360 ‘Cyclops,
You ask me my name, my glorious name,
And I will tell it to you. Remember now,
To give me the gift just as you promised.
Noman is my name. They call me Noman—
365 My mother, my father, and all my friends, too.’
Odysseus is recounting the story of his ongoing journey back to Ithaca from Troy to Alcinous in Book IX, in which he finally revealed his identity to Alcinous. Early into his storytelling, Odysseus runs into his experience on the Cyclops island. Odysseus and his men pillaged Ismaros, a city near the land of the Cyclops. While, his crew men warned against travelling to the island, Odysseus aimed to see the Cyclops and was curious to discover their culture, specifically whether they are similar to the Greeks in their hospitality and religion.
In lines 360 to 365, Odysseus is speaking to the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus already discovered that Cyclops are not fond of guests and do fear the gods of Mount Olympus. Polyphemus has already killed and eaten two of Odysseus’s men, and did not show pity when he told the cyclops that his ship had been destroyed. Odysseus clearly knew that attempting to reason with Polyphemus would not yield any positive consequences, so he attempted to outsmart him by gifting the cyclops with wine and stabbing his eye in his sleep.
In lines 360 to 365, Odysseus’ cunningness and cleverness, as well as his confidence and wit, are clearly perceived. The tone of Odysseus suddenly changes in these lines to become much more sarcastic and playful. By repeating “name” twice in line 361, and by sarcastically describing it as “glorious”, Odysseus is exploiting the lack of intelligence of the cyclops. Odysseus, then proceeds to provide Polyphemus with the name “Noman”, again to deceive him into screaming “Noman is killing me…” (Line 407) so that the other Cyclops do not offer to help. Odysseus ends by caustically stating that his friends and family call him Noman as well to offer reassurance to Polyphemus that it is his real name.
Throughout the entire epic, most characters describe Odysseus as cunning and wise. In lines 360:365, Odysseus exemplifies and confirms his reputation by calmly deceiving the cyclops in a manner that produces pity and sympathy for Polyphemus. Holistically, Chapter IX, produces one of the first examples of a negative interaction between a host and a guest (other than the suitors in Ithaca). Odysseus expected to be greeted by the cyclops as a guest and be presented with gifts, but the cyclops locked him in the cave and killed off his men. This portrays the cyclops as ill mannered brutes in the scope of the Ancient Greek sociocultural sphere. Specifically, it is interesting to observe the juxtaposition of the two guest-host interactions taking place in the text. Odysseus is telling the story of how poorly and violently he was received as a guest by Polyphemus, to Alcinous, who has welcomed Odysseus with the utmost respect and some of the highest gifts.
I agree with that analysis you wrote, the Cyclops lacks intelligence and Odysseus already recognized that, so he could be more courageous in front of Polyphemus. He ends saying his real name while he runs away from the land of Cyclops. His wisdom is excellent.
Reading this passage the first time around, it seemed like something incredibly silly. It also seemed out of character because in “The Odyssey”, names and identities are something significant in so many interactions. I spoke about how Odysseus lies to the Cyclopes and I thought that it showed that Odysseus had a lot of foresight into situations. By having the Cyclopes believe that Odysseus’ name was “Noman”, Odysseus and his men escaped being slaughtered by the other Cyclopes. I also noticed that perhaps this was a battle of customs and respect as well. The Cyclopes being disrespectful in terms of the host-guest relationship might’ve been the trigger and what prompted Odysseus to lie about his name and not formally introduce himself.
Dear Arthur,
This analysis provides ample contextualization (maybe this could be shortened to allow room for more interpretive work–though your instincts are correct, that locating the passage within the text/plot is necessary for the reader!). What I’m most impressed by, though, is your linking of the passage’s verbal features, especially the repetition of “name” and the word “glorious” to the WORK it is doing: simultaneously allowing Odysseus to express contempt for the Cyclops (if he is being sarcastic, as you suggest) and to manipulate the Cyclops (who cannot “hear” that contempt, and instead takes the speech at face value). You point out something crucial: we, as readers, have access to the speech’s real meaning, in a way at least one character in the scene does not. Part of Odysseus’ cleverness is this kind of double-language: he tells a lie, but it’s not QUITE a lie; it’s meant to trick someone with a mind susceptible to trickery, and not someone “in-the-know” like his crew, or like the reader/listener. This raises a whole host of interesting questions about audience, in the poem.
In the paragraph connecting this passage more broadly to the rest of the epic, I’m intrigued by your claim that the poet arouses sympathy, at least potentially, for Polyphemous–and I’d like to hear more. I wonder if other suffering villains/monsters in the poem also receive sympathy from you, as a reader (I’m thinking especially of Irus, the beggar who gets beaten up in front of the suitors.) To me, it always seems as though any figure who suffers is treated callously *by the text* if that figure is Odysseus’ enemy–but could convince me otherwise!
Best,
Prof Kolb