Controlling Destiny The Odyssey And Medea - 1555 Words

Controlling Destiny in The Odyssey and Medea In ancient Greek literature, fate is defined as the course a person’s life will take that is predetermined and can’t be changed by mortals or even the gods, and destiny is the outcomes that will ultimately be produced by one’s actions, social status, character, etc. Homer’s The Odyssey and Euripides’ Medea portrays their protagonists on a quest to reach their fate, but they first must take their destiny into their own hands in order to achieve this goal. The texts suggest that humans use their personal traits and values as weapons to gain control of one’s destiny instead of letting the gods or social norms dictate their lives. Both of the texts start out in a similar fashion with the†¦show more content†¦Countless time in the epic, Odysseus used his trait of cunningness to escape situations, but in this particular case, he uses it to gain an advantage for his revenge on the suitors. He utilizes his trait of cunningness to make himsel f out as a humble and decrypted old man who had no intentions to harm anyone. Trusting only his son and two faithful servants, he had to be clever and remain in character as to not draw speculation and take his destiny out of his hands. Everyone in the epic described Odysseus as strong in the sense of combat however, in order to ensure his destiny when he enter his household for the first time in twenty years, he needed to employ inner strong. One of the suitors named Antinous became angered by Odysseus, still disguised as an old man, and in retaliation threw a footstool at him. The stool hit him sqaure in the shoulder however, â€Å"Odysseus stood there as solid as a rock and didn’t even blink. He only shook his head in silence, and brooded darkly† (Homer 537). The younger Odysseus, greater in strength than most men and quick to act, would have lashed out at Antinous. This kind of action would have blown his cover and made his mission murky. His strength is shown in this instance by the action he doesn’t take against the suitor and the strength he exhibits in containing himself and his emotions. Odysseus decides to lose the battle, but in due time will get the opportunity to win the war and obt ain his fate. The last example of Odysseus using hisShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology s Influence On The Arts And Literature Of Western Civilization2652 Words   |  11 Pagesstories. Today the Greek myths are known primarily from written Greek literature such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. These classic epics—long, narrative poems praising heroic deeds—are said to have been written by the poet Homer. He may have flourished in the 9th or 8th century BC. The Iliad, set during the Trojan War, recounts the story of the wrath of the Greek warrior Achilles. The Odyssey tells of the long wanderings and adventures of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he travels home from the war. The