Interpreting Monsters: Approaches to the Cyclops Polyphemus

Abstract

To remind us that “monstrosity” need not equal “evil,” recent studies on the monstrous tend toward inclusive treatments of the alterity represented by physically anomalous bodies and non-normative behaviour. The Cyclops Polyphemus provides a useful example of how one monstrous creature can be viewed from multiple perspectives: while the ancient Greeks considered him savage and horrifying, new interpretations demonstrate how Polyphemus exemplifies the fluidity of monstrosity, applying his character in the Odyssey to disability studies, colonialism studies, and more.