Essay about Free Will and Fate in the Odyssey

Homer's great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy's struggle to be a man, a king's struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man's struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man's struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer's adventure.

In Homer’s Odyssey, the idea of fate is more significant than the idea and sense of duty. Odysseus’s journey begins when Poseidon learns that Odysseus blinded his Cyclops son, Polyphemous while trying to escape from his capture. This enrages the already hot-tempered sea god, damning Odysseus, his men, and his voyage. Poseidon attempts to delay and keep Odysseus from his home, Ithaca. His anger towards Odysseus is so great that Zeus has to step in to save him from the sea-god. Zeus, after Poseidon complains to him about the Phaenecians aiding Odysseus, states “Since for Odysseus now I vowed that he his home should win through many a misery yet utterly bereft not his return; for such your purpose was and decree.” (Homer, Book 13, st. 45) Zeus, in the Odyssey, acts as the hand of fate by preventing Poseidon from further stalling Odysseus’s return home. This is unlike Jupiter in the Aeneid, who dispatches Mercury to remind Aeneus of

During Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey, his own guile, the gods’ obstacles and their assistance for him affected his destiny. Odysseus uses his crafty sense of trickery and guile to get out of situations, which allow him to reach his destiny of returning home. Many times in The Odyssey the gods who dislike Odysseus set obstacles to try to stop him from returning home. However, there are gods who favor him and give him assistance to reach his homeland of Ithaca.

Every day people make decisions. Some are more important than others, but all decisions have consequences, no matter how small. The decisions that you make, and the decisions others make could affect your life. They may have positive effects, but they may also have negatives effects like in The Odyssey by Homer. In general, Odysseus and his men made some decisions that lead to some very negative effects.

The monsters of Homer’s The Odyssey as written by Robert Fitzgerald all share traits in common, but there is always the small differences which make each close encounter more gripping than the last. When the not-so-glorious Odysseus, son of Laertes just manages to elude the cannibalistic clutches of the blinded Kyklops (IX) and takes to the high seas, he becomes arrogant and taunts his nemesis. He does not realize this, but the very words he uttered then sets the holy executioner upon the necks of his crew. Every island he passes or makes port at, his men become feasts for native monsters; however upon the beautiful island of Aiolia his men are not eaten, nor do they die at the hands of any mortal or immortal foe. What is so significant

The Odyssey is a a beautiful Epic about a man who has hope through his entire journey.When we see him on Calypso he has been to sea for a while, while he wants to go home he continues to go to her bed each night,however regrets it in the morning.One part about this journey that sticks out is why its taking so long.It wouldn't have taken this long is he didn't poke out Poseidon's son (Polyphemus) eye,which let to the Polyphemus praying that Odysseus does return home he just happens to return home alone through treacherous journey.This led to the twenty year journey.

Thus far in The Odyssey, Homer has introduced several characters. The Gods discussed what they should do about Odysseus’ struggles as he attempts to get home to his wife and son. Athena then appears to Telemachus as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus’. She convinces him that he should set sail in order to find out if his father is dead or alive and to take back control of his father’s kingdom from his mother, Penelope’s, suitors. Antinous, one of her suitors, then tells Telemachus of Penelope’s deception toward them. After hearing this, they exchanged more words, and then he set sail to find his father. He goes to see King Nester who remembers what it was like during the Trojan War and tells Telemachus to be strong and brave. The Gods met again and discussed Odysseus’ capture by Calypso. Zeus sent his son Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, to tell Calypso that she must release Odysseus. Calypso reacts vividly to this, stating that the gods are unfair in their treatment of gods and goddesses. Calypso then begins to speak to Odysseus. During this conversation in book 5, Homer reveals to us the importance of a person’s wit and the deception of others in order to help yourself, as well as the importance of one’s will power.

