Monstrous Meeting Slides Monstrous Meeting
Odysseus vs. The Cyclops
The Story So Far
After the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men are trying to find their way home to Ithaca.
"Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending..."
The War is over (10 years!)
The ships are sailing home.
But the gods have other plans...
Who is Polyphemus?
Giant
A massive one-eyed creature called a Cyclops.
Shepherd
He lives alone in a cave tending to his sheep.
Son of Poseidon
He is the son of the powerful god of the sea.
"A wild man, ignorant of law... whose mind knew no restraint."
Ancient Vocabulary
Adversary
An enemy or opponent.
"The Cyclops was a terrifying adversary."
Guile / Metis
Sly intelligence or cunning.
"Odysseus relied on guile to escape the cave."
Hubris
Excessive pride or dangerous confidence.
"His hubris led him to taunt the giant."
Sage
Wise or showing great wisdom.
"Odysseus was known as a sage strategist."
Today's Quest
Cunning & Curse
Analyze the complex hero. Explore Hamartia and the power of Metis.
Advanced Path
Giant Grudge
Focus on imagery and character traits. Discover how pride becomes a mistake.
On-Grade Path
Cave Escape
Master the plot and identify the clever tricks used to outsmart the monster.
Foundational Path
The Final Escape
Select your path and complete your Exit Ticket to leave the cave behind.
Cunning & Curse
Advanced
Synthesis & Kleos
Giant Grudge
On-Grade
Guile & Hubris
Cave Escape
Foundational
Plot & Tricks
Giant Grudge Reading Giant Grudge
Name
Date
Level: On-Grade Reading
Odysseus and his weary men reached the island of the Cyclopes, a race of giant, one-eyed shepherds. Despite the warnings of his crew, Odysseus's curiosity led them into a massive cavern filled with cheese and lambs. They were not alone for long.
Polyphemus, a Cyclops and the son of Poseidon, returned with his flock. To close the cave, he rolled a boulder against the entrance—a rock so heavy that twenty-two wagons could not have moved it. When he discovered the Greeks, his hospitality was non-existent. He grabbed two of Odysseus's men and ate them whole, a terrifying display of his "restless mind."
Odysseus knew they could not kill the giant in his sleep, for they would remain trapped. Instead, he relied on his guile. He offered the Cyclops a bowl of potent wine. Polyphemus, delighted, asked for the name of his guest.
"Cyclops," Odysseus replied, "you ask my name? My name is Nobody."
Polyphemus promised to eat "Nobody" last before falling into a drunken stupor. Seizing the moment, Odysseus and his men took a sharpened olive-wood stake, heated it, and plunged it into the giant's single eye.
Polyphemus roared in agony, his cries bringing other Cyclopes to the entrance. "Who is harming you?" they shouted. "Nobody! Nobody is killing me by fraud!" he bellowed back. The others replied, "Well, if nobody is harming you, it must be a plague from the gods," and they left him to his misery.
The next morning, the blind giant sat by the entrance, feeling the backs of his sheep as they left to graze to ensure no men were escaping. Odysseus tied his men to the bellies of the largest rams. Hidden by the thick wool, they slipped past the giant's touch and made it to their ship.
However, as they sailed away, Odysseus’s hubris got the better of him. He shouted back, "Cyclops, tell them it was Odysseus who shamed you!" Enraged, Polyphemus prayed to his father, Poseidon, to curse the journey—a prayer that would haunt the hero for ten years.
Analysis: Giant Grudge
Student Name
1. Vocabulary
Based on the story, what is the best definition of guile?
A. Physical strength used in battle
B. Deceptive cleverness or cunning
C. Deep sadness or grief
D. Religious devotion
2. Why is Odysseus’s final shout called "hubris"? What was he risking?
3. Strategy
Explain why the "Nobody" trick worked so well. Use evidence from the text.
4. Leadership
Is Odysseus a hero or a hazard? Support your answer with one reason.
Cave Escape Reading Cave Escape
Name
Date
Level: Foundational Reading
Odysseus was a clever Greek hero. On his way home from war, he and his men stopped at an island. They found a large cave filled with food. They went inside to look around.
Suddenly, a giant named Polyphemus returned. He was a Cyclops, which means he had only one eye. He was very mean. He rolled a giant rock in front of the door so the men could not leave.
Odysseus knew he had to be smart to escape. He gave the giant some strong wine. The giant liked it and asked Odysseus for his name. Odysseus told a lie. He said, "My name is Nobody."
The giant fell asleep. While he was sleeping, Odysseus and his men used a sharp stick to hurt the giant’s eye. The giant woke up and screamed in pain. Other giants came to help him. They asked, "Who is hurting you?"
Polyphemus yelled, "Nobody is hurting me!"
The other giants thought he was joking. They said, "If nobody is hurting you, then we are going home!" They left Polyphemus alone.
The next morning, the giant was blind. He had to let his sheep out of the cave. He felt the tops of the sheep to make sure the men were not riding them. But Odysseus was even smarter. He tied his men to the bottoms of the sheep. They hid under the wool.
The giant did not feel them, and they escaped safely! Back on their ship, Odysseus felt very proud. He shouted his real name. This made the giant very angry, and he asked the gods to curse Odysseus on his trip home.
Comprehension Check
Name: ________________________________
What Happened?
1. Why did Odysseus tell the giant his name was "Nobody"?
He forgot his real name.
