Essay about Free Will and Fate in the Odyssey - 1574 Words

Homer’s View of Free Will and Fate in the Odyssey Free will and fate are both prominent in the Odyssey. In the Odyssey, free will is depicted whenever characters make decisions. In example, Odysseus blinds the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Fate, in the Odyssey, is the consequences that are dealt out due to certain actions. In the case of Odysseus and Polyphemus, the consequence is that when Odysseus is on a ship heading home to reach Ithaca, Poseidon, being the father of Polyphemus, sends a storm at Odysseus being angry that Odysseus blinded his son. In that scenario, Odysseus makes the decision to blind Polyphemus to escape, and in turn, the consequence is that Poseidon attempts to hit him with a storm in the sea. The contrasting themes of†¦show more content†¦All their afflictions come from us, we hear. And what of their own failings? (Homer 210). Zeus’s take on the way that man blames everything on the Gods is that, truly, it isn’t the Gods’ faul t. It is almost like the Gods think that man should take responsibility of their own doings, and not just blame everything on the Gods. In that same tirade, Zeus questions Aigà ¬sthos, because mankind blames the Gods for everything, yet Aigà ¬sthos didn’t take the advice of the well-known messenger Hermes; We gods had warned him, send down Hermes, our most observant courier, to say: .... Friendly advice-but would Aigà ¬sthos take it? (Homer 210). So, mankind blames everything on the Gods, yet when presented with advice given by the Gods to man, in this case, Aigà ¬sthos, he doesn’t take it. Odysseus’s fate is still to go home, but it isn’t just because the Gods made his supposed fate to be so, it is because Odysseus is the loyal hero that made the faithful decision. Free will is represented by the choices able to be made by those involved in the myth. In example, when the suitors take over the house of Odysseus, the choices they make to be disgus ting, rude, and vile hits them with the violent repercussions that they deserve, meaning slaughter at the hand of Odysseus and his men. The Gods had the choice to interfere with the choices that the suitors were making, but knew that once Telemachus told Odysseus of howShow MoreRelatedHow Fate and Free Will Play a Part in the Odyssey816 Words   |  4 PagesHow Fate and Free Will Play a Part in The Odyssey Fate and free will are epic subjects in life. When we cannot control something we blame it on fate, but we try to change the way things are with our free will. Fate is something unknown that determines what will happen. It may seem like a coincidence or may feel like an omen, but it is something no person controls for oneself. Fate, to some, may be in the hands of a higher power such as gods or God. 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Fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate, by most standards fate is described as things that occur for an unknown reason that no one has any control over. However, in Greek Mythology fate simply does not just happenRead MoreFree Will Or Fate?1098 Words   |  5 PagesBayley Neville Dr. Roberts English 235 October 5, 2015 Free Will or Fate? How does Odysseus decline Circe’s offer to become immortal? How does Don Quixote become a knight? Was it free will or fate? Some may say that the Odyssey is completely fate based and Don Quixote is entirely based on free will, but the two hold more similarities than you may realize. Homer, the writer of The Odyssey, focuses mainly on the god’s influence of Odysseus’s travels home. Miguel De Cervantes, writer of Don QuixoteRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Odysseus And The Odyssey951 Words   |  4 Pageson their gods. Unlike modern theology, though, Greeks also have Fate to blame. 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