Role Of Fate In The Iliad

Fate is defined as “the universal principle or ultimate agency, by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events, or time.” It is one of the major topics, which occurs in the Iliad. Fate is shown in both actions and consequences like battling in the Trojan War, and the result of either surviving, or dying. Fate takes in the lives of the mortals in the Iliad in many ways. It is used in foreshadowing different scenarios as we read from one book to the next. It defines what is happening in transition from scene to scene, and it determines what is going to happen in the mortals as the book goes along. Fate takes in all the mortals’ lives through life and death, dramatic irony, and conflict through every character.

Alongside Achilles’ responsibility for Patroclus’ fate, Hector also holds accountable too because in book 16, Hector talks to Patroclus about entering into the Trojan War; however, Patroclus fell gullible to Hector’s actions, and Hector turned out to be deceiving by stabbing him (being Patroclus) in the bowel and eventually killing him. Hector, and Achilles influenced fate among mortals, like Patroclus, so they could protect themselves until the end when Achilles frightens Hector with the dramatic irony, which seals his fate too. This paragraph defined the shape, which fate takes in the lives of other by peer influence created by characters who were considered high strength warriors followed by the backfiring of trying to keep them self alive. (This being Hector’s

In the first half of the Iliad, Agamemnon had control over everyone’s fate. The first was Achilles. Achilles’ fate was first shaped when he left Agamemnon wailing to his mother Thetis about not wanting to fight in the Trojan War. Just like what was previously said. However, in Agamemnon’s view, he wanted to form the fate of death towards the Trojans by having an extra number on their side, and by having a great advantage with using the greatest warrior as their “secret weapon”. After Achilles’ has left Agamemnon realizes he has made a mistake which leads to him asking for Achilles’ forgiveness to return into the war, and fight for the Greeks. Agamemnon does this so that he can try to manipulate not only Achilles’ fate, but the fates of the Trojans. Agamemnon has influenced other characters’ fates. For example, Paris and Helen. Agamemnon was held responsible for influencing Paris to fight Menelaus to hold his marriage with Helen. However, since Paris lost to Menelaus, he felt accountable for losing, but if it were not for Agamemnon’s influence on Paris, then he would not have lost Helen in the first place. Agamemnon has influenced and shaped the fate of characters who both live and die throughout all twenty-four books of the Iliad. He used his manipulation to his advantage over time, and it has worked out in his