He wanted to trick the other giants.
He was too scared to speak.
2. How did the men escape the cave?
3. Circle three words for Odysseus:
Clever
Fearful
Smart
Brave
4. Why did he shout his name at the end?
Wits vs Will Exit Ticket Wits vs. Will
Exit Ticket
Student Name
Date
1
Odysseus uses guile but then displays hubris. Define these in your own words.
Guile:
Hubris:
2
Predict: How will Odysseus’s choice to reveal his name affect his journey? Use evidence from the story.
Self-Assessment
Thinking
Got It
Expert
Cave Escape Exit Ticket Cave Escape
LEVEL: FOUNDATIONAL
Name
Date
1
Which "trick" did Odysseus use that you think was the smartest? Circle one:
Telling the giant his name was "Nobody"
Hiding under the sheep to leave the cave
2
Why was it a bad idea for Odysseus to yell his real name at the end?
How did you feel about today's story?
Ancient Adventure Teacher Guide Ancient Adventure
Teacher Guide: Odysseus & The Cyclops
Resource Guide
Duration
45-60 Min
Levels
Adv / On / Found
Standard
RL.6.3 Character
Differentiated Readings
Advanced: Cunning & Curse
Lexile 1100L | Focus: Metis, Bie, and Epic Irony.
On-Grade: Giant Grudge
Lexile 950L | Focus: Hubris and Consequences.
Foundational: Cave Escape
Lexile 650L | Focus: Plot and Irony Check.
Exit Tickets
ADVANCED: Synthesis of Kleos (glory) vs. survival and the paradox of epic intellect.
ON-GRADE: Definitions of guile/hubris and prediction based on the curse.
FOUNDATIONAL: Comparing tricks and identifying the danger of pride.
Key
Advanced
Q1: Metis vs Bie. Force is useless vs. the boulder.
Q2: Irony. "Nobody" used as a shield vs neighbors.
Q3: Kleos. He needs his name known for immortality.
Q4: Morality. Civilization vs. Nature.
On-Grade
1: (B) Cunning.
2: Risked voyage for credit.
3: Literally heard "Nobody."
4: Hero (save) vs Hazard (curse).
Foundational
1: Trick giants.
2: Bottom of sheep.
3: Clever, Smart, Brave.
4: Proud/Wanted credit.
The Odyssey: Eye of the Storm Differentiation Teacher Guide | Module 1.4
Epic Cunning Reading Cunning and Curse
Name
Date
Epic Analysis | Level: Advanced
The Ithacan king, Odysseus, driven by an insatiable curiosity that often bordered on temerity, led his companions into the desolate cavern of Polyphemus. This son of Poseidon, a Cyclops of monstrous proportions, lived a solitary existence, indifferent to the laws of gods and men. He was a creature of raw, untamed power, his single eye a mirror of his narrow, brutal worldview.
When the giant returned from his pasturage, he sealed the cavern's aperture with a cyclopean boulder—a stone so immense that even the combined strength of twenty-two wagons could not have moved it. Upon discovering the intruders, Polyphemus offered no hospitable greeting; instead, he devoured two of Odysseus's men with the casual cruelty of a predator. Odysseus, though paralyzed with grief, realized that brute force was a futile weapon against such an adversary; to slay the giant in his slumber would be to entomb themselves forever.
Relying on his legendary metis (cunning), Odysseus orchestrated a masterpiece of deception. He offered the giant a vintage of potent, undiluted wine. As the spirits clouded the giant's primitive mind, Polyphemus demanded the name of his benefactor.
"Cyclops," Odysseus answered with practiced ease, "you inquire after my name? I shall tell you. My name is Nobody. That is what my parents and peers have dubbed me."
The giant, in his drunken hubris, promised to devour "Nobody" last before collapsing into a profound stupor. Odysseus and his remaining crew then plunged a sharpened, fire-hardened olive stake into the giant's singular eye. Polyphemus’s agonizing roar shattered the silence, summoning his brethren to the cave’s mouth. "Polyphemus!" they cried. "What calamity has befallen you? Who is murdering you by treachery?"
"Nobody!" the giant bellowed. "Nobody is killing me by guile!" Hearing this, the other Cyclopes assumed his affliction was a divine visitation and departed, leaving him to his sightless misery.
The subsequent morning, Odysseus executed the final phase of his stratagem. He lashed his men to the bellies of the giant’s prize rams, knowing the blind monster would only verify the sheep's backs as they exited to graze. Hidden by the woolly underbellies, they slipped past the giant's searching fingers and fled to the safety of the black ships.
Yet, the victory was marred by Odysseus’s own hubris. As the ships reached the safety of the waves, he could not resist a final taunt. "Cyclops!" he shouted, "If any mortal asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, sacker of cities, the son of Laertes!" This revelation allowed the giant to name his tormentor in a prayer to Poseidon, ensuring a decade of divine wrath and the eventual destruction of all his companions.
Advanced Epic Analysis
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Epic Ego Exit Ticket Epic Ego
Advanced Exit Ticket
Scholar Name
Date
1
Analyze the tension between Metis (cunning) and Hubris. Which trait defines Odysseus more as a hero?
2
The curse of Poseidon depends on knowledge. How does Odysseus’s need for Kleos (glory) lead to his downfall?
Analysis Focus Areas:
Metis
Textual Evidence
Kleos
