Free Will In Homer's Odyssey
Question 1 (Theme = Gods/Humans): In the Odyssey, I think the Gods role was to function as spiritual guides and as support for the hero. Examples being Hermes warning Odysseus of Circe's witchcraft and then Circe giving him directions. Yet, I also feel as if they punish for poor behavior. An example of this being Poseidon delaying Odysses's boat journey with challenges/weather for blinding his son, the cyclops, and then bragging about how great he was. I personally don't think the Gods control humans, but they do interfere and influence their behavior-more or less making a moral code if you will. Humans choose their behavior and actions, yet they are influenced in their choices and know there's consequences. So, I don't believe humans have free will. Even the choices humans make are guided by events outside their control and fear consequence;having true free will is being free of consequence/outside influence on your actions/decisions.
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I feel like a lot of the ideas of Gods in the odyssey matched Plato's ideas of Greek Gods, as in there were more than one, they're immortal, being powerful, and interact with beings. So, I think that Plato backs up the ideas of the Gods inflicting moral code and that they influence humans to be good. Yet, I think that Plato's ideas do clash in an emotional way. The Gods don't feel jealous and are perfectly wise according to Plato. They also don't engage in deceit, don't provoke bad behavior, and only bring good to humans. I feel as if the art works we had discussed don't complicate my cultural reading that I receive from the Odyssey. The art works show the Gods as humans in their art works, but they portray them as bigger and more powerful. So that backs up the "just like us only powerful..etc". They also are shown punishing those who go against their will, showing they can act like brats-always wanting their
I feel like a lot of the ideas of Gods in the odyssey matched Plato's ideas of Greek Gods, as in there were more than one, they're immortal, being powerful, and interact with beings. So, I think that Plato backs up the ideas of the Gods inflicting moral code and that they influence humans to be good. Yet, I think that Plato's ideas do clash in an emotional way. The Gods don't feel jealous and are perfectly wise according to Plato. They also don't engage in deceit, don't provoke bad behavior, and only bring good to humans. I feel as if the art works we had discussed don't complicate my cultural reading that I receive from the Odyssey. The art works show the Gods as humans in their art works, but they portray them as bigger and more powerful. So that backs up the "just like us only powerful..etc". They also are shown punishing those who go against their will, showing they can act like brats-always wanting their