Free Will In The Iliad
The Iliad portrays fate and destiny as a superior and predominant force. It introduces the inquiry of who or what is truly accountable for mankind’s destiny, yet the answers are unclear. On many occasions, man has no control over his fate and destiny, but in other instances, a man's destiny exists as a result of his actions and decisions. There is an element of free will. Consequently, The Iliad exhibits that human beings sometimes control their fate.
In The Iliad the god's destiny is steered much like mortal's, except for one specific distinction. The supreme beings cannot die and therefore have no destiny. Immortal's lives are not judged because they will not die. The gods are can influence mortal's fate but not their own directly. In Book …show more content…
I, the plague is a product of upsetting Apollo. The gods create situations over any number of things, such as forgetting a sacrifice or, in this case, insulting Chryses. They throw fits of rage, and shift sides quickly, with little thought. One day they protect the Greeks, the next day the Trojans. The gods choose sides and play favorites with no sense of the moral or political issues at the center of the war. They lack empathy for their fellow gods, and their concern for man is even less. On occasion, the gods will display concern for one of their favorites in need. This approach is the result of their own spitefulness against humanity and human’s proneness to unreasonable behavior or neglectfulness in honoring the gods. Men often find themselves battling a power beyond their control. The opening statement of The Iliad contains the phrase "the will of Zeus," and this communicates the Greek's principle that man is in the grasp of forces that he cannot direct. All circumstances are predestined and uncontrollable by man. Book XXII shows that the gods direct the destiny of man. Hector said:
“I hear the gods calling me to death.
I thought I had a good man here with me,
Deiphobus, but he’s still on the wall.
Athena tricked me. Death is closing in
And there’s no escape. Zeus and Apollo
Must have chosen this long ago, even though
They used to be on my side. Well, this is fate (22. 326-332)
In the Iliad, the characters frequently speak of their own and others' final destiny and fate. In Book I, Achilles' mother, Thetis says:
“Since life is short for you, all too brief.
Now you’re destined for both an early death
And misery beyond compare.” (1. 437-439).
Achilles is predestined a short life, but later, in conformity with the premise that men control their fate by their own choices made by free will, Achilles decides on the short-lived life with glory over a long-lived without glory. A man's choice becomes his destiny. In Book XIX, Hera gives Achilles' horse a voice, and it says:
“This time we will save you, mighty Achilles,
This time- but your hour is near. We
Are not to blame, but a great god and strong Fate.
Nor was it slowness or slackness on our part
That allowed the Trojans to despoil Patroclus.
No, the best of gods, fair-haired Leto’s son,
Killed him in the front lines and gave Hector the glory.
As for us, we could outrun the West Wind,
Which men say is the swiftest, but it is your destiny
To be overpowered by a mortal and a god.” (19. 437-446) This statement is in alignment with the idea that men have no control of their own destinies and, in this case, Achilles will perish through no fault of theirs. Fate wills it. It is foretold that a man and a god will end to Achilles' life. In Book XXI, Achilles' refers to his own
destiny: “Take a look at me. Do you see how huge I am?
How beautiful? I have a noble father,
My mother was a goddess, but I too
Am in death’s shadow. There will come a time,
Some dawn or evening or noon in this war,
When someone will take my life from me
With a spear thrust or an arrow from a string.” (21. 114-120) This statement anticipates Achilles' fall in the end, his ultimate fate. The course of his life, his destiny. He cannot change it; therefore, he accepts it. At the same time, he could decide to perform any number of acts that will alter his fate but never his final destiny, which is death.
The Iliad offers a curious standpoint on life. Whether or not human’s future is steered by his own choices or that by some outside force, is left to the reader. The degree of human free will is set by the keepers of destiny, while constraining humans by the unyielding laws of destiny. Therefore, destiny is at once indiscriminant and meaningful. The paradox is that throughout The Iliad there are portrayals of futile death and destruction all in the context of the development of the "will of Zeus." The gods are in control of fate and destiny, but at the same time, the actions of men can influence their own predestined fate.
In The Iliad the god's destiny is steered much like mortal's, except for one specific distinction. The supreme beings cannot die and therefore have no destiny. Immortal's lives are not judged because they will not die. The gods are can influence mortal's fate but not their own directly. In Book …show more content…
I, the plague is a product of upsetting Apollo. The gods create situations over any number of things, such as forgetting a sacrifice or, in this case, insulting Chryses. They throw fits of rage, and shift sides quickly, with little thought. One day they protect the Greeks, the next day the Trojans. The gods choose sides and play favorites with no sense of the moral or political issues at the center of the war. They lack empathy for their fellow gods, and their concern for man is even less. On occasion, the gods will display concern for one of their favorites in need. This approach is the result of their own spitefulness against humanity and human’s proneness to unreasonable behavior or neglectfulness in honoring the gods. Men often find themselves battling a power beyond their control. The opening statement of The Iliad contains the phrase "the will of Zeus," and this communicates the Greek's principle that man is in the grasp of forces that he cannot direct. All circumstances are predestined and uncontrollable by man. Book XXII shows that the gods direct the destiny of man. Hector said:
“I hear the gods calling me to death.
I thought I had a good man here with me,
Deiphobus, but he’s still on the wall.
Athena tricked me. Death is closing in
And there’s no escape. Zeus and Apollo
Must have chosen this long ago, even though
They used to be on my side. Well, this is fate (22. 326-332)
In the Iliad, the characters frequently speak of their own and others' final destiny and fate. In Book I, Achilles' mother, Thetis says:
“Since life is short for you, all too brief.
Now you’re destined for both an early death
And misery beyond compare.” (1. 437-439).
Achilles is predestined a short life, but later, in conformity with the premise that men control their fate by their own choices made by free will, Achilles decides on the short-lived life with glory over a long-lived without glory. A man's choice becomes his destiny. In Book XIX, Hera gives Achilles' horse a voice, and it says:
“This time we will save you, mighty Achilles,
This time- but your hour is near. We
Are not to blame, but a great god and strong Fate.
Nor was it slowness or slackness on our part
That allowed the Trojans to despoil Patroclus.
No, the best of gods, fair-haired Leto’s son,
Killed him in the front lines and gave Hector the glory.
As for us, we could outrun the West Wind,
Which men say is the swiftest, but it is your destiny
To be overpowered by a mortal and a god.” (19. 437-446) This statement is in alignment with the idea that men have no control of their own destinies and, in this case, Achilles will perish through no fault of theirs. Fate wills it. It is foretold that a man and a god will end to Achilles' life. In Book XXI, Achilles' refers to his own
destiny: “Take a look at me. Do you see how huge I am?
How beautiful? I have a noble father,
My mother was a goddess, but I too
Am in death’s shadow. There will come a time,
Some dawn or evening or noon in this war,
When someone will take my life from me
With a spear thrust or an arrow from a string.” (21. 114-120) This statement anticipates Achilles' fall in the end, his ultimate fate. The course of his life, his destiny. He cannot change it; therefore, he accepts it. At the same time, he could decide to perform any number of acts that will alter his fate but never his final destiny, which is death.
The Iliad offers a curious standpoint on life. Whether or not human’s future is steered by his own choices or that by some outside force, is left to the reader. The degree of human free will is set by the keepers of destiny, while constraining humans by the unyielding laws of destiny. Therefore, destiny is at once indiscriminant and meaningful. The paradox is that throughout The Iliad there are portrayals of futile death and destruction all in the context of the development of the "will of Zeus." The gods are in control of fate and destiny, but at the same time, the actions of men can influence their own predestined fate.