Fate and Free Will in the Odyssey
When we look at Greek Mythology we often run into the gods of that era. Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story. Fate has a place in the Greek world but its place is not the same as it is in other scenarios or worlds. It is important to understand the word before we discuss it. Fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate. By most standards fate means that things occur for an unknown reason that no one has any control over. However, in the world of Greek Mythology fate does not just happen. The gods engineer fate and they interfere to make things happen that might not otherwise have happened. Since the players do not always know of the gods involvement, things may actually appear to be fate but in reality be engineered happenings. Free will on the other hand is not engineered. It speaks to the concept of having full authority over one's aspirations and ultimate direction. The key there is ultimate. The gods can make up the plan and choose the path, but the people had to walk it. Therefore, fate and free will are not mutually exclusive and they both go on throughout The Odysse . . .
In the Odyssey both free will and fate occur. Regarding the same verse Torrey stated, This makes it seem that while men dont take responsibility in the Odyssey, the gods say they should. Friendly advice-but would Aigėsthos take it? (Homer 210). The purpose of the assembly was supposed to be to gather community support in opposing Penelope's suitors. Odysseus could have stayed but he chose to go. As we study what the true meaning of free will is we can be surer of the representation of it by The Odyssey. In some areas it is pertinent that the gods interfere. This is the way of free will and it represents the actions that were allowed in the myth. Free will is exercised all over that story and free will gives the story the twists and turns that we have come to expect form all Greek Mythological classics. They were responsible for his capture in the first place and then refused to let him go for almost a decade. The Constant Reader (1998) : par 26. Many times throughout the story there were choices made that affected the outcome.
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