Themes+and+Values9

__Some Themes...__
Greed: Odysseus's men plunder the Kikone's village. As a result, many are killed.

Temptation: There are many instances of temptation in this book. Several characters such as Kirke, Kalypso, and the Lotos Eaters hinder Odysseus by means of temptation.

Revenge: When Odysseus manages to escape Polyphemus, the Kyklopes prays to Poseidon to take revenge on Odysseus for what he has done. This very prayer is what causes Odysseus's journey home to be such a pain.

Hubris: In an act of hubris near the end of the book, Odysseus shouts out his true name to Polyphemus. He wants to make sure the Kyklops knows who has done this to him. He is also telling the world, "I am Odysseus! It is I who has put out the eye of this great beast!" Consequently, Polyphemus can hear where the ships are and nearly sinks one.

__And Values__
Cleverness: Odysseus hatches a quick and clever plan to escape Polyphemus's cave. He knows he can't kill the Kyklopes on the spot, or they will be trapped in the cave forever due to the huge rock. Instead, he gets him drunk, blinds him, and then escapes on the undersides of the sheep.

Glory: It is evident that glory is highly valued in Odysseus's time, especially personal glory. At the end of the book he makes sure that Polyphemus and everyone else is aware that he is the one who has blinded the Kyklopes. Odysseus also adds in several epithets about himself, such as "raider of cities."