Bulfinch’s Mythology · Character
Polyphemus
One-eyed Cyclops who imprisoned Ulysses and his men.
minor
Also known as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Cyclops, Cyclops
First appearance: i introduction
Polyphemus shows up with force in The Rural Deities—Erisichthon—Rhoecus—The Water Deities—Camenae—Winds. The page is where that presence becomes real.
The Cyclops who loved Galatea, mentioned among the Nereids.
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In The Rural Deities—Erisichthon—Rhoecus—The Water Deities—Camenae—Winds: The Cyclops who loved Galatea, mentioned among the Nereids.
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The fuller portrait of Polyphemus sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Polyphemus in i introductionCharacter Web
17 connectionsA slice of how Polyphemus sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Miscellaneous Mythological and Romance Figures
- Greek and Trojan Heroes
- Virgilian and Ovidian Figures
+12 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional peak of Tristram’s brief reunion with…
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Polyphemus appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- The Rural Deities—Erisichthon—Rhoecus—The Water Deities—Camenae—Winds
- Nereus and Doris
- Endymion—Orion—Aurora and Tithonus—Acis and Galatea
- Acis and Galatea
- Adventures of Ulysses—The Lotus-Eaters—Cyclopes—Circe—Sirens—Scylla and Charybdis—Calypso
- Return of Ulysses
- Adventures of Aeneas—The Harpies—Dido—Palinurus
- Adventures of Aeneas
- +1 more
Chapter companion notes
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See Polyphemus in i introduction