The Trials of Odysseus Much of modern literature and belief can be found in the Odyssey. The epic forms the basis for the adventure genre. Heroes, mystery, action and bloodshed can all be found in Homer's timeless classic. However, The Odyssey also contains an important concept that is part of everyone's life. Everyone has to prove themselves sooner or later. And this is the foundation of the story of Ulysses. He, a warrior destined to die on the battlefield of Troy, survived to sail back to his home in Ithaca. For this reason the gods made him demonstrate his worth. Throughout the Odyssey it is consistently demonstrated that to earn the right to live, one must first prove himself in the battle of life, where his only weapons are intellect, a sense of confidence, and the strength of sheer determination. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is often forced to appeal to his intellect rather than his warrior instincts to overcome another divine test. At a certain point in the Odyssey, Ulysses and his companions are taken prisoner in the titanic cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus. A colossal boulder prevents Ulysses and his men from escaping. Instead of killing his formidable opponent, Ulysses devises a plan more like a scholar than a relentless warrior. This becomes known when Odysseus tells his story to the Phaecians, telling them that "'I [Odysseus] formed the plan in my bold heart to approach him [Polyphemus the Cyclops], drawing my sharp sword from my thigh and stabbing him." … Yet second thoughts held me back … because never with our own hands could we have pushed from the high door the enormous stone that he had placed there'” (85). Odysseus' strong intelligence surpasses that of his fellow warriors, who would have been ready to kill the giant. If Odysseus had sent the Cyclopes to Hades, he and his men would surely have followed. However, this was not to be, as Odysseus does not let the warrior in him direct his actions as a leader. Throughout his adventures, Odysseus must also rely on his intellect to free himself from those who prevent him from reaching Ithaca. On the island of Ogygia, Odysseus is kept as an reluctant guest in the halls of the nymph-goddess Calypso. Odysseus, seeing that it is not possible to escape by fighting, turns to flattery.