Fate The True Agent - 1352 Words

Fate: The True Agent at Work in the Iliad Fate has a huge effect on the lives of people all over the world; whether it is determining who we meet, where we go, or the type of person we end up becoming, it is fair to assume that the future intrigues people. Sure, people are faced with choices and can make decisions that have a heavy bearing on their reality for the future, but many people like to believe that fate is the ultimate determining force in their life. Though their actions may slightly alter the results of one’s life, it is believed that fate will always find a way to thrive. Fate suggests lack of control, while its’ counter agency suggests control over destiny. Homer’s Iliad is an epic poem illustrating the plight of humanity†¦show more content†¦The battle between Sarpedon and Patroclus is significant because Zeus knows that the eventual death of Patroclus will force Achilles to fight for the Greeks and in turn satisfy the request of Thetis. While the selected passage defines the Zeus ’ agency as a major influence, he is limited by the Patroclus’ fate and the fact that it would ruin the standard of fairness for all of the gods, making it evident that fate has the final say even more so than the gods do. While deciding the fate of Sarpedon, Zeus looks to Hera for advice and Homer uses instructive tone for her advice towards him. It is said that Sarpedon is destined to die so that the death of Patroclus will be much more devastating. Hera is aware of this, and during her instruction, she tells Zeus to â€Å"leave Sarpedon there to die in the brutal onslaught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (427; line 536), which is a very specific task. This task is very demanding, considering the fact that Zeus who is often revered as one of the highest gods certainly had the power to do what he wanted to do. Hera’s instructive tone, Zeus’ decision on whether or not he should save Sarpedon could have been way different. Zeus could have saved his son by exercising his own free will against fate. However, he did not because as Hera said, â€Å"none of the deathless gods will ever praise [him]† (427; line 527) if he did. The idea of glory motivated Zeus to let the so called fate take control in this instance. Perhaps the most important