The Power of Fate

Connor Soukup

                        “You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it” - French Proverb

     Since the dawn of man, people have believed that something out of their control determines their future. In the Odyssey, the gods have complete dominion over mortals lives. As Telemachus sails to find his father and oddesius attempts to journey home. The gods influence their fortune at every turn. 

    After oddesius had journeyed for eighteen days across the endless sea, he caught sight of a distant island hoping to find asylum. Suddenly Poseidon, god of the sea, sees oddesius who he has seething rage for. Poseidon sends monstrous waves obstructing his way. Poseidon knows he can’t kill oddesius because it against the will of Zeus. Oddesius swims to the island for two days in the harshest of storms. He finally collapses on the sand. 

    A heavy sea covered him over, then and there unlucky oddesius would have met his death—against the will of fate—but the bright eyed one inspired him yet again. (Lines 479-482–The Odyssey book five). 

While oddesius was close to death, the power of the gods and fate saved him and inspired him to survive. This shows the gods are always looking over us and influencing our fate and future. The gods throw hardships at oddesius and help him out during hard times as well. The gods have a plan for oddesius even though they can’t see the future. 

    The gods have dominating control over the lives and fate of mortals. Like the gods you can’t decide you fate but you can influence it.