How did Polyphemus not show hospitality?
Polyphemus does not immediately show hospitality upon meeting Odysseus and his crew, so Odysseus asks for it. “... beholden for your help, or any gifts you give as a custom to honor strangers… Zeus will avenge the unoffending guests… We cyclops care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus…
A son of Poseidon and nearly as powerful as the gods, Polyphemus scoffs at the concept of hospitality and welcomes his guests by devouring two for supper. Although powerful, Polyphemus is not particularly intelligence.
When Odysseus entered the cave of Polyphemus, he was relying on the expectation of hospitality. Thus, he and his comrades began to help themselves to food and shelter. However, when Polyphemus returns, he refuses to follow the rules of Greek hospitality because he feels no need to.
The cyclops abuse hospitality by trying to deceive Odysseus and his crew but Odysseus then grabs two of Odysseus' companions and eats them. Once the cyclops eats them and washes them down with milk which shows how he abuses hospitality. Odysseus also stabs the cyclops eyes which does not show hubris.
There is, however, an adventure where Odysseus is not shown good hospitality. This adventure is the encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
Examples of Bad Hospitality in “The Odyssey”
The result of this action is that when he entered the home looking for food and shelter, he was immediately accosted by the various suitors who were there berating him, mocking him, and otherwise treating him in a deplorable manner.
Telemachus, the focus of the first four books of The Odyssey, provides an early example of good hospitality as both a host and a guest. In Book 1, Athena comes to Ithaca in disguise as the hero Mentes to convince Telemachus to go in search of news of Odysseus.
Polyphemus is the only Cyclops that is described in detail in the Odyssey. He is the king of the Cyclopes on his island. The singular eye of the Cyclopes in the Odyssey seems to represent the foolishness of a singular focus without taking other perspectives and consequences into account.
Hospitality matters because it feeds the most basic human need that we all have, to feel loved and accepted. That is not something to overlook. There is a surplus of beauty in providing space for others to feel important, cared for and genuinely loved. It allows us to nurture.
Despite the justification of his actions, Odysseus did break the law of xenia in his encounter with Polyphemus in The Odyssey.
What is the role of xenia hospitality as it applies to the Polyphemus episode?
What is the role of xenia as it applies to the episode with Polyphemus? Odysseus goes to the cave to expect a gift but the Cyclops goes against the rules of Xenia and kills Odysseus people.
What does Polyphemus do to Odysseus and his men that defies the Greek custom of courtesy to strangers? He doesn't welcome them into the land and disrespects Zeus, the custom is to honor strangers. Why doesn't Odysseus kill the cyclops when he's asleep?
The we see Calypso violating hospitality by keeping Odysseus against his will. Circe will also take this path toward her guests. Only in Phaeacia does Odysseus show himself capable of hospitality, and there it is returned.
Significance Of Hospitality In The Odyssey
Giving good hospitality was also the best thing to please the gods. It was believed that turning someone away would result in punishment from the gods. The hosts had no knowledge on who their visitor was, they treated every guest as if they were a god in disguise.
Sir, I beg you to reverence the gods. We are suppliants, and Zeus himself is the champion of suppliants and of guests; god of guests is a name of his; guests are august, and Zeus goes with them. ' So I spoke.
Polyphemus (/ˌpɒlɪˈfiːməs/; Greek: Πολύφημος, translit. Polyphēmos, Epic Greek: [polýpʰɛːmos]; Latin: Polyphēmus [pɔlʏˈpʰeːmʊs]) is the one-eyed giant son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes described in Homer's Odyssey. His name means "abounding in songs and legends".
Why didn't Odysseus kill Polyphemus in his sleep? He decides not to kill Polyphemus because there was no way they could get out. There was a giant slab blocking the door.
Poseidon and Odysseus are the most noticeable representatives of the theme of vengeance. In order to escape from the cave of the Cyclops (Polyphemus), Odysseus blinds the one-eyed giant (Book 9). Unfortunately, the Cyclops is the sea god Poseidon's son; Odysseus has engaged a formidable enemy.
"I was hoping that you might give me a guest present," he says to the Cyclops, "as is the right of strangers when they turned up at someone's home." Well, we know what happens, the Cyclops, instead of setting food before his visitors as xenia demanded, proceeds to eat them instead.
The proper provision of hospitality in ancient Greece was an important ritual that encouraged social, political or military “networking.” It was a sacred responsibility that came under the watchful eye of the Olympian gods. Zeus Xenios, “the strangers' god,” ruled as hospitality's chief protector.
Who shows xenia in The Odyssey?
Telemachus shows xenia, in Book One, to the disguised Athena by graciously welcoming her into his own home and offering her food. He even moves her chair away from the suitors who are rude.
While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a piece of wood into a stake and hardens it in the fire. Next, he gives the cyclops wine to get him drunk, and he tells the cyclops his name is “Nobody.” When the cyclops falls asleep, Odysseus blinds him with the hardened stake.
What is the Cyclops' reply to Odysseus' warning? Polyphemus claims that he does not fear the gods, for he has more power, more force.
Hubris allegedly causes great success, but in reality, hubris leads to many mistakes instead. Odysseus carelessly telling Polyphemus all of his personal information through his enormous pride angered Poseidon, Polyphemus' father, who ended up killing Odysseus' entire crew and delaying Odysseus for 10 long years.
As Odysseus and his men escaped the cave on the bellies of the sheep, they ran to their ship to sail away from the island of the cyclops. As they boarded their boat and pushed off into the sea, Odysseus revealed his true identity to Polyphemus. It was not “Nobody” that had blinded him.