In my
second blog post, I dabbled with the role of fate and determinism in The Iliad by Homer. I discussed the free
will of men and gods, and the circumstances that allowed for each. Upon further
tinkering with this idea, I concluded that the message that Homer wants to
convey to his readers about the real world is this: Although things are
predetermined and their outcomes cannot be avoided, there is no reason for
people not to act as though they have autonomy. People’s actions are still
necessary for the world to continue turning. Clearly, this message makes an
assumption that would be hotly contested by philosophers of modern times, but
the belief that everything is fated was prevalent during the times of Homer.
To reach
this message, one must first visit the plot of Achilles. Achilles is the
Achaeans’ best fighter, a true hero. However, when Agamemnon attempted to steal
Briseis from him in a fit of rage, Achilles withdrew himself from the ranks of
warriors and refused to partake in any battles. Achilles tells Atrides “back I
go to Phthia. Better that way by far, to journey home in the beaked ships of
war. I have no mind to linger here disgraced, brimming your cup and piling up
your plunder” (Homer 83). Since Achilles has decided he will not fight, the
Achaean forces are deeply weakened. The gods begin to take sides in the battle:
“those two goddesses there are Menelaus’ best defense, Hera of Argos, Boeotian
Athena, guard of armies… but Aphrodite here with her everlasting laughter
always stands by Paris” (Homer 145). This shows that without the direct
involvement of Achilles in the War, the outcome of the war becomes jeopardized
and the gods intervene. The gods eventually maintain the fate of the War in the
favor of the Achaeans. However, since Achilles decided not to fight and thus
had no influence on the war, this took considerable effort.
Homer
conveys the theme that free will still exists in a deterministic world through
both the inaction of Achilles and the actions of every other character. To
maintain the golden balance of fate, everybody but Achilles played their part:
Thetis tried to sooth Achilles; “Hera trumpeted, lashing the nerve and
fighting-fury in each man as Athena, her eyes blazing, made for Diomedes” and
she “urged him on with so much winning force” (Homer 190). The men themselves
who fought the war needed to fight for victory to be had. Eventually, Achilles
returns to battle and wins the war for Achaea. These examples do not even begin
to represent every forward action taken. The point of all this is that even
though fate dictated that Troy must fall at the hands of Achaea, it would never
have happened without the comprehensive and total participation of the
individuals; the free will of the characters, who chose to fight for a cause,
was the reason fate held true. This thinking allowed me to arrive at a theme, a
message that Homer is trying to send his readers. This message is that no
matter what is fated, people still have the ability to freely make decisions,
and the meaning of these decisions is not lost because of a deterministic
world.
As I read this epic poem, I tried
to keep my list of what good readers do handy so that I could employ some of my
new strategies. One strategy I used is rereading. When I thought I found a
quote for these blog posts, I reread the entire chapter I found it in so that I
might gain more insight into the meaning of the quote. I used a quote in my
third blog post from page 605, where Achilles cries with Priam. My first time
reading this chapter, I only noticed that this was the first true display of
emotion for anyone but Patroclus Achilles shows in the entire story. However,
on my second time through I made the connection that this strong emotional side
to Achilles was probably something very valued in Homer’s culture. This leads
to how I read with my spine throughout this book. For me, I allowed my initial
reactions to certain events dictate how I perceive them. The emotional scene I
mentioned before, for example, made me feel like Homer exalted Achilles for
having such strong emotions underneath his tough exterior.
I
wholeheartedly recommend this book to all readers. If you can read these words,
you should read this work of art. If you, reader, would like to understand more
allusions in novels and find deeper meaning in any future works of literature
you read, I implore you to read The Iliad.
Every author who has ever written anything of worth has read Homer at some
point; it shows up in their writing. Homer has been read for centuries, and The Iliad will remain a famous and
historical epic poem for longer than can be predicted. If you read The Iliad, then the next time you read
about a character being compared to the Trojan Hector or the beautiful Helen
the meaning of those words will not be lost; the newer work might carry a whole
new message, a heavier message, and the result will surprise you.
I too found Homer's ancient epics to be some of the most captivating literary works I've come across. The numerous characters, interactions between mortals and gods, interventions of fate, and perspective of fundamental human traits all contribute to one of the most timeless stories of all time. I thought you did a good job of pinpointing the role of fate in The Iliad. Most characters know that their outcomes are predetermined, and yet they still wield free will. Much of the ancient Greek literature revolves around individuals rising to meet their destinies or trying to escape it, a concept that in some cases, such as Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, presents interesting paradoxes. Does Sarpedon charge into battle to die only because he believes that this is the fate that awaits him? Would his fate be different if he had believed otherwise? Homer almost seems to be saying that it does not matter, and that everything will reach its specific outcome eventually.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested, I highly recommend reading Virgil's Aeneid. Written about 600 years after Homer's own poems, Virgil's epic details the story of Aeneid, a Trojan hero who flees the city after its destruction and is fated to found the city of Rome. Many of the characters and places from The Iliad and The Odyssey reappear in Virgil's addition to the story. The Aeneid also constantly builds off of and parallels Homer's work, and uses many similar themes. Fate, divine interventions, and human nature are all very potent in Virgil's epic. If the Iliad was an enjoyable read for you, the Aeneid is sure to deliver a similar experience.
I find that every epic poem in ancient Greece or Rome all have to do with fate, and it's inevitability. One thing that always frustrated me was the fact that humans always tried to avoid their fates and their attempts to avoid it was what brought their fate around. Homer's message of fate being inevitable but not letting that affect your actions was interesting and it seems to fit well with when the story was written since most (if not everyone) believed they had a predestined fate. It kind of gave a reader in that era (and maybe even today) that even with something like your fate hanging over your head you can still live your life how you want to live it.. When you talked about how maybe even the Gods didn't determine fates was thought provoking. It begs the question: Is there a higher power than even the gods? Because if the gods don't determine our fates then who does? It's almost as if Homer is challenging the gods.
ReplyDeleteI liked the idea of Achilles being written as the perfect human in the ideals of Greeks. It reveals a lot of the culture in that time. It was interesting how you compared Achilles to Agamemnon. How although Agamemnon was understanding he wasn't Achilles. He had some good values but wasn't he perfect. But what do you think Homer was trying to say by making Achilles perfect? Could he be saying that this is how everyone should act, or is he saying that acting like this could lead you into bad and even fatal situations? Greeks do love their tragedies, so maybe that was the point of Achilles. Maybe the Greeks found it beautiful that a person as perfect as Achilles was to die at war and be remembered as a brave and tragic hero.