Question

the odyssey
odysseus (ō dis e es)—king of ithaca
zeus (zoos)—king of the gods
apollo (a päl o)—god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine
agamemnon (ag e mem nän)—king and leader of greek forces
poseidon (pō sī den)—god of sea, earthquakes, horses, and storms at sea
athena (e thē na)—goddess of wisdom, skills, and warfare
polyphemus (päl i fē mas)—the cyclops who imprisons odysseus
laertes (lā ur tēz)—odysseuss father
cronus (krō nas)—titan ruler of the universe and father of zeus
in the next land we found were cyclopes,
giants, louts, without a law to bless them.
in ignorance leaving the fruitage of the earth in mystery
to the immortal gods, they neither plow
nor sow by hand, nor till the ground, though grain—(5)
wild wheat and barley—grows untended, and
wine-grapes, in clusters, ripen in heavens rain.
cyclopes have no muster and no meeting,
no consultation or old tribal ways,
but each one dwells in his own mountain cave (10)
dealing out rough justice to wife and child,
what best describes why odysseus gave his wine to the cyclops?
he plans to distract
the cyclops while
his men escape
through the
entrance.
he wants to trick
the cyclops by
getting him drunk
and weakening
him.
he is hoping the
wine will cheer up
the cyclops enough
to set them free.
he intends to make
the cyclops his
friend by being kind
to him.

Explanation:

In the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops (Polyphemus) from The Odyssey, Odysseus gives the Cyclops wine to get him drunk. This is part of his plan to weaken the Cyclops. Once the Cyclops is drunk and asleep, Odysseus and his men can execute their escape plan (they blind the Cyclops while he's drunk/sleeping and then escape by clinging to the undersides of the Cyclops' sheep as the Cyclops lets the sheep out to graze). The other options are incorrect:

• "He plans to distract the Cyclops while his men escape through the entrance" is wrong because the key initial step is getting the Cyclops drunk (weakening him) first, not just a simple distraction at the entrance stage without the prior weakening (drunkenness).
• "He is hoping the wine will cheer up the Cyclops enough to set them free" - the Cyclops is a hostile one - eyed giant who has imprisoned Odysseus' men (e.g., he eats some of them), and there's no indication Odysseus thinks the Cyclops will have a change - of - heart "cheerfulness" leading to freedom.
• "He intends to make the Cyclops his friend by being kind" - the Cyclops is a dangerous foe (not someone to be befriended in Odysseus' eyes), and the wine - giving is a ruse for escape, not friendship - building.

Answer:

He wants to trick the Cyclops by getting him drunk and weakening him.