Brain Vs. Brawn? If faced in a battle with each other who would win? Someone with Brains or someone with brawn. This theme is seen a lot throughout The Odyssey, by Odysseus, but you can also see it in his son Telemachus. While Odysseus does have physical strength, more times than not he doesn’t have enough strength to defeat his opponent, so he relies on his brain to defeat his enemy. Odysseus relies on his mind to overpower those who are physically stronger, but mentally weaker.
One of Odysseus’s greater triumphs, was when he defeated the cyclops Polyphemus. This is the perfect example that shows how cunning and very deceptive he can be. When he comes upon this island, him and his crew are unaware of any inhabitants living there. But sooner