Valuing The Mind Over Physical Strength In Homer's Odyssey

In Homer’s poem The Odyssey, the theme of valuing the power of the mind over physical strength is prevalent. Throughout the course of the poem, the hero Odysseus uses his intelligence and clever-thinking to navigate the obstacles he faces as opposed to facing them brute fighting and strength. At many points in the story, Odysseus demonstrates that the power of one’s own creativity and wit can be more beneficial than using uncalculated fighting when faced with difficult situations. Although the character is more than capable of using his physical strength to combat opponents, instead he uses his own mind and cleverness to face opposing forces. The first example of this is shown when Odysseus’s ship is destroyed by Poseidon, and he his throw

He tells of how him and his men came upon the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus convinces his men to not steal the vast provisions in the cave, and instead wait to see if it’ owner would be hospitable. Polyphemus denounced Zeus’s laws of hospitality, and proceeded to eat two of Odysseus’s men. When Polyphemus passes out after eating the men, Odysseus prepares to kill the cyclops in his sleep. However, he realized that a great boulder blocks the entrance to the cave: If he killed Polyphemus, he would be unable to leave the cave. So, he devised a plan to escape. As the cyclops left to tend to his flock of sheep, he fashioned a great spear out of wood. Then he offered some of his wine, given to him by a priest of Apollo to Polyphemus, and tells him that his name is Noman. Polyphemus then passes out drunk. While the cyclops is unconscious, Odysseus stabs the wooden spear into Polyphemus’s eye. When the cyclops finally passes out, Odysseus and his remaining men tie themselves underneath Polyphemus’s sheep. When the sheep are herded outside the cave, Odysseus and his men untie themselves escape the island. This part of the story shows how clever Odysseus truly is. If Odysseus had been thinking as a warrior, him and his men most likely would have tried to overpower the cyclops or kill him in his sleep and try to use

Odysseus could’ve came home, and demanded that the suitors leave which would have most likely ended in a blood bath. However, instead he decided to be more calculating in his return. He stayed disguised, and enlisted the help of his household servants to take his house back. He prepares his son, and attending a feast with the many suitors. After much planning and playing the role of a beggar, he enters the contest to win Penelope’s hand. The suitors argue and ridicule him, but he takes the bow and successfully strings it. Telemachus order’s the women inside to prevent them from hearing the soon to occur sounds of battle, and Odysseus shoots his arrow through the twelve axe heads. He then reveals his identity, and begins slaughtering the suitors. Although he did use strength in the end in battle to win Penelope back, Odysseus used careful planning and was very careful in developing a plan to succeed in his goal. This is the largest example in the poem of the theme of using the mind over physical strength, because without using his mind and wit Odysseus would not have succeeded in his