Free Will In Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey has been and will, most likely, continue to be one of the most prevalent examples of a deep character conflict. In the case of the Odyssey, Homer is able to illustrate a vivid picture of two characters who are shown to go head to head with each other on several occasions due to not only their vastly different ideals, but also because of their contrasting strengths and weaknesses. In addition to contrasting in the strengths and weaknesses they possess, both characters also differ in how they obtained their characteristics, by fate or by free will. The first of these characters is Prince Telemachus, son of Odysseus, and a protagonist of the story. Throughout the Odyssey, it becomes clear that Telemachus possesses a strong moral fiber …show more content…
A demonstration of Antinous’s greed comes early as it becomes clear that Antinous greatly desires not only another man’s wife, but also the crown of the city-state of Ithaca. A clear showing of Antinous’s arrogance, vanity, and gluttony come soon after as he is made clear to be a person who has no care for the well-being of others, especially as he devours the food and drink of Telemachus, his unwilling host. Finally, Antinous is portrayed as a megalomaniac when he attempts to kill Telemachus when Telemachus returns from sandy Pylos. This attempt on Telemachus’s life by Antinous shows that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to claim the crown and Penelope even perform some actions that would be considered psychopathic. In the end, it is Antinous’s two weaknesses, his overambitious nature and his obsessive lust for Penelope, which result in his fall. If Antinous hadn’t taken all the food and drink from Telemachus on his quest for the crown and Penelope then maybe he would have survived the massacre at the conclusion of the book or maybe the massacre would never have occurred. Regardless of the way in which fate favors Telemachus in this epic tale, Antinous’s characteristics are still fostered by his free will, because his own psychological strife leads him to acquire these characteristics and become the vile creature that is …show more content…
Telemachus, in spite of being a mere pawn of fate, was able to gain many distinguishable character traits along his fervent search for his father, traits that allow Telemachus’s victory to compensate for the pure torture that he was forced to face at the hands of Antinous and the rest of the suitors. Another reason that Telemachus’s victory counteracted the agony that he was forced to endure is because there is no greater penalty than death, for any crime, an when Telemachus decided to become the judge, jury, and executioner for all the suitors, he was able to repay the suitors for all the horrible actions that were done onto him. Revenge, in this situation, was the best and only way in which the suitors could truly be punished and an example set. Finally, besides the immortal gods portrayed in the Odyssey, there was another immortal power at play, but it is one that does not have a face or take up space, time. Time allowed the Telemachus to gain everything he needed as time worked towards building up the conflict so that there could be a swift and just resolution for all the parties involved. Without the prolonged journey home of Odysseus, along with the interference of fate and the immortal gods, Telemachus would never have developed into the righteous character he is