Essay On The Role Of God In Homer's Odyssey

In Homer’s epic; The Iliad and the Odyssey. The Gods and Goddess plays a different roles in the story. In the Iliad, the gods are an external supports by helping their favorite’s mortal, both Achaeans and Trojans; accept for Zeus who is trying to stand for justice and fate. On the other hand, the Odyssey is focusing on Odysseus, a hero who are on his journey home with Poseidon as his divine antagonist. The idea represent in both epic discuss how the gods has impact mankind directly and indirectly. In the beginning of the Iliad, which is nine years after the war have started. The Achaean captured a young beautiful girls named Chryseis and Briseis. Chryseis’s father, a priest who serve Apollo begs Agamemnon to return his daughter, but he refused. Apollo then send a plaque down to the Achaean camp ground causing the death of many soldier. Apollo had given a reward to his faithful servant, which also means that he is taking a Trojan’s side. In the Odyssey; Penelope also prayed to Apollo. Moreover, in the day that Odyssey kills the suitor was Apollo feast’s day which he has used a bow and arrows, referred to Apollo’s weapon that has been mentions many time in the epic.

With his pride; Achilles back out from the war and spend his time on a beach with bitter, praying that the Achaean will be kill by the Trojan and by Thetis help Zeus answer his prayer. Achilles’s pride and anger had leaded him to a conflict with his friend, his oath and the gods. At the end he seeks revenge against Hector, who defeats Patroclus. Later on in the epic; Zeus is the one who makes Achilles surrender and gave Hector’s body back to Priam. In both epic we can see that Zeus always trying to do what’s right although, the other gods is taking side whether their mortals are in a right or