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The role of the gods and fate in the aeneid
Virgil's aeneid and fate
The aeneid and the theme of fate essay
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Recommended: The role of the gods and fate in the aeneid
The nature of fate in The Aeneid, an epic poem by Virgil, operates in two ways. One way it operates is as a governor, the other is as a motivator. Fate acts as a governor or ruler when it is prophesied to tell people what the end result of a situation will be no matter the actions of the individuals involved. We see fate behave like this when Aeneas is prophesied to sail to Italy and found a new city for the displaced Trojans. Aeneas’ fate was crafted by a god, implying that the gods were the masters of fate. However, later on in the story the reader will find that the gods cannot change someone’s fate, though they can make it harder for an individual to complete their destined task. This makes fate separate from the gods will. Fate
The idea that one’s destiny is already determined is both comforting yet brings dismay because it leaves a feeling of powerlessness which is fine for the lazy but painful for the proactive. This idea is surely a failure among principles but even so the role of fate is not completely limited to these terms and ideas. Fate in the book was seen more as a mission that Aeneas had in life, and it would only happen on his obedience to his tasks. This type of belief that “actions determine fate” is actually quite healthy for a society to follow. During Aeneas’ journey there were several times that he faced difficult temptations that tested his obedience
A twenty-first century reading of the Iliad and the Odyssey will highlight a seeming lack of justice: hundreds of men die because of an adulteress, the most honorable characters are killed, the cowards survive, and everyone eventually goes to hell. Due to the difference in the time period, culture, prominent religions and values, the modern idea of justice is much different than that of Greece around 750 B.C. The idea of justice in Virgil’s the Aeneid is easier for us to recognize. As in our own culture, “justice” in the epic is based on a system of punishment for wrongs and rewards for honorable acts. Time and time again, Virgil provides his readers with examples of justice in the lives of his characters. Interestingly, the meaning of justice in the Aeneid transforms when applied to Fate and the actions of the gods. Unlike our modern (American) idea of blind, immutable Justice, the meanings and effects of justice shift, depending on whether its subject is mortal or immortal.
Fate is defined as “the determining cause by which things in general are believed to…happen as they do,” “It is “an inevitable…outcome.” (Merriam-Webster) However, fate isn’t the determining cause, it is dependent on karmas. Karmas are derivatives of the invisible Karman particles that are all around the world. (umich.edu) Through ones’ thoughts and actions karmas bond to the soul. (umich.edu) Over time the karmas accumulate and begin to cloud the once pure and truly knowledge soul. Ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles uses the idea of fate as the basis for his tragedy “Oedipus the King.” The character Oedipus ultimately turns out to be an exemplification the notions of Karma and fate.
In Virgil’s The Aeneid, there are many parallels found in Homer’s The Odyssey. In each epic, the heroes, Aeneas and Odysseus, are on a journey “home.” Aeneas is on the search of a new home for he and his companions to settle since Troy has been destroyed, Odysseus on the other hand is attempting to return to his home he left years earlier to fight the Trojan War. They both have Gods against them and helping them, both Aeneas and Odysseus are both held back by women, both voluntary and involuntarily, and they both have experiences visiting the Underworld. Despite these similarities, there are differences between the two characters and it reflects their values and the society they live in. Aeneas relies on his strength as a warrior, where as Odysseus uses his deception to survive which reflects how Aeneas is truly Roman is versus Greek.
Fate has a place in the Greek world but its place is not the same as it is in other scenarios or worlds. It is important to understand the word before we discuss it. Fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate. By most standards fate means that things occur for an unknown reason that no one has any control over. However, in the world of Greek Mythology fate does not just happen. The gods engineer fate and they interfere to make things happen that might not otherwise have happened. Since the players do not always know of the gods' involvement, things may actually appear to be fate but in reality be engineered happenings.
It is clear when reading the Aeneid that Virgil was familiar with the earlier works of Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Virgil, more than just being aware of these earlier works, uses themes and ideas from these poems in his own. Far more than just copying scenes and ideas, Virgil expands and alters these themes to better tell his story, unique from the Greek originals he is drawing from. Virgil reveals what qualities he regards as heroic through the juxtaposition of Aeneas’ character and the negative aspects of the underworld. By looking at which qualities are esteemed and derided respectively, we can identify the qualities that Virgil would like to emphasize positively to his readers. Also, we can argue that Virgil is indeed trying to convey a particular set or morals to those readers. Beyond the underworld, it is possible to clearly identify these traits in the other sections of the poem where Virgil is borrowing and making his own alterations. Using these distinctions we can very clearly derive Virgil's morality from the poem, and see where Virgil's ideal characters veer away from the Greek ideal that came before.
When discussing the fate of Aeneas, a thought provoking question is posed that is commonly debated. If Aeneas is commanded by fate, does he have free will? It is important to approach this question with a solid understand of fate. There are two common sides to the debate of whether Aeneas had free will or not. One view believes Aeneas had no choice but to follow his destiny because he was commanded by fate, and prophesied to found the race that will one day build Rome. The other side states Aeneas did indeed have free will, and even though his fate was set, room is available within his fate for events to change. One can argue Aeneas makes some of his own choices, but no particular detail of his life is untouched. Destiny determines that the Trojans will found a city in Italy, but it does not stipulate how that will happen. This is where room is left for free will. After much research and considering the views of many commentators and the proof they showed, the answer can simply be found by going back to the text of The Aeneid.
The idea of fate has existed for a long time and exists even today. Fate revolves around the idea that people's lives are predetermined and that no matter what is done it cannot be changed. With the gods it was used to explain events that seemed strange. Sophocles expands on this idea by introducing Oedipus' fate. The thought of fate is strong considering no matter how hard he struggles he still receives what was predetermined. As a baby he survived the elements on Mount Cithaeron. As Oedipus was destined to live, it shows the dominance of fate. Having fate play such a large part of the play is certainly an insight into the Greek's idea that fate controls us no matter how hard we struggle against it.
In English literature and Greek mythologies fate and free will played colossal responsibilities in creating the characters in the legendary stories and plays. The Greek gods believed in fate and interventions, predictions of a life of an individual before and after birth which the individual has no control over their own destiny. Free will and fate comingle together, this is where a person can choose his own fate, choose his own destiny by the choices the individual will make in their lifetime. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of free will is the “freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior cause of divine intervention”. Fate and the gods who chose their destinies directed Gilgamesh, Oedipus and Achilles.
Sophocles explores the role of fate in his reputable play, Oedipus the King, as an unseen power that controls the lives of the characters. He depicts fate as a force against free will. Although some may disagree, saying that one chooses their own fate or that one’s fate is only determined by the choices they make, it is hard to argue over something we have very little or zero control over, that being, fate. In the story, Jocasta and Laius, a queen and King from ancient Greece, found out they were going to have a son. But they did not know from the moment Jocasta became pregnant, fate had already decided what was to happen to him. Before he was even born, Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his own mother. Despite his parent’s attempt to kill him as a baby and Oedipus himself running from his fate, the result remained unchanged. Fate used everybody and made them all play a part in the tragedy. Even without the actions of Oedipus’ parents, Tiresias, and the gods, Oedipus still would have killed his father and married his mother. Although the blame from the tragedy of Oedipus could fall on many different people, ultimately fate is at fa...
After Hektor’s death, his mother wails that “death and fate have closed in upon” him (Homer, 22) and his wife calls him “ill-fated” (Homer, 23). They seem to both accept that his death was not as much a matter of his personal strength or the god’s will, but of fate. This mysterious force that controls all is strange because even though it seems so powerful, it is not as often mentioned. The story is filled with praise given to the gods and prayers. Fate seems to be opposite of the gods- rarely acknowledged by humans, but capable of effecting their lives more. It is also unable to be bribed by sacrifices (fate seems to have no interest in cow thighs), it cannot be changed, and it is above the gods. The power of fate over the gods is most clearly portrayed in a glimpse of a counsel with Athena and Zeus. Zeus, the most powerful of all the gods, wishes to rescue Hektor, but Athena stops him by saying, “Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death to release him?” (Homer, 16). By referring to Hektor’s fate, she stops Zeus. If the king of all the gods can not challenge fate, how could a mortal? Homer’s answer is that nothing can stop fate. While this is almost comforting because in many respects it is better to live under the
The Trojan War is such an impactful epic that has inspired authors in later ages to continuously borrow ideas and create their own development from the story of Troy. Chaucer is one of these aspiration writers whose Troilus and Criseyde is apparently influenced by Virgil’s The Aeneid. Continuing with Virgil’s steps, Chaucer provides us with an interpretation of Troy story which was built around a tragic love story. However, he intentionally goes on a different path in depicting Troilus and Criseyde’s relationship, compared to Aeneas and Dido’s. An Early Modern writer such as Chaucer certainly has his own ways to portray the theme of love and betrayal instead of reiterating medieval concepts.
... attempts they do just the opposite. With Venus’ many interventions, Aeneas is prevented from making mistakes and is guided to his fate, from not killing Helen [book 2] to leaving behind the old and the weak for Italy [book 4] . He is shown enough times to be the puppet of their play: from obeying the will of the gods while enduring the wrath of other gods, all this in order to set the wheels in motion for the far off future Roman race. However, there are also times when he is also shown to be exerting his won free will. For example, in book 12, killing Turnus when he is begging for mercy, something not heroic and which Susanna Braund debates the positive and negative aspect of in her essay on Virgil and the Meaning of the Aeneid [1.17-18]. nonetheless, this act demonstrates that even the gods and the fates require his cooperation to fulfil his destiny.
In Oedipus Rex, fate is something that unavoidably befalls two characters. The gods decide Oedipus and Jocasta’s fate even before they know it. Trying to avoid destiny is pointless because no matter what, it will catch up to you where ever you are. It is often thought that you can change your destiny, but in reality our fate was put into action the day we were born.
In Oedipus Rex, fate is something that unavoidably befalls two characters. The gods decide Oedipus and Jocasta’s fate even before they know it. Trying to avoid destiny is pointless because no matter what, it will catch up to you where ever you are. It is often thought that you can change your destiny, but in reality our fate was put into action the day we were born.