Brains against BronzeWhat separates a hero from a normal man? Do big muscles and courage make a hero, or intelligence and wisdom? Andrew Bernstein once said, “A hero has purposes appropriate to man and is, therefore, a thinker.” In this case, Odysseus in the Odyssey is the accurate definition of the epic hero. Ulysses overcomes mad goddesses, stormy seas and vengeful gods; however, by cunning or by force? Cunning versus strength has been the age-old question regarding the hero of epic tales of all time. In the Odyssey, Odysseus shows many signs of cunning versus strength to get himself and his crew out of difficult situations. For starters, there are many examples of Odysseus using his mental strength over his physical strength. To illustrate, in book 9 Odysseus and his crew are faced with a ruthless Cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men were subjected to watching their own being torn to pieces and eaten as a meal by the helpless Cyclopes. Odysseus restlessly thought of a plan to save himself and his men, but if he had just killed the Cyclops, he and his remaining men would never have escaped from the monstrous cave of the Cyclops. Therefore, as he witnessed the end of his crew's lives, he reverently devised a plan to escape the Cyclops' cave. Eventually he came up with an ingenious plan. Ulysses fills the Cyclops with fine wine; however, his most ingenious aspect was when he said to the Cyclops, “you ask me my name…my name is Nobody” (Homer IX, 365). This was the most important aspect because after Odysseus pierced the Cyclops' eye, the Cyclops shouted: "It is no one's betrayal, not violence that is causing me to die" (IX, 408). So, of course, with "Nobody" attacking the Cyclops, no one came to his aid. Ulysses a...... middle of paper ......sion and skill, Ulysses exhibited all his physical abilities in front of all the suitors. Odysseus' strength is one of his greatest qualities that assists him on his long and arduous journey home. According to Simon Argimate, "Odysseus embodies qualities such as courage, physical strength, and supreme intelligence, but ultimately also comes to represent the more mature attributes of endurance, wisdom, and self-control" (1). With these qualities, Odysseus is finally able to return home to Ithaca to his wife Penelope. Ultimately, Odysseus' brutal strength and cunning is what takes him on his 20-year journey back home. However, is it his strength or his brain that helps him the most on his journey? This is a question that most cannot easily answer. Is Odysseus what many would call the traditional epic hero, or is there more than one type of epic hero?