Free Will In The Odyssey

In “The Odyssey” the gods have much power over the lives of mortals. Like puppet masters they play with the daily lives of mortals with their powerful fingers, that which can change a calm blue sea into a raging tempest in seconds. I believe that the gods play a strong role in the actions of mortals and their character traits are then shaped through the trials that they experience. God-like Odysseus has been through many intense trials on his trek to his homecoming that have tested his strength as a married man and leader, but finally the god Zeus calls upon his council of gods to “work out his homecoming and see to it that he returns.” (I,76-77)

Fate is the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. Destiny is the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future. These definitions connect because you can’t control them. In The Odyssey, Odysseus couldn’t control where he was going, or his actions, which you will find out more about as you continue reading.

The theme of Antigone by Sophocles is that the gods control the destiny of man. No matter how much power a man on earth has, whether he is king or peasant, he can not control his own destiny. The gods will always be able to control the things that a man can not, such as health. A man can control his wealth, but can not keep himself from dying. In Antigone, there are a few examples of how the gods can control the destiny of man, even if that man is King.

The ancient Greek people believed in many deities and believed that these gods could see into the future. They believed that only specific people called “seers,” had access to this information. Oracles could also interpret these messages from the gods. Oracles were a common part of Greek life, being consulted by kings and commonfolk for their knowledge (LitCharts). Knowing their fate can sometimes blind people and cause them to try to avoid the fate.

Do the gods in The Odyssey aid the humans or make their existence miserable? The gods, fate, and one’s free will intervene with one another and create the events of the epic. However, the gods have more influence on the fate of the mortals than a mortal’s free will. Although this may be true, humans can determine small variables in their lives. The Odyssey is an epic poem by Homer that depicts Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home to Ithaka after fighting in the Trojan War.

God in the Tanakh continuously distances himself from man’s actions with the intention of watching his Israelites obedience towards his principles in order to determine his people’s worthiness for protection. The shift God displays from a commanding ruler to a distant Lord highlights this message as the Israelites struggles to remain true to their Lord’s principles of life results in them controlling their fate; both individually and as a group. An excerpt from the book of Judges exemplifies the initial reaction to this development through the tale of Abimelech, a man who desires the position of nobility. His methods revolve around massacring “seventy men on one stone. ”(Judges 9:5).

The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s

Do human beings have free will over their fate? Many writers express their thoughts reflect upon this concept as it is explored through various works such as “Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won. In “Censors,” the protagonist, Juan, is pressured by society to become someone who he does not want to become. In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist, Oedipus, becomes obsessed with finding his identity, which in the end hurts him more than it helps. “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won is a story about two childhood friends, Song-sam and Tok-chae, that grow apart and encounter each other by chance as enemies.

It is often said that an anti-climax work is more admired than its counterparts. For reasons, the struggle of humans, the ultimate failure of a hero, and the corruption of mortal spirit have always hold its ground against classic comedy. From the ages of Oedipus Rex, a tragedy carries the irony of an egoistic giant trapped in predestined downfall. Oedipus was almost certain that he had escaped the arranged destiny. This confidence led him to pursue the murderer of Thebes until, at the end, he made the horrible discovery that his wife was his mother, and that his daughters were instead, his sisters.

Part One: During lab five, I was given 3 questions about free will. After completing the questions, I was told to finish 3 sentences with responses that I felt best suited me. I was then instructed to take those sentences and replace the beginning of the sentences with a beginning that was provided. Furthermore, describe how the meaning of my prior sentences had changed. After the sentence activity, I was provided with a self-description exercise. The exercise included a total of 20 traits.