The document discusses how in Homer's Odyssey, both humans and gods had their wills constrained. For humans, they were largely subject to the prophecies of fate as decreed by the Fates. While Odysseus was clever and strong, he ultimately did as the gods directed him to do. The gods too could be swayed by human emotions and acted in human-like ways, such as Athena begging Zeus to help Odysseus or Poseidon seeking revenge. So both humans and gods had limited free will and autonomy according to the supernatural order of the world at that time in history.
The document discusses how in Homer's Odyssey, both humans and gods had their wills constrained. For humans, they were largely subject to the prophecies of fate as decreed by the Fates. While Odysseus was clever and strong, he ultimately did as the gods directed him to do. The gods too could be swayed by human emotions and acted in human-like ways, such as Athena begging Zeus to help Odysseus or Poseidon seeking revenge. So both humans and gods had limited free will and autonomy according to the supernatural order of the world at that time in history.
The document discusses how in Homer's Odyssey, both humans and gods had their wills constrained. For humans, they were largely subject to the prophecies of fate as decreed by the Fates. While Odysseus was clever and strong, he ultimately did as the gods directed him to do. The gods too could be swayed by human emotions and acted in human-like ways, such as Athena begging Zeus to help Odysseus or Poseidon seeking revenge. So both humans and gods had limited free will and autonomy according to the supernatural order of the world at that time in history.
In a time of continuous scientific and technological innovations, it is quite hard to picture
a life where science did not have an explanation for the mysteries of the world. However, we do acknowledge that long ago, we believed that the divine roamed the earth amidst us mortals. Back then, we put these supernatural beings up on a pedestal, constantly trying to appease them, instead of anger them. After all, are we not just lowly humans compared to their greatness? But come to think of it, from Heracles’ toils to Odysseus’ voyage, why does a bunch of all-powerful beings tend to meddle in mortal affairs? In this paper, I firmly assert that human beings did not have much free will since the Fates decree how the world must unfold. Similarly, gods may possess great powers but they, too, tend to be human in their ways— being ruled by emotions, as well as giving importance to the prophecies dictated by the Fates. Following Odysseus’ journey, to say that human autonomy exists is contestable. Yes, Odysseus possessed the wits and strength which helped him succeed, or at least survive, the trials that come upon him. But after all was said and done, all Odysseus wanted was to come home. But as a man who was aware of his place in the mystical order of the world, he went and did as he was bidded to, accepting help and advices from immortals, such as Hermes and Circe, whenever offered. Apart from this, the very concept of prophecies dictated how things would ultimately wind up. For instance the ghost of Tiresias foretold that Odysseus would eventually reach his home and reclaim what he owned, and then how we would be on a trip to a faraway land to appease the Poseidon. However, these would not prove to be an easy task for the Prince. Simply put, mortals didn’t really have much room to exercise their will in. It was much simpler to just go with Fates’ flow and abide by their wishes, and not against them, because despite everything, prophecies were bound to come to fruition. Furthermore, it is interesting to note how divine beings, with all their knowledge and power, tended to act like mere mortals. In the first book, Pallas Athena blatantly begged Zeus All-Mighty to pity Odysseus who was trapped in Ogygia, where Calypso also resided, and allow him to find his way home. Similarly, Poseidon, the Earthshaker, showed a very human side when he wanted to punish Odysseus for blinding his cyclops son, Polyphemus, which shows that even gods are capable emotional attachment. These instances reaffirm my stance on how these gods and goddesses could also be human, in some way.