The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword is a figure of speech used in rhetoric. It was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. He was an English novelist, poet, playwright and a politician. The word Pen is Mightier than the Sword appears in Act II of Bulwer-Lytton's play Richelieu. The character, Cardinal Richelieu learns of a plot against him contrived by a friend and confidant, the monk Joseph. Since as a priest he could not challenge the monk to physical combat, Richelieu issued a written statement which contains the following

Beneath the rule of men entirely great.
The pen is mightier than the sword.

But Bulwer-Lytton was not the only one, nor was he the first, to have the thought. The Greek poet Euripides, who died about 406 B.C., said, "The tongue is mightier than the blade." "The written word is more powerful than any physical weapon. The proverb has also had its origin back to 'Institution of Christian Prince' (1571) and 'Heptameron of Civil Discourses' (1582). 'No more sword to be feared than the learned pen,' was the form of proverb at that time. In 1600 Shakespeare had Rosencrantz in Hamlet say that "... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills." In 1621 Robert Burton wrote The Anatomy of Melancholy, in which he stated: "From this, it is clear how much more cruel the pen may be than the sword." Also, preceding Bulwer-Lytton was Thomas Jefferson, who in 1796 sent a letter to Thomas Paine in which he wrote: "Go on doing with your pen what in other times was done with the sword." This adage was first used in the United States in 'Clouded Moon' (1938) by M. Saltmarsh." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

What does The Pen is Mightier the Sword Mean?

This phrase means that Pen which signifies Words are stronger than the physical force which is symbolised by a Sword. When the Phrase was coined Sword was the main weapon used in combats or wars and that's why it is being symbolised by a Sword. The Pen is Mightier than Sword because words written by Pen have a far stronger effect in changing people's opinions or causing a revolution than a Sword which uses force to obey opinions and can only kill a person who is defiant. It cannot make a rebel wilfully follow orders. The Pen can be denoted as a means of causing great upheavals or changes. In these perspectives, it signifies various aspects. One of the aspects of the meaning is that without Pen no Sword yielding King or Brave will be remembered. It is because that Pen is a source of history. All the history in the world has been written by some source which is similar to a Pen.

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword. Is it really True?

In Opposition
If a Pen is really to be considered the mightiest, a certain agreement is needed to be reached upon by all men, friends or foes for the common good. It will mean that anything in this world will be solved through diplomacy, laws, and discussion. And yet, the history has never recorded such an era of entirely great men. It is only when the audience is listening that the Pen can be effective. However, in reality, the sword yields change in the world. The true power of the sword lies in the action it represents. Laws which are not enforced are as worthless as the paper upon which they have been written. Declarations have no value if no action follows. Resolutions are hollow if not enforced. It is the sword which gives birth to the effectiveness of the pen. It whereas The pen can only inspire nations to a common goal but it is the action of the sword that brings a resolve.

Since ancient times man has been using swords to form and defeat countries. Tyrants have been tamed by the blade of the Swords. Good or evil swords have also been used to spread religion. The blade of the sword has shaped and reshaped this world, time and time again. In our homes to it has been used as a protective tool whenever an intruder has broken into our homes. We will rather show him our tool than brandishing the Mighty Pen, to whom the intruder would not yield. Our leaders like Ronald Reagan would have never successfully overthrown the Soviet Union if it had not been for the fear of the sword. It was the fear of nuclear arms amassing that America stayed in the cold war long enough to make a difference. Otherwise, it would have just kept on having persuasive dialogues and mere economic pressure to persuade Soviet to desist from the arms race. The strength of the sword cannot be undermined as it has caused the world to change. Words may shine from time to time and have all the credit but the reality is the Sword has always had the final words even if it always stays in the background. The Pen itself, cannot win independence and cannot correct wrongdoings. The Sword is the core which is much needed to accomplish change. The sword is indeed the dominating force of the world and the Pen is just the sharpening stone.

In Favour
If history shows Ronald Regan as a Sword Yielder, it also shows Pen Yielders. Lord Jesus and Mahatma Gandhi are two amongst the many who prove that an Ideology is far more powerful than any War. By doing so they also showcase the Sword's inability to oppress the will of Positive Ideology. To top it their achievements still stand in the face of violent assassinations by those wielding swords in fear of the ideas promoted by these great men. It is very much true that it is the Pen that prevailed over the Sword. It wasn't the sharpness or superiority of the Blade but it was their's strong moral that stood against the wrongs of injustice. Similarly, Napoleon and Hitler made attempts to conquer the world with a Sword in their hand. And in the end, what did they achieve, Napoleon died powerlessly and imprisoned on the Island of St Helena in 1821 and Hitler committed suicide on eve of final defeat. If not anything, what does it prove? It proves that they utilised greed, genocide, falsehood and immorality which they achieved at the behest of the sword and as means to an end that was unachievable. Use of the Sword has always shown that it is useful only if it is lead by goodness, morality, truth and education. Swords come and go but ideas will always remain immortal.

Conclusion
The quote "The Pen is Mightier than the Sword" should not be blindly accepted and followed. Yes, it is Stronger and yet it is not as Strong as it has been made out to be. There are certain areas and situations where this quote can be said to be true and on the other hand there is no dearth of examples wherein it is far from the truth. For Pen to be Mightier than Sword it requires certain prerequisites which have been discussed in the above paragraph and at the same time Sword cannot be a solution to every problem. There will be always supporters of the Sword and the Pen and there always be a debate or argument on whether this quote really lives up to what it denotes. But the wisest thing to do is to keep an open mind and not let one theory dominate us because when the might of the Pen is needed, it should be used and when the might of the Sword is needed it will be used.