Extra Credit Reading: Homer's Odyssey, Reading A
Offering the Cyclops Wine translated into English by Tony Kline (2004)
Odysseus and his men, after a long fight in Troy, wish to return home. They stop by an island where Cyclops live. Instead of taking the food and leaving, Odysseus wishes to stay and see the Cyclops, leading to the death of some of his men. Thus, as a way to escape, Odysseus sharped up a wooden spear and waited for the cyclops to return. Then, he gave the Cyclops some wine and as a result, the cyclops fell into a drunken slumber. This was the chance for Odysseus to jab the wooden spear into his one eye and twist and turn until the Cyclops became blind. However, the wit in this story was what made it memorable. Odysseus had told the Cyclops that his name was "Nobody". Thus, when the Cyclops screamed and yelled that "Nobody has made me blind", the other cyclops took it quite literally, and no one came and helped him.
I really like the wit and bravery shown in this story. If I were to retell it, I would modernize it so that all the characters are human. The cyclopes would be a group of bandits, robbing the soldiers who are on the way home from war. One of the soldiers, instead of blinding the bandits, tied them all up when they partied too hard one night. The reason why the soldiers didn't just escape when they were drinking was because they were also tied up. Luckily, one of them wiggled free, and that's where the bandits' plan starts spiraling down. Lastly, I would like to keep the idea of the leader telling the bandits that his name is Nobody. I might change it a little to make it sound like a real name though.
Odysseus and his men, after a long fight in Troy, wish to return home. They stop by an island where Cyclops live. Instead of taking the food and leaving, Odysseus wishes to stay and see the Cyclops, leading to the death of some of his men. Thus, as a way to escape, Odysseus sharped up a wooden spear and waited for the cyclops to return. Then, he gave the Cyclops some wine and as a result, the cyclops fell into a drunken slumber. This was the chance for Odysseus to jab the wooden spear into his one eye and twist and turn until the Cyclops became blind. However, the wit in this story was what made it memorable. Odysseus had told the Cyclops that his name was "Nobody". Thus, when the Cyclops screamed and yelled that "Nobody has made me blind", the other cyclops took it quite literally, and no one came and helped him.
(Marble head of Odysseus: Wikipedia)
I really like the wit and bravery shown in this story. If I were to retell it, I would modernize it so that all the characters are human. The cyclopes would be a group of bandits, robbing the soldiers who are on the way home from war. One of the soldiers, instead of blinding the bandits, tied them all up when they partied too hard one night. The reason why the soldiers didn't just escape when they were drinking was because they were also tied up. Luckily, one of them wiggled free, and that's where the bandits' plan starts spiraling down. Lastly, I would like to keep the idea of the leader telling the bandits that his name is Nobody. I might change it a little to make it sound like a real name though.
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