In this image, we see the Cyclops Polyphemus reaching down to touch the back of his sheep. Odysseus’ men are hiding beneath the sheep, while Polyphemus takes them out to the pasture. Polyphemus is oblivious to this fact as Odysseus has blinded him. Odysseus and his men seem scared in this painting, even after blinding the Cyclops. Odysseus is wearing the armor of a hero, while Polyphemus is in a simple cloth. Odysseus seems the best dressed out of his men, as he is the only one wearing a helmet. He is also the only one brave enough to come into close proximity with the Cyclops, and his men cower behind him. Polyphemus is also very humanized in this image, as we cannot see his one eye. He seems to just be a larger man, not a monster that he is described as. Odysseus’ men are behind him, while two of them are tied beneath sheep. This image paints Polyphemus as more human than many other renditions of this scene. In other images, we see Polyphemus’ one eye, and he is seen as violent. In this one, he is simply petting his sheep’s back before they go out to pasture, unaware of anything Odyssey and his men are doing.

In my study of Book Nine, I have found Polyphemus to be less of a monster than Odysseus thinks. This is especially apparent in this image, as Polyphemus is taking care of his sheep, a very human thing to do. The artist has also portrayed Polyphemus in a much more human way than a lot of other artists have. He has the body type and clothes of a human, just larger. His eye is not apparent in the image either, giving him a more human appearance, compared to many other images of Book Nine. This image is in the last part of Book Nine, while Odysseus is trying to escape. This is the point where we see the most amount of humanity in the book. He wonders why his fastest sheep is taking so long to go and graze, unaware of the man clinging underneath. Polyphemus, just having been blinded, is not aware of the men’s plan to use his sheep and escape. This image really represents the most important part of Book Nine, how Polyphemus is misunderstood.

In the Odyssey, Polyphemus is portrayed as an emotionless monster, especially through Odysseus’ viewpoint. In this image we see one part of Book Nine that encapsulates Polyphemus’ humanity. This image shows that he is not the monster that Odysseus assumes him to be. His clothing, being similar to Odysseus’ men, also shows his humanity. Both Polyphemus and Odysseus’ men are wearing simple clothes, mostly just cloth pulled around their bodies. Odysseus is the only one in armor or “fancier” clothing. In the entirety of the Odyssey, we never hear the so-called “monsters” points of view. The only story that we follow is Odysseus’. This image shows the unheard point of view, that maybe Polyphemus isn’t the monster that he is made out to be.