Can’t Change Fate Essay - 1709 Words

Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s â€Å"The Odyssey†, uses his brain more than his strength when he is faced with an obstacle. Odysseus is known as a man of â€Å"twists and turns†; his supreme physical strength is secondary to the strength of his mind in â€Å"The Odyssey†. Throughout the story, Odysseus relies on his smarts, rather than strength to overcome each obstacle. He has the essential qualities of a Heroic leader such as being brave, strong, noble, mighty, but instead his intelligence makes Odysseus a hero. â€Å"Mind over Matter† or â€Å"Cunning over Strength† appears to be a theme of â€Å"The Odyssey†. Before â€Å"The Odyssey† Odysseus was victorious in the Trojan War; thanks to his quick thinking and ability to strategize. While his side was†¦show more content†¦Odysseus cunningly told the Cyclops that his name was Nobody, and then patiently waited until Polypemus was asleep to stab his eye, blinding him, yet leaving him the ability to open the doorway. It is significant that Odysseus claims to be â€Å"Nobody† to Polypemus; for the Cyclops yells out to his siblings that â€Å"Nobody stabbed his eye.† This shows that be cunning is more powerful than strength. Another example of Odysseus’ mind power is displayed through his change of identity and trickery when he came back from his journey. Odysseus is aware that he is no match for the youthful, strapping suitors in his palace; so he arranges a situation in which the suitors are locked in a room alone with him killing the suitors. Another example is the Sirens’ song, which no man can resist. Odysseus was a very curious and temped man so he has his crew tie him to his ship because he cannot resist the songs. These are just a few of the many challenges Odysseus faces in the Odyssey. Odysseus’ intelligence and strength of mind has the potential to live a full natural life; destined to die in peace. Not only did Odysseus a survivor of adventures and obstacles, he is considered a true hero. The first thing that makes Odysseus a hero is that he is favored by the gods. He was faced many dangerous and life threatening obstacles which no man has done before in his time. Thi s displays that this voyage was what heShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening, By Kate Chopin1478 Words   |  6 PagesFate is a highly questionable topic when it comes to how people live their lives. Many people can’t comprehend giving their life up to chance, but many believe it to be the best way to live. Fate is the destined path given to each person to implement throughout their lifetime. It can’t be stopped, or reasoned with, merely accepted. Many characters struggle with idea of fate in The Awakening, but nobody accepts fate more than Edna. In Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening, fate is used as an irrepressibleRead MoreFate1150 Words   |  5 PagesFate Some people believe that each step steps on the way of life is predetermined through the beginning to the end, and people are powerless to resist it. 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In otherRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex1024 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles, the story revolves around the central theme of prophecy, and forces the reader to seriously consider the extent to which the protagonist’s doom is dependent upon his own free will or is predetermined by fate. In the story, Oedipus was not a victim of only his actions or only his fate, but his actions and fatal flaws did affect the path that he took to his demise, through his pride/ignorance/temper, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and his cowardice. In the beginning of the story, OedipusRead MoreFate vs Free Will1663 Words   |  7 PagesOedipus The King: Fate Vs. Free Will The ancient Greek writer, Sophocles suggests that while there are factors beyond mankind’s control that we have the power to make choices that affect our destiny. In his play, Oedipus the King, Sophocles makes it quite clear that although everyone is born with a fate, you have the ability to alter its direction and toll. The main character of the play, Oedipus, is based on the way Sophocles portrays the equilibrium between fate and freewill, and shows theRead MoreLiterary Analysis Essay811 Words   |  4 Pagesthe end and they all live happily ever after. In fact, all protagonists’ fate is decided by the narrator’s hand. Just like the literary works we have recently read, including the poems â€Å"Sunday Greens† by Rita Dove, â€Å"Sinful City† by Jaroslav Seifert and the excerpt from Like Water for Chocolate from Laura Esquivel, the characters’ fate was sealed from that moment. Therefore, the most relevant theme through three works is that fate is for those too weak to determine their own destiny. We are fated,Read MoreMacbeth Fate vs. Freewill Essay948 Words   |  4 PagesFate vs. Freewill In Shakespeare’s Tragedy Macbeth, it is very debatable if fate, or freewill is what causes Macbeth to do the things he does through out the tragedy. Freewill is at work most through out the tragedy because Macbeth is convinced he can change or speed up the fate the three weird sisters prophesized for him at his own will. Throughout the play, Macbeth slowly begins to think he can modify his fate by using the prophecies told to Macbeth by the weird sisters and attempting to change