Our lives have been, and continue to be, shaped and influenced by Greek Mythology. The Greek civilization, and the Roman civilization that was shaped by it, revolved around the belief systems found in mythology. Through literature, the Greeks' beliefs in mythology have been handed down to us and have come to have a major influence on today's culture.

The mythological story of Odysseus and Polyphemus, the Cyclops, is an example of a standard archetype. Odysseus and his crew begin their heroic cycle when they came upon an island. This was the island Zeus had given to a group of the ancient Giants, the Cyclopes. They were workman who made Zeus's lightning bolts. They were good workers but they were mean and fierce. Odysseus and his crew become trapped in a cave used as a home by one of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus. The Cyclops begins...