How Fate and Free Will Play a Part in the Odyssey - 816 Words

How 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. For others fate is merely something that happened they were unable to control. Fate can be looked at like a book for every person. In it are all the events that are going to happen in your life. However you use free will to maneuver through these planned events. Free will is something†¦show more content†¦He tricks the Cyclops and stabs him in the eye with an olive tree,, and tells him that his name is Nohbdy. It was fate that brought him to Circe s island, but in this case it was quite a good thing. He used his knowledge to save his men from her magic, and cleverly had her swea r that he would not play any tricks. He is there for a couple of years and before leaving is told of the dangers awaiting him, and what he must do to make it home alive. He learns he must first go to the underworld and see Tiresias, who will give him instructions about returning home. Then Odysseus must get past the Sirens and Scylla. He follows Circe s instructions and puts beeswax in the mens ears and has them tie him to the mast, so they will not be lured to there deaths by the Sirens. However he does not follow her orders to flee from Scylla. Instead he wished to try fight. This is an example of him using his free will instead of choosing the fate that possibly Circe has already prepared. In this instance it turns out for the worst and he loses all his men. Fate is something we have no control over. It can be what determines the death of a child or marriage of a couple. Fate is very controversial. If everything that happens is planned ahead it contradicts many things, one being religion. If it was fate that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit then the original sin would not be the fault of man, but of God for he would be the one who made Adam and Eve do it. It is something no one canShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Fate In Greek Mythology1288 Words   |  6 Pagesbut in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story. Fate has a place in the Greek world but is place is not the same as it is in other scenarios or worlds. It is important to understand the word before we discuss it. 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 MorePersonal Responsibility and the Gods’ Role in the Odyssey Essays1019 Words   |  5 PagesThe gods play an important part in Odysseus’ journey home, bringing him closer and farther from his homeland. They constantly intervene in the lives of the many characters in The Odyssey. Though Odysseus is a hero, the gods control his life. It is as if he were the main character in a video game and the gods are fighting over who controls his life. Personal responsibility is overshadowed by the gods’ eagerness to grab the controller. Homer disregards personal responsibility by showing how the godsRead MoreEssay about Homers The Odyssey1646 Words   |  7 PagesHomers The Odyssey The Odyssey is a companion to The Iliad, a story of the Trojan War. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey are epic poems written by Homer. 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He was born in Colonus, not far from AthensRead More Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey Essay2299 Words   |  10 Pages Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚   Fate seems to defy humanity at every turn.   A man may have his life planned out to the last second, but then some random force intervenes and he dies the second after he has completed his life plan.   Some believe in fate, believing that our lives are predetermined from the moment we are born.   Other people believe that everything is random, the result of some god rolling the dice in a universal poker game.   Still other people believe that eachRead MoreThe View Of Fate Over Free Will, And Vice Versa1599 Words   |  7 PagesArguments concerning the influence of Fate over Free Will, and vice versa, are not unique to our post-Enlighten mindset. Some of the greatest thinkers of all time, such as Aristotle or Plato, dealt directly with this issue in their numerous commentaries that we still look at today. Even within our Bibles we see Fate and Free Will actively playing roles within the famed stories and lives included in both the Old and New Testament. Itâ€℠¢s not surprising, then, when we see similar themes relating to theseRead MoreCharacteristics Of Odysseus1317 Words   |  6 Pagesinnocent people from villains and natural disasters. They have standout qualities that make them the heroes that they are. There could be people who come to mind that may not have these superpowers, but are still considered heroes. For example, in The Odyssey by Homer, the main character Odysseus has many valuable traits that cause him to be seen as a hero. Throughout his adventures and journeys of, Odysseus portrays many qualities of a hero. These qualities, such as his thoughtful cleverness, strengthRead More The Significance of ?Xenia? Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pagesskilled poets. One of the most famous ones at that time and famous even now is Homer. 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The Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou mirrorsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Odyssey 3033 Words   |  13 Pages Vivian Tse Brother Pearce FDCA 206 5 November 2014 The Odyssey The Odyssey is one of the earliest epics that exists but is still a highly revered and relevant piece of literature in modern culture. This classic survives because the entire tale of Odysseus’ adventure is symbolic of our human lives and experiences—it is life mythologized. Not only does The Odyssey highlight the heroic and triumphant side of the characters, but it also emphasizes the struggle between heroes’ ethos and their human failings