Polyphemus is angry with Odysseus, who tricks and blinds the Cyclops to escape captivity. When fleeing the giant, the hero mocks him. Then, he reveals his name to the enraged Cyclops. This humiliation prompts Polyphemus to ask Poseidon to avenge him and make the Greek’s way home more dangerous.
Detailed answer:
Polyphemus is introduced to the readers in Book 9. It describes Odysseus’ adventures to hospitable Phaeacians. The Cyclops is the giant offspring of the Olympic god Poseidon and a sea nymph. He, along with the other one-eyed creatures, lives on the island of Sicily. Polyphemus catches the hero and his men plundering through the wine and food in his cave and traps them in it. The son of Poseidon refuses to grant the Greeks the custom of hospitality. Thus, he does not provide them with food and shelter. Instead, he devours some of Odysseus’s companions and keeps the rest hostage.
Odysseus uses the unrivaled cunning to escape the giant and save himself and the crew. The famous Greek gets Polyphemus drunk with strong wine. Then, he blinds him with a burning piece of wood when the Cyclops falls asleep. The hero and his companions hide among the giant’s sheep and manage to get back to their ship. Odysseus’s pride and hubris make him finally reveal his name and put his men in more danger. Injured and humiliated, Polyphemus decides to pray to his father. He asks Poseidon to avenge him and interfere with the hero’s journey home to Ithaca.
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