Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.
‘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.
He wants revenge for the loss of his eye.
He is angered by Odysseus’s taunts.
The Cyclops is motivated to ask Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and all his men because he wants revenge for the loss of his eye and he is angered by Odysseus's taunts.
To ascertain the motivation behind the Cyclops asking Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and his men, we can closely analyze the provided excerpt from The Odyssey. In the excerpt, the Cyclops states, "Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to bitter days at home." From this statement, we can deduce the following motivations:
1. The Cyclops wants revenge for the loss of his eye: Earlier in the story, Odysseus and his men encountered the Cyclops Polyphemus, who they blinded by stabbing his eye with a burning stake. This act of aggression and injury naturally invokes a deep desire for revenge in the Cyclops.
2. The Cyclops is angered by Odysseus's taunts: Prior to blinding the Cyclops, Odysseus taunted him and revealed his true identity, proclaiming himself to be "raider of cities" and "Odysseus, Laertes' son." This boastfulness and mockery from Odysseus infuriates the Cyclops, further motivating him to seek vengeance.
Therefore, the correct options that motivate the Cyclops to ask Poseidon for the demise of Odysseus and his men are:
- He wants revenge for the loss of his eye.
- He is angered by Odysseus's taunts.