Describe two problems Odysseus faces, then describe the means by which Odysseus and his men overcome each problem.

Odysseus and his men get into an awful lot of scrapes on their epic voyage. But thanks to the resourcefulness and uncommon bravery of our hero they're often able to overcome their difficulties. The first problem we're going to look at occurs on the island of Polyphemus, the fearsome cyclops. Odysseus and his men are hungry and need to stock up with provisions. Polyphemus's cave is crammed with everything they could wish for: sheep, milk, and cheese. Unfortunately, when the Cyclops returns to his lair, he proves somewhat less than hospitable, eating two of the men and imprisoning the rest, including Odysseus.
Odysseus and his men are now in a real jam. But Odysseus is considered "wily" for a reason. He hits upon a brilliant plan. First, he gets the cyclops drunk on wine. While Polyphemus is sleeping it off, Odysseus thrusts a burning hot stake into his eye. Polyphemus wakes up screaming. Odysseus had previously told the giant that his name was Nobody, so when Polyphemus cries out for help he yells "Nobody's killing me!" As nobody seems to be killing Polyphemus, his neighbors wander off, wondering what all the fuss was about.
But even with Polyphemus writhing and screaming in agonizing pain, Odysseus and his men still need to make good their escape. So Odysseus springs the next part of his cunning plan. The next morning, he and his men escape by clinging to the bellies of Polyphemus's sheep. Blind Polyphemus is furious and cries out for his father, the sea-god Poseidon, to grant him vengeance upon Odysseus, the man of twists and turns.
Later on in the voyage, the men encounter the mysterious sirens, vicious monsters who lure sailors to their deaths by disguising themselves as beautiful women with golden voices. Circe warns Odysseus that his men must fill their ears with wax when passing alongside the sirens in order to avoid the hideous fate of countless others before them.
Odysseus wisely heeds the witch's sage advice. But he wants to hear the sirens' song for himself. The question is, how on earth can he do this and still survive? As always, Odysseus comes up with a deceptively simple solution to the problem. He orders his men to tie him to the ship's mast. On no account must they let him go as they pass alongside the sirens' island, no matter how hard he begs them to.
Odysseus's wisdom and foresight serve him well. As expected, he's utterly entranced by the sirens and their beautiful song. He's desperate to dive straight into the water and swim to their island. But the men obey his original orders and ignore his request, continuing to row harder and harder as the crazed, bewitched Odysseus struggles manfully to free himself from his bonds.