... Odyssean cunning is vital to 'The Odyssey' because it exemplifies through motifs and literary devices the major themes of deception and cunning over strength. A critical component of the passage supported by motifs, the theme of deception helps to reaffirm the extract's importance to 'The Odyssey' as a whole. Through the employment of deception, supported by the motifs of lies, Odysseus' Machiavellian trick ensures not only immediate, but future security. Questioned as to his name, Odysseus conscious of the imperative importance to his greater plan of escape cleverly lies, "My name is Nohbdy" (397); the sole reason for his survival. Blinded, Polyphemus' howl beckons the other Cyclops who ask inquisitively of the screams. Appealing for help he cries: "Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!" (443) But told that nobody's tricked him, the other Cyclops return to their slumber. Had Odysseus never implanted his initial lie, an act of consummate ...

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