A son of Poseidon and nearly as powerful as the gods, Polyphemus scoffs at the concept of hospitality and welcomes his guests by devouring two for supper. Although powerful, Polyphemus is not particularly intelligence. He is easily convinced that Odysseus' name is "Nobody," leading to confusion when Polyphemus later tells his fellow giants that Nobody is harming him. Odysseus easily gets Polyphemus drunk, blinds him, and escapes by riding underneath the rams that the blinded giant turns out to graze in the morning.
King Alcinous and his fellow Phaeacians, on the other hand, are decent, civilized, and kind. They are known for going out of their way to return a helpless stranger to his homeland. This tradition exceeds even the generous welcome that we often find in The Odyssey and is consistent with the Phaeacians' devotion to Zeus, protector of lost wanderers and champion of suppliants. Alcinous' people excel at seamanship and communal activities, but they are not aggressive militarily. They once lived dangerously close to the warlike Cyclops but moved to avoid trouble. Odysseus is comfortable among the Phaeacians. It is disturbing that Poseidon is allowed to punish them for their tradition of returning wayfarers to their homelands.
