Similar to other stories involving adventure, drama, and chaos, Ancient Greek Literature often includes characters who are threatened with impending death. The theme occurs in several pieces of the time such as Sophocles ' Oedipus and Homer’s epics, the Odyssey and the Iliad. Although the fear of death is sometimes crippling, this often propels characters in Ancient Greek literature to act upon it for better or for worse.
In the majority of these cases, the fear of death causes characters to attempt an escape from it. In the play, Oedipus, as the king and queen gave birth to their son, Oedipus, a prophet came to them with a prophecy. The oracle revealed to them that their son would both kill his father and marry his mother. To avoid her husband’s …show more content…
In these cases, the fear of death causes characters to successfully change their fate. In the story, the Odyssey, Odysseus and his men travel home from the Trojan war. In one encounter, Odysseus and his men wandered into the cave of a cyclops, and were eaten one after another with no chance of escape. In response to this deadly encounter, Odysseus blinded his captor and used his animals to cover his party’s escape: “I tied them in threes, with a man under the middle one, while the two others protected him on each side… At last the dawn came. The rams and billies surged out to the pasture… Their master felt over the backs of all the animals as they passed out, but the poor fool did not noticed the men tied under their bellies” (116). Using his cunning, Odysseus successfully escaped his and his crew’s fate and avoid death. Admittedly, other factors such as Odysseus’ hope to return home or the trust the safety his gods could provide could have influenced his actions. On the other hand, he and his men were faced with death and did what was necessary to survive, so Odysseus’ actions were primarily revolved around his fear of death rather than other underlying …show more content…
If I slip inside the gates and walls, Polydamas will be first to heap disgrace on me—he was the one who urged me to lead our Trojans...So now, better by far for me to stand up to Achilles, kill him, come home alive or die at his hands in glory out before the walls” (11-24).
Instead of attempting to escape his death, Hector decided to face it head on. He accepted the two outcomes of his decision; live to fight another day, or die trying. Sure, by accepting his fate Hector implies he doesn’t fear of death, however, accepting fate doesn’t mean a lack of fear. In addition, Hector felt escaping the fight was dishonorable, so Hector’s death was simply an acceptance of his fate caused by his fear of death and what he believed.
Whether they attempt to take their fate into their own hands to escape death or accept it and die, Ancient Greek heroes are often forced to make a decision which decides life and death. Their decision, whether it leads to good or to bad, is usually a turning point and determines their fate by the end of the
In the majority of these cases, the fear of death causes characters to attempt an escape from it. In the play, Oedipus, as the king and queen gave birth to their son, Oedipus, a prophet came to them with a prophecy. The oracle revealed to them that their son would both kill his father and marry his mother. To avoid her husband’s …show more content…
In these cases, the fear of death causes characters to successfully change their fate. In the story, the Odyssey, Odysseus and his men travel home from the Trojan war. In one encounter, Odysseus and his men wandered into the cave of a cyclops, and were eaten one after another with no chance of escape. In response to this deadly encounter, Odysseus blinded his captor and used his animals to cover his party’s escape: “I tied them in threes, with a man under the middle one, while the two others protected him on each side… At last the dawn came. The rams and billies surged out to the pasture… Their master felt over the backs of all the animals as they passed out, but the poor fool did not noticed the men tied under their bellies” (116). Using his cunning, Odysseus successfully escaped his and his crew’s fate and avoid death. Admittedly, other factors such as Odysseus’ hope to return home or the trust the safety his gods could provide could have influenced his actions. On the other hand, he and his men were faced with death and did what was necessary to survive, so Odysseus’ actions were primarily revolved around his fear of death rather than other underlying …show more content…
If I slip inside the gates and walls, Polydamas will be first to heap disgrace on me—he was the one who urged me to lead our Trojans...So now, better by far for me to stand up to Achilles, kill him, come home alive or die at his hands in glory out before the walls” (11-24).
Instead of attempting to escape his death, Hector decided to face it head on. He accepted the two outcomes of his decision; live to fight another day, or die trying. Sure, by accepting his fate Hector implies he doesn’t fear of death, however, accepting fate doesn’t mean a lack of fear. In addition, Hector felt escaping the fight was dishonorable, so Hector’s death was simply an acceptance of his fate caused by his fear of death and what he believed.
Whether they attempt to take their fate into their own hands to escape death or accept it and die, Ancient Greek heroes are often forced to make a decision which decides life and death. Their decision, whether it leads to good or to bad, is usually a turning point and determines their fate by the end of the