Week 2 Reading Diary: Homer's Odyssey

When reading Homer's Odyssey, here are a few notes/thoughts that I had while reading:

• The cyclopes depend on the gods and don't do anything for themselves
• On their island the cyclopes have a lot of potential for cultivation and growth but they do not take advantage of their opportunities. 
• Ulysses searches the island to discover the character of the cyclopes - who they are as people and how they treat others
• Ulysses and his men enter into Polyphemus's cave and use his stuff and eat his food without him being there
• Both Polyphemus and Ulysses try to fool the other when figuring out information of each other
• Ulysses is the one that ultimately fools Polyphemus in the end in many instances including saying his name is Nobody, using the fleeces, and getting Polyphemus drunk off of the strong wine
• Ulysses downfall is when he continues to boast at Polyphemus from the boat - they almost are forced back to shore on multiple occasions and gives Polyphemus his real name
• By giving Polyphemus his real name he becomes cursed for the rest of the trip
• If not for his pride and his boasting, he could have made it home to Ithaca in a shorter amount of time with less loss
• Ulysses is heroic in the fact that he will go back into turmoil to save his men and not leave him behind
• He is a very complex character with conflicting characteristics 
• He is enchanted by Circe and the life she lives that he and the men enjoy a years worth of enjoyment which in the end is lengthening their journey
• They must go back into suffering in order to return home
• When someone feels secure and is away from struggle he or she will want to spend as much time there before having to go back into the real world, which is hard. We see this with the element of Circe in the story.

Circe and Lions