Nikhil Deepak
Polyphemus Comparison/ Contrast Essay
“Hatred is self-punishment. Hatred is the coward’s revenge for being
intimidated.” Hosea Ballou. Hatred is a common theme in “Polyphemus Perverse”
and “Polyphemus Revisited”. Hatred determines the actions of the characters and
generates the plotline for the Odyssey. This quote relates to “Polyphemus Perverse”
and “Polyphemus Revisited.” Polyphemus fears Odysseus because he couldn’t fight
back and he needed his brothers’ help, thus making him a coward. Poseidon hates
Odysseus because he was intimidated and his power was challenged by Odysseus
when Odysseus killed his son. This quote summarizes these two poems. But, these
poems are similar yet different through the way their tone is expressed by their
point of view, their purposes, the speakers and audiences.
Both poems have different tones shown by their point of view. In
“Polyphemus Perverse” it is a third person point of view observing the situation
critically. So as a result, the speaker is very scornful of both parties in the situation.
He criticizes Odysseus and his crew for violating Polyphemus’ abode. But he
counters it by criticizing Polyphemus by calling him “half-savage, duffer, and
hermit” In “Polyphemus Revisited”, the point of view is of Polyphem us. The
Cyclopes feels sorry for himself and justifies his actions through phrases like “who
could have seen him coming?”This is similar to “Polyphemus Perverse ” because
there is also justification for the Cyclopes’ actions. With the support of the
previously mentioned insults the speaker justifies the Cyclopes’ actions with the
phrase “He wasn’t playing by their human rules; unfair to blind him.” This shows
that the speaker thought the Cyclopes had the right to behave the way he did.
Overall, the tone of “Polyphemus Perverse” is one of scorn whereas the tone of
“Polyphemus Revisited” is one of self -pity.
Both poems have similar yet distinct purposes. The purpose of “Polyphemus
Perverse” was to explain and justify the Cyclopes’ actions. This is shown in the
phrase “Strangers must be taught to keep their distance; eat the bloody fools” This
shows that the speaker disliked Odysseus and thought that Polyphemus had every
right to eat the crew members. In “Polyphemus Revisited” the reader can infer that
the Cyclopes had no remorse for his actions because of the lack of any phrases
either stating or hinting that. But the main purpose of the poem is to show the
Cyclopes’ regret over his carelessness and stupidity. This is shown in the phrase “I
should have known the prophecy.” He is also expressing his anger about what
happened to him through cynical phrases like “Imagining myself deranged between
screams of pain yelling “Nobody is hurting me,”, and “There must have been a
smirk on his face laughing with his vision o f me maimed and maligned forever
groping.” So overall the purpose of “Polyphemus Perverse” is explanation for the
Cyclopes’ actions and the purpose of “Polyphemus Revisited” is for the Cyclopes to
express his regret.
There is a distinct speaker and audience in both poems although the subject
matter, the situation with Polyphemus’ blinding, is the same. In “Polyphemus
Revisited” the speaker is Polyphemus as shown through the use of the word “I” in
reference to Polyphemus. The audience could be anyone who would listen to the
Cyclopes’ sad story. But, through the phrase “You’ll say I should have known the
prophecy,: it implies that the audience is no ordinary mortal for ordinary mortals
would have no knowledge of this prophecy. One could assume that he was speaking
to a divine being with knowledge of the prophecy. So the most logical god that he
would speak to would be his own father, Poseidon, god of the sea. In “Polyphemus
Perverse” the speaker is a third person speaking of the incident. Because of the
speaker’s intricate knowledge of the matter, the reader can assume that the speaker
is Poseidon. This is shown by the phrase “Odysseus’ crew barged in on him.” No
one except Polyphemus and Poseidon would know who it was. His brothers
wouldn’t know because of Odysseus’ trick where he got Polyphemus to scream
“Brothers help. Nobody is hurting me.” Poseidon would know because Polyphemus
invoked him as Odysseus sailed away. Also, the speaker’s opinion shows that it is
angry Poseidon who wants vengeance for his son as shown by the phrase “Eat the
bloody fools.” The audience is probably the other gods to whom Poseidon is
complaining of Odysseus. But it is specifically Zeus because Poseidon asked Zeus
whether he could get vengeance upon Odysseus. So overall in “Polyphemus
Revisited” it is Polyphemus speaking to Poseidon and in “Polyphemus Perverse” it
is Poseidon speaking to Zeus.
Although both poems are similar according to the subject, they are both
distinctly different through the way the tone is expressed by the poin t of view, the
purpose and the speaker and audience.