I Think I’ve Finally Gone Insane
While
reading the Odyssey, there was one question that I kept asking myself: “Do the
people really have free will?” Based on how some of the actions are described,
it seems as if the gods control everything. The idea of fate seems to partially
take away the ability for humans to determine their own future. On one hand,
they can take any actions they please, but on the other hand, the future is
already determined for them.
However, can they really take any action they want to? If their fate is already determined, have the gods also planned out the individuals’ thought process and actions? Are people really real? Or are they just puppets programmed by the gods with the illusion that they can make their own choices? The idea of determinism has always been really interesting and confusing for me.
For example, “Athena turned the suitors’ minds; they laughed unstoppably.” (20, 346-347) is phrased such that it seems like Athena is controlling how the suitors react to things. There doesn’t seem to be something natural that caused them to laugh, it just sounds like they were forced by some otherworldly force.
Again, when Odysseus is talking to Amphinomus while disguised as a beggar, the narrator throws in: “But he was not fated to live; Athena had condemned him to be defeated by Telemachus with his strong spear.” (18, 155-158). Although Amphinomus, being one of the least awful suitors, acknowledged that he was not behaving properly, Athena still decided that he needed to die. It seems like she has control over his future as his actions could not change anything.
The overuse of the phrase “Athena made,” makes it seem like she is more of a controller than a bystander. She is not merely helping, but creating a show out of the people in the story. It doesn’t matter what they do because she already knows how it’s supposed to end.
These observations raise the question of who is actually free from this control and what degree of freedom do they have? Sometimes Odysseus seems like he is thinking for himself, but other times it seems that Athena is controlling him. Determinism is whack.
The issue of the gods and their meddlesome ways is one that is very interesting to me. I think that the mortal characters in The Odyssey do, in fact have free will -- as long as there are no gods whatsoever involved. Once gods are involved, the agency of the mortal characters becomes massively diminished, either by being directly "inspired" or indirectly, via reacting to someone who has been "inspired."
ReplyDeleteI think there's also an interesting matter of perspective: do the Olympian gods think that the mortals have free will? (Do they even care? Nah.) As more and more discussion is made regarding the mortals and the gods, I have come to see the Olympians as (egotistical, petty) authors (especially Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus), or perhaps grandiose players of a cosmic game of The Sims
Exactly! I had a lot of the same questions come up when I was trying to decide whether or not the suitors deserved death. Some times it seemed like Athena was pushing them headlong into deaths they didn't actually deserve, but then I considered - Odysseus would also ascribe weather patterns to a god, but I wouldn't. So how much of the suitors' actions should I see as their own fault? I DON'T KNOW!!
ReplyDeleteI think that the question of free will would be hazier if the gods in The Odyssey did not seem to affect the world outside of just being bored and wanting to do something to pass the time. The gods in Greek culture were not like the omnipresent, omnipotent God in Judaism/Christianity or Allah in Islam, they are not able to affect everyone all at once, so the people they change are specific and centered directly around the path of a major story. With this in mind, you can safely assume that the majority of people have free will, but as a person in Greek culture, you never knew if you were part of a big event, and so that made it more difficult for you to decide. For us looking in, that isn't an issue, but it still isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteI think the question of free will in The Odyssey is really interesting. I kind of hate Odysseus for killing all of the suitors, but is it ultimately his fault or Athena's? It would also make Odysseus's heroic journey home seem somewhat less impressive if his individual action wasn't important compared to Athena's will. I think it makes it a better story with more interesting characters if the humans have free will, but who knows.
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