irresponsibly while
in the glory of his victory. Odysseus, when recounting the story to the Phaecians, states that he
“would not heed” the words of his crew, showing he understands that what he did was foolish.
These words prove that he has matured since the actual occurrence. Also, this shows the
importance and power of names in Odysseus’s times. Without knowing his name, Poseidon
could not curse him. When the Kyklops cries out for help shortly after being blinded and the
other Kyklops come, their main concern is who tricked Polyphemos. The name of the enemy is
more important than what is happening. However, when Odysseus shouts his name, he not only
says his first name, but also says his father’s name, as well as a title. This is extremely foolish,
because not only can the gods take revenge on Odysseus, but they can now also punish Laertes.
By giving himself a title, ‘raider of cities’, Odysseus portrays himself as very egotistical, almost
taunting the gods with this prestigious title. He wants to have kleos as Odysseus, raider of cities,
for thousands of years. This is how he wants to be remembered. His actions were unwise, yet it
proves his excessive desire for glory and fame; he was not cowardly even when he knew the
gods would be angry. His hubris in his attempts to gain kleos cost him his men and many years
of his life.