110) to the cyclop: “your blinder was Odysseus, the conqueror of Troy, the son of Laertes, whose address is in Ithaca”(Homer p.g. 110), this being an obvious show of hubris by Odysseus, who tells Polyphemos his name to demonstrate superiority over the cyclop who he thinks is defeated, but again, as mentioned before, destruction falls Odysseus caused by his own pride when he is cursed by the Polyphemos who requests help to his father saying “Hear me, Poseidon Earthholder Seabluehair! If I am truly thy son… grant that Odysseus… may never reach his home!”(Homer p.g. 111), provoking “Poseidon, god of the sea, [to bear] a lasting grudge against him [Odysseus]” (Homer p.g. 11), like this, proving that pride brings ruin to a person’s life, but also proving that honoring the gods, in this case Polyphemos requesting help to the god of the sea, Poseidon, helps a person to achieve his goals, even when they are destructive like the request made by the Cyclop. In the same manner, Odysseus gets help from the gods due to his offerings made to them. “[Zeus] How could I forget that fine fellow Odysseus, after

Oedipus the King, was written by Sophocles between C.A.496-406B.C. In this play, Oedipus is a great example of Sophocles’ belief that fate will control a man’s life no matter how much free will exists.

The third example of fate is when King Agamemnon takes a beautiful woman named Chryseis. Chryseis father Chryses was a priest who favored the god Apollo. He prayed to Apollo, he wanted the Greeks to suffer until his daughter was returned. Apollo answered Chryses’s prayer and he shot one of the greeks with an arrow. That arrow was laced with a plague. It spread through the Greek camp and brought death to many soldiers. On the tenth day King Agamemnon was informed on what apollo had done. He only agreed to give Chryseis back if Achilles gives him his prize as compensation. Achilles didn’t agree but that night King agamemnon sent Chryseis on a ship back home (pg18). The plague was lifted but this is not the end to the Greeks suffering. This is

A narrative of the self allows for the author to present a theme that is easily relatable to readers. Through this the readers may align themselves with the theme, and are able to learn a lesson or change their way of thinking. Both The Odyssey and The Apology are works that have underlying themes that the reader can identify and learn from. The Odyssey and the Apology do not have the same plot, but express similar themes.

The life of a God, forever bliss, complete happiness: Odysseus slights all of these things in order for him to return to his loving wife and son. The concept of true commitment was a very commendable quality for a Greek hero to possess. With this character trait, Odysseus models the ideal husband, father, and leader. Unfortunately, in today’s society, one rarely encounters such outstanding morality. Being raised in an explicit society, a decrease in certain morals has become fashionable. In particular, the college experience has become accepted as the “wild times” of one’s life. Certain activities ordinarily shunned are now perceived as a learning experience when involving a college student. Drugs and alcohol abuse are commonplace around

    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 each and every person is in total control of his or her destiny, every step of the way.  Who is to say which viewpoint is false?  Every culture has a unique perception of the role of fate in our lives, and no group has the "right answer," simply a

Throughout vast journeys of many heroes, no other hero had a more complex journey than Odysseus. This journey is called The Odyssey, written by Homer. It is an epic poem or story told of a hero name Odysseus on a 20-year voyage trying to get back home from the Trojan War. The great epic poem known as The Odyssey and attributed to Homer was probably first written down around the eighth century BC, but the origins of the ancient story in myth, legend, and folklore and art appear to be much older. Greek Epic Hero When you think about Greek Epic heroes, Odysseus will most likely come to mind. Odysseus is the main character in Homer's poem "The Odyssey." "The Odyssey" is a narrative poem that describes Odysseus' adventures

In the Odyssey, interventions by Jupiter is due to his role as arbiter of justice. He sets Odysseus free from Ogygia due to Athene's reminder of his past piety ("sacrifices he made you by the Argive's ships" O.1.63) and of his righteousness as a king ("that admirable King!...ruled like a loving father" O.5.11). She declares that if Odysseus is not set free then the gods are not just. The theme of justice is emphasised at the very start of the poem, with the Proem's reference to the "transgressions" of Odysseus' crew bringing them doom. It is reiterated in the final book as the suitors are killed by the divine agent Odysseus ("victims to the will of the gods and their own infamy" O.22.414). Though it is Jupiter that supervises the course of destiny in both books, in one he is the arbiter of justice and the other of Fate. Fate in the Aeneid is assured from the start and it is an inexorable path, but in the Odyssey men decide their fate. Odysseus' men did not have to eat the cattle of Hyperion but after they had, then they were destined to die ("if you leave them untouched...there is some chance...but if you hurt them, then I predict destruction" O.12.137). Odysseus is allowed to leave Ogygia in Book 5 but it is his choice to leave, despite the nymph Calypso's appeals ("take on immortality" O.5.207, "Nevertheless I long to reach my