Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey Essay

Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey 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†¦show more content†¦In this essay, I will examine popular Greek ideas concerning fate and their relationship to characters in Homers Odyssey. Greek cultures ideas on fate manifested themselves largely through their mythology. The length of a persons life, they believed, was determined by the three Fates, Clotho (spinner), Lachesus (Apportioner), and the fearsome Atropos (Inflexible). These aged children of Zeus and Themis-- know to the Greeks at the Moirai--would unscrupulously spin out, measure, and cut the thread of ones life. The balance of power between these three women and their father Zeus is difficult to understand. In Book XXVI of The Iliad, we see the king of the gods fretting over the impending death of his mortal son Sarpedon. Unable to cope with the idea of his noble childs death, Zeus inquires of Hera Shall I pluck [Sarpedon] up, now, while hes still alive... or beat him down at Patroclus hands at last (Iliad 16.519-21). In the end, Zeus allows Sarpedon to be slain as the Fates have willed. Though Zeus has the power to override his daughters, the great orderer of the cosmos sees that doing so in this c ase would be beyond reason. Other Greek traditions hold that there was once a Golden Age during which men knew their fate and lived free from want. This dream world was crushed, however, when Prometheus gave fire to man andShow MoreRelated Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey - Test for Destiny1259 Words   |  6 Pages The Odyssey:nbsp; The Test for Destiny Throughout The Odyssey man is continually being tested to determine his destiny. He is tested for loyalty, determination, and valor. Odysseus along with many other characters have to conquer these values to determine their destiny. For example Odysseus is tested for loyalty to Penelope while out at sea. Then tested for his determination to get home. At times he was doubtful, but he never gave up. And lastly he was tested for his valor. He fought many battlesRead More Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey - Guidance and Loyalty1355 Words   |  6 PagesGuidance, Fate, and Loyalty in The Odyssey nbsp; The Odyssey is an epic poem about a journey. 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