Questions On Fate And Destiny - 1630 Words

Michaela Radsma Humanities Mrs. Patchin 3 December 2015 Who’s In Charge? Fate and destiny are both shown to be predominant forces in the Iliad, and all mortals are subjugated to them; they are ultimately destined to fulfill a certain fate or prove themselves in some other way. For example, in the Iliad, Odysseus says that â€Å"We Achaeans are the men whom Zeus decrees, from youth to old age† (Iliad 105-107). Fate is revered and obeyed by mortals. However, the gods seem to be almost exempt from this sentence. The Iliad presents the question of who is determinately responsible for a man s destiny, yet the answers to this question are not quite clear. The three fates are the commanders of a mortal s destiny: they cut thread to end a life, yet there is misconception over who is in charge of the details of a person’s life. The Iliad makes known that men are somewhat in control of their own destiny based on their decisions and actions, but all actions seem to be predestined. But are these details ordered by the gods or are the gods themselves sub ject to the will of fate? This essay will argue that the gods have a direct influence on the lives of mortals: the gods have a direct hand in human events and they influence fate, yet they are unable to cheat destiny themselves. The gods in the Iliad not only play a part in the lives of mortals, they also seem to be quite picky about who they choose to help or not help. The gods react with detrimental results over trivial things, such asShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Slumdog Millionaire By Danny Boyle1587 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Your destiny is in your hands, bhai†. In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle we are shown glimpses of the wider field of fate and destiny. Through visual and oral features the audience is able to achieve a broad understanding of this idea which is conveyed throughout the course of the film. Each character shows varying amounts of control over their lives. Salim maintains a large amount of control while Latika obtains little. However Jamal experiences both outside influences asRead MoreFree Will : Ancient Literature1536 Words   |  7 Pageshuman necessity that has helped transform our society into the civilization it is today. â€Å"Determinism is another philosophical concept, which states that human life is pre-determined by such forces as gods, fate or destiny† (Cross Reference Project, 2015). The concept of free will versus fate is a prominent theme in much of literature especially those of the ancient West. Stories such as Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey as well as Virgil’s Aeneid helped pave the way for literature to inspire societyRead MoreHarold Bloom Says The Genius Of Shakespeare Is That â€Å"Characters1325 Words   |  6 Pagesrather to Hamlet’s confrontations with himself. He battles with his mind through soliloquys, he overhears himself speaking, and he always questions himself and the world because he is unable to accept any belief. It is not until the last act that he comes to any conclusion: an acceptance of fatalism, a philosophy that states that all events are driven by Fate. In Poetics, Aristotle says that every tragic hero has a fatal flaw, or â€Å"hamartia†, that causes the events of the tragedy to develop. At theRead MoreGreek Mythology : Fate And The Fates1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe concept of fate and the influence of gods on mortals’ lives are prominent aspects of Greek mythology. While the gods of Olympus are commonly presented as the primary manipulators of human lives, the Fates are the true creators of destiny. Gods may be able to affect human lives in monumental ways, but predetermined destiny and the Fates’ intentions ultimately reign. The gods have respect for this authority, as well, as they’re aware that a limit on their ability to intervene is necessary to maintainRead MoreHamlet and Fate1387 Words   |  6 Pagesrather to Hamlet’s confrontations with himself. He battles with his mind through soliloquys, he overhears himself speaking, and he always questions himself and the world because he is unabl e to accept any belief. It is not until the last act that he comes to any conclusion: an acceptance of fatalism, a philosophy that states that all events are driven by Fate. In Poetics, Aristotle says that every tragic hero has a fatal flaw, or â€Å"hamartia†, that causes the events of the tragedy to develop. AtRead MoreSimilarities Between Oedipus Rex And The Kite Runner1391 Words   |  6 PagesFate versus Destiny: Is divine justice righteous when fate or destiny is present? Oedipus Rex and The Kite Runner are both profound works of literature that share two immensely universal themes, those themes being fate/free will and divine justice. These two themes are quite prominent throughout both pieces of writing and serve to facilitate a very humanistic connection between the audience and the story. Although both of these stories consist of the two themes mentioned, they each express themRead MoreThe Importance Of Fate In Oedipus1022 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus calls for his fate unwillingly and definitely inevitably. Fate is described as something that unavoidably befalls a person. The author of â€Å"Oedipus the King,† Sophocles, writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to live. I will begin by giving a brief analysis of the story to give a better understanding, and explain point by point why fate was just inevitable in this story. In the story, Oedipus fate played an important role in the lives of the characters. To avoid their fate, the main charactersRead MoreTheme Of Fate In Oedipus The King778 Words   |  4 Pagespart of the Star Wars trilogy address questions that have been prevalent from the Ancient greeks and are still being pondered today. Both tales address Fate. In Oedipus The King, our protagonist Oedipus is constantly living with dreadful prophecies that are inevitable to prevent. While Luke Skywalker deals with his fate to become a Jedi Master. Likewise these stories deal with the concept of what family is and how it impacts your fate. Oedipus and Luke’s fate both are essentially formed by who theyRead MoreOf Mice and Men1352 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay - Fate or Choice? Choice is defined by the ‘Shorter Oxford Dictionary’ as; â€Å"The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed.† It also states the definition for fate; â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which events are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† Is our life choice, can we determine our fate by choosing our path or is our destiny determined for us? John Steinbeck puts forward this question in his novella Of Mice and MenRead MoreMacbeth: Fate vs. Free Will1718 Words   |  7 PagesFate vs. Free Will 11th of January 2013 Throughout the ages, it has been believed that fate has the power to forge one’s destiny. By some uncontrollable force, the outcome of a person’s choices is controlled by the way in which they are destined to occur. On the other hand though, some believe these choices can defy fate and that fate only manipulates ones mind into choosing their own path. One question that seemed to pop into my head through out this play was whether individuals were victims of