Question

‘O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands,

if I am thine indeed, and thou art father:
grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never
see his home: Laertes' son, I mean,
who kept his hail on Ithaca. Should destiny
intend that he shall see his roof again
among his family in his father land,
far be that day, and dark the years between.
Let him lose all companions, and return
under strange sail to bitter days at home.'

What motivates the Cyclops to ask Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and all his men? Select two options.

He hates all the Greeks because they destroyed Troy.
He wants revenge for the loss of his eye.
He thinks all of mankind is weak and feeble.
He is angered by Odysseus’s taunts.

Answer 1

Answer: The two options that motivate the Cyclops to ask Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and all his men are B) He wants revenge for the loss of his eye and D) He is angered by Odysseus’s taunts.

Explanation: The Cyclops is a one-eyed giant who lives in a cave on an island. He is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Odysseus and his men encounter the Cyclops when they enter his cave in search of food and shelter. The Cyclops traps them inside and eats some of them. Odysseus devises a plan to escape by blinding the Cyclops with a sharpened stake. He also tells the Cyclops that his name is Nobody, so that when the other Cyclopes hear his cries of pain, they think he is saying that nobody is hurting him.

Odysseus and his men manage to flee from the cave by hiding under the sheep of the Cyclops. However, as they sail away, Odysseus reveals his true name and taunts the Cyclops for his defeat. The Cyclops is furious and asks his father Poseidon to curse Odysseus and prevent him from reaching his home.

The Cyclops wants revenge for the loss of his eye because he values his sight and considers it a great injury. He also feels humiliated by Odysseus’s trickery and cunning. He thinks that Odysseus has violated the laws of hospitality and deserves to be punished.

The Cyclops is angered by Odysseus’s taunts because he thinks that Odysseus is arrogant and foolish. He does not understand why Odysseus would risk his safety and reveal his identity after escaping from him. He also feels insulted by Odysseus’s mockery and challenges to his strength.

Therefore, the two options that motivate the Cyclops to ask Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and all his men are B) He wants revenge for the loss of his eye and D) He is angered by Odysseus’s taunts.

Hope this helps, and have a great day! =)