I will focus on Book 9, where Odysseus and 12 of his crew run into Polyphemus. This picture depicts Odysseus and his men trapped in Polyphemus’ cave. It seems a couple of dead crew are on the floor by the sheep. I would guess this is after Odysseus asked the Cyclops for gifts, since they were his guests, and quickly found out that these practices did not apply on this island. I can make this guess since Poylphemus still has his walking stick and it seems as though Polyphemus is looking at Odysseus. Odysseus is highlighted in the image wearing a bright red cape with battle armor on. This is most likely because he is the protagonist and is supposed to be the “hero” of the story. As he is the closest man to the Cyclops, his men are hiding behind him and the boulder to protect themselves from Polyphemus.
After reading about this image, I deduced that the author also believes Odysseus is far too prideful and lacks concern for the safety of his crew. Since the author makes sure to highlight Odysseus was the reason they were trapped in the cave in the first place, as well as the reason Polyphemus was able to accurately throw the boulders at their ship while trying to sail away. This is exactly how I felt Odysseus acted in this book. His crew continually were correct in trying to change Odysseus’ mind, however, they were never successful. In the end, Odysseus is responsible for the death of 6 of his crew throughout the book. He believed the Cyclops was inferior to him, therefore it could not harm him. Although Odysseus survived, probably by the will of the gods, he was very wrong and deeply underestimated Polyphemus.
Even though Odysseus got his crew stuck inside Polyphemus’ cave, he remained a leader. As seen in the picture he is front and center, talking to Polyphemus and begging for his crew’s life. As a leader, you need to be able to stand up for your men. Throughout this story, even though he did get his crew into this mess, he was solely responsible for getting him and his crew out. It seems most of the conflicts Odysseus faces are due to his hubris. Which is why he is painted in bright red colors in the middle of the painting. Poylphemus is depicted as the man in charge of this situation, however, Odysseus does not look frightened. This is because Odysseus still sees him as inferior, therefore he is not a threat to his life. Due to the gods letting him know they wish him to return home also must be a sense of security for Odysseus. The crew are painted as very regular-looking people, with what would be everyday clothes for civilians in Greece at the time. This is meant to show the regularity of the crew compared to Odysseus and Polyphemus, who are favored by the gods. This also, in turn, highlights the protagonist and antagonist of the book.