The topic of free will versus fate in Homer’s, The Iliad, is the subject of this paper. In the Iliad, gods are portrayed as active in human affairs. Stories of the gods reflect the happenings in nature and human events. Homer suggests that the interaction between the humans and the gods may be a predictor of the fate of the humans. However, at times, characters like Achilles appear to have a free will. At other times, neither the humans nor the gods are portrayed as being in control of the fate of the humans.
Each character grapples with free will in different ways. For example, Achilles has excessive pride but he is also very passionate. Agamemnon is a king yet he is too broadminded to make a great king. Diomedes is a brave warrior and very noble. Aisa is courageous and strong. Finally, the last character that we will look at is Odysseus. Odysseus is very tenacious and intelligent.
Fate, destiny, and free play an important role in my life especially because I am a soldier. As a soldier, my fate is in the hands of my fellow servicemen. However, my destiny is controlled by my dreams of the future. I may decide to use my free will to make a career out of the military. However, that might not be my fate. This triad of fate, free will, and destiny is a very complicated matter. In some respects, I feel that I am not in control of my fate, yet I do feel in control of my destiny because I use my free will to determine my destiny, not my fate.
The character that I most relate to is Diomedes because his is a very brave and noble warrior. As a soldier, bravery is not a trait, it is a virtue. Virtue is something that is inborn; a trait is something that is acquired throughout one’s life.
