Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, raises some existential questions pertaining to the roles of humans and gods in determining destiny. The extent and proportions of free will and fate in the poem are not clear as there is an ongoing struggle between the mortals and the immortals. People make plans that can protect them from enemies while affording them a better life. However, the supernatural interject themselves into worldly affairs and give prophecies, which have significant repercussions on the outcome of the war.
In The Iliad, the characters appear to be troubled, not knowing whether they should fight back, question the gods, or just let the turn of events occur without making any decisions. In today’s world, people still seek to understand life and the eventual outcome because no one can be sure they will live to realize their vision. The objective of this journal is to discuss the relevance of the poem in enabling readers to question human existentialism.
Some men are gifted to understand fate and share it with mortals to help them in making future preparations or understand past events that resulted in their current states. In the poem, Calchas is described as “wisest of augurs, who knew things past present and to come” (Butler 2). The seer tells King Agamemnon that the god is angry at him because he captured Chryseis and failed to return him to her father. Agamemnon retorts back at Calchas, saying that he “never yet prophesied smooth things concerning me” (Butler 2). On the one hand, the King is doomed to face the wrath of god because of his actions. On the other, there is the will of god Zeus, which Agamemnon is also required to fulfill. The reader is thus confronted with the problem of whether, in some cases, people should choose to follow predictions or stick to what they know as the directions from deity.
In the consecutive scenes, Agamemnon and other soldiers decided to fight, holding on to fate even when they were against Zeus. Conversely, the Trojans are delighted because Zeus has taken their side even though the prophecy suggests otherwise. The reader is bound to ask what will determine the outcome of the war. In life, people may make projections such as weather forecasting when engaging in agriculture or economic trends for business people. However, the projections are not always right. A good example is the Covid-19 pandemic, which crushed the world economy in a way that was never anticipated. The reader is likely not to find concrete answer, so the best way to resolve the challenge is to believe whatever seems suitable.
Free will has limitations since the supernatural has a significant role in establishing destinies and evoking the desires of men. This is evident in the statement of Idomeneus, who is confident that the Achaeans are strong and courageous to fight. However, he is convinced that it is “the will of almighty Jove that the Achaeans should perish ingloriously” (Butler 121). Readers can relate to the situation described by Idomeneus. For example, the story made me remember a young woman who was suffering from cancer. The family was ready to sacrifice and take her to the best doctors for treatment, but it appeared that he was destined to die. The relevance of this story to the reader is that it provokes thoughts on the extent to which people should exercise their free will.
Another thing that is apparent in Homer’s poem is that the gods and humans relate differently to the concept of fate. Humans, like King Agamemnon, the Trojans, and the Achaeans, are always concerned about how fate will determine their destiny. Conversely, the gods have no such worries because they have supernatural powers to either evoke or work with luck. When the gods bow their heads, they have made a verdict that cannot be revoked.
Hector is so confident to the extent that he does not care about the content in the portent. The only thing that he is convinced of is that he needs to put his trust in “great Jove, king of mortals and immortals” (Butler 114). The key difference is that what a person says is not sure, but whatever a god declares cannot be revoked. The book helps the reader to think about gods and their role in destiny so that they can seek spiritual wellness.
Apparently, the gods have various options when confronting fate as they can either choose to fulfill it, revoke it in favor of a different outcome, or create it. On the other hand, humans are shaped by the gods and are almost powerless in the hands of fate unless they seek refuge from greater deities. Also, the gods, unlike men, have complete free will. Readers are encouraged to understand the interplay between the supernatural and the natural world. There are things that are at the disposal of people to make decisions and fulfill.
On mattes of existence, most of the time, all the things people do are influenced by deities. Thus, the reader is reminded of their nature and weakness no matter how much they try to take control of their life. The poem propels its audience to consider finding out more about the role of god and fate in their destiny. Additionally, the poem influences the reader to realize that people should be humble and use their free will to do what is best so that the deities can favors them with their desires.
Work Cited
Butler, Samuel. The Iliad of Homer, Books I-XIIV. 4th ed., E-b00k, Project Gutenberg EBook, 2019.