FATE IN ILIAD

Fate as a theme in Iliad

Fate as a theme in Iliad

Introduction

The Iliad portrays fate and destiny as supreme and ultimate forces. The Iliad presents the question of who or what is finally responsible for a man's destiny, yet the answers to this question are not quite clear. In many instances, it seems that man has no control over his fate and destiny, but at other points, it seems as if a man's fate lies in the consequences of his actions and decisions. Therefore, The Iliad reveals a man sometimes controls his destiny (Dickinson, 2004).

From the very beginning of the Iliad, when the poet asks the Muse to reveal how "the will of Zeus was accomplished," we know that the events we are witnessing have Fate's fingerprints all over them. Time and again, we are reminded how it is impossible to escape one's fate; to some characters, this thought is comforting. That said, just because everything is fated doesn't mean there isn't any freedom. Achilleus, for example, has a double fate: if he goes home, he will live long without glory. If he stays at Troy, he will have lots of glory, but a short life. So he has a choice. Also, it is important to recognize that the gods don't control fate; there are times when they consider acting against it. Usually, though, they think it's best to do what fate says, just to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Discussion and Analysis

In The Iliad the god's fate is controlled much in the same way as a mortal's, except for one major difference, the immortals cannot die and therefore do not have a destiny. Immortal's lives may not be judged because they have not and will not die. The gods are able to manipulate mortal's fate but not their own directly. In Book I, the plague is a result of the upsetting of Apollo. The gods produce situations over trivial things, such as forgetting a sacrifice or, in this case, insulting Chryses. The gods have temper tantrums, and they switch sides quickly and without consideration. One day they protect the Achaeans, the next day the Trojans. The gods play favorites with no sense at all of any of the moral or political issues involved in the war. Zeus does what he can, but the others behave as though they were better than all the rest, in more ways than one.

They have no compassion for their own kind, and their concern for man is even less. Occasionally, the gods will show concern for one of their favorites when he is having a bad time, but it is very rare. This attitude is the result of their own vindictiveness against humanity and man's own tendency to irrational behavior or carelessness in worshipping the gods. But more often than not, men find themselves fighting a force beyond their control.

The opening statement of The Iliad contains the phrase "the will of Zeus," and this reflects the Greek's belief that ...