Western Literature Week Nine

Essay

What role does fate play in the emotional and psychological effect of The Iliad? Why does Homer make his characters aware of their impeding dooms?   

Most of Homer’s audiences were really familiar with the story that the Iliad tells because Homer was a bard who collected what he heard and gathered the information into a book. If he had wanted to add something new, he still could not change how the story ends. Making the characters know their fates seems not dramatic enough to offer the effect of irony which shows people how those characters stumble toward the endings that they knew in advance. However, Homer didn’t sacrifice the drama. This shows much more stunning.Even they knew their fates and tried to be careful, they still had no real choice and ability to change the whole situation. Just like Achilles knew that if he killed Hector, the next one should die would be himself. Their obedience to the fates which they already knew made them not only tragic but also empathically heroic.

How does Homer portray the relationship between gods and men in the Odyssey? What roles do the gods play in human life? How does this portrayal differ from the found in the Iliad?

   The god or goddess in the Iliad usually used their powers to change human’s life such as Aphrodite made Paris and Helen fall in love and triggered the Trojan War and Apollo sent the plague to Agamemnon’s army. However, the immortals on Odyssey didn’t use their powers that much. Most of the time, they were sort of spiritual guides and supporters who often indicate mortals some directions. Such as Tiresias told Odysseus that he would be back home eventually. Also the actions of gods sometimes would still remain overworldly. In the sense, it was appropriate to shift in in focus between the two epics. It uses different way in Iliad and Odyssey. Iliad describes a violent and glorious war. On the other hand, Odyssey describes a twenty- year journey and the god often provide some help advice.