It is set against the backdrop of the Trojan War and centers around the human condition. ... Interspersed throughout, we find interference by the gods in the actions of humans and espy their own self-interests in the outcome of events. ... This godly interference begs the question of whether mortals have free will at all. Another example of godly interference was when Zeus sent Agamemnon a false dream. ... Likewise, humans display these very characteristics making us much like the image of our creator. ...

• Word Count: 2432
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story. ... Without the interference of Athena the suitors may have moved more quickly than they did. ...

• Word Count: 895
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Major themes of the poem are the glory of war; military values over family life; the impermanence of human life and its creations. ... When Virgil controls the narration, the point of view includes the actions of the gods as well as the human story; Aeneas, in his storