Sophia Warnetski Ms. Dwyer English 9 Honors 12 April 2024 Honors Odyssey Final Essay Cleverness in the Cyclops's Cave. In Book 9 of The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus proves that intellectual strength champions brute strength through the use of mind tricks, preparation, and unconventional methods of escape. Odysseus shows the importance of preparation in anticipation of upcoming troubles when he packs a skin of potent, unmixed wine with him before leaving for the cyclops’s cave. About to leave for his expedition, Odysseus mentions the preemptive idea he has to pack the wine, stating “Filling a great goatskin now, I took this wine, provisions too in a leather sack. A sudden foreboding told my fighting spirit I’d soon come up against some giant” (9.236-239). This …show more content…
Small actions like this, which do not take any physical strength, prove that being prepared with provisions is equally as important to a hero as being prepared with traditional weapons. Additionally, Odysseus shows the importance of using what is available to get out of tough situations, as well as playing up to the enemy’s emotions. When he and his men are trapped in the cave with the cyclops Polyphemus, he takes advantage of Polyphemus’s sense of importance, telling him, “Here, Cyclops try this wine—to top off the banquet of human flesh you’ve bolted down!” (9.388-389). He is able to get the cyclops drunk, which makes it easier to attack. Using strategies like these, Odysseus is able to harm his enemies without even having to touch them. Instead, he proves that the power of language and emotion is once again stronger than might. In general, the hero Odysseus uses his instincts and cleverness to overcome his challenges. In addition to being prepared, Odysseus also takes preemptive precautions in tough situations, to ensure that he will have an advantage over his enemy