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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Book 2
Explanation and Analysis—Cunning and Strategy:
The use of cunning and strategy is a major motif throughout The Odyssey. Though the poem presents various instances of impressive physical strength, bravery, and might, cunning just as often tips the scales of victory. When Odysseus faces the overwhelming power of Polyphemus, he knows that he cannot reach victory by simply overpowering the gigantic cyclops. Instead, he employs strategy. Narrating these past exploits to the Phaecians, Odysseus recounts that:
I poured him another fiery bowl —
three bowls I brimmed and three he drank to the last drop,
the fool, and then, when the wine was swirling round his brain,
I approached my host with a cordial, winning word:
‘So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?
I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift
as you’ve promised. Nobody —that’s my name. Nobody —
so my mother and father call me, all my friends.’
Instead of fighting Polyphemus in open combat, Odysseus pretends to accept the giant's superiority and pours him several bowls of powerful wine. As the giant falls into a drunken stupor, Odysseus cleverly informs him that his name is "Nobody." Later, when Odysseus orders his men to blind the drunk giant, Polyphemus shouts that "Nobody" has attacked him, confusing the other giants, who do not come to aid him against "nobody." In this famous episode in the poem, Odysseus's intelligence proves to be his strongest weapon.
However, Odysseus is not the only cunning character in the poem. His wife, Penelope, similarly employs a clever strategy to push away the many suitors who encamp in Odysseus's home in his absence. Antinous, a particularly rude suitor, recalls that Penelope promised to marry after she finishes weaving a shroud, secretly undoing the tapestry every evening:
So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web —
by night, by the light of torches set beside her,
she would unravel all she’d done. Three whole years
she deceived us blind, seduced us with this scheme . . .
Then, when the wheeling seasons brought the fourth year on,
one of her women, in on the queen’s secret, told the truth
and we caught her in the act —unweaving her gorgeous web.
So she finished it off. Against her will. We forced her.
Penelope employs a clever trick that buys her more time and allows her to remain faithful to Odysseus. For "three whole years" Penelope was successful in her ploy, and her strategy is only exposed when a maid betrays the secret to the men. Both Odysseus and Penelope, then, prove to be cunning strategists in their own ways.
Related Themes:
Book 9
Explanation and Analysis—Cunning and Strategy:
The use of cunning and strategy is a major motif throughout The Odyssey. Though the poem presents various instances of impressive physical strength, bravery, and might, cunning just as often tips the scales of victory. When Odysseus faces the overwhelming power of Polyphemus, he knows that he cannot reach victory by simply overpowering the gigantic cyclops. Instead, he employs strategy. Narrating these past exploits to the Phaecians, Odysseus recounts that:
I poured him another fiery bowl —
three bowls I brimmed and three he drank to the last drop,
the fool, and then, when the wine was swirling round his brain,
I approached my host with a cordial, winning word:
‘So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?
I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift
as you’ve promised. Nobody —that’s my name. Nobody —
so my mother and father call me, all my friends.’
Instead of fighting Polyphemus in open combat, Odysseus pretends to accept the giant's superiority and pours him several bowls of powerful wine. As the giant falls into a drunken stupor, Odysseus cleverly informs him that his name is "Nobody." Later, when Odysseus orders his men to blind the drunk giant, Polyphemus shouts that "Nobody" has attacked him, confusing the other giants, who do not come to aid him against "nobody." In this famous episode in the poem, Odysseus's intelligence proves to be his strongest weapon.
However, Odysseus is not the only cunning character in the poem. His wife, Penelope, similarly employs a clever strategy to push away the many suitors who encamp in Odysseus's home in his absence. Antinous, a particularly rude suitor, recalls that Penelope promised to marry after she finishes weaving a shroud, secretly undoing the tapestry every evening:
So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web —
by night, by the light of torches set beside her,
she would unravel all she’d done. Three whole years
she deceived us blind, seduced us with this scheme . . .
Then, when the wheeling seasons brought the fourth year on,
one of her women, in on the queen’s secret, told the truth
and we caught her in the act —unweaving her gorgeous web.
So she finished it off. Against her will. We forced her.
Penelope employs a clever trick that buys her more time and allows her to remain faithful to Odysseus. For "three whole years" Penelope was successful in her ploy, and her strategy is only exposed when a maid betrays the secret to the men. Both Odysseus and Penelope, then, prove to be cunning strategists in their own ways.
Related Themes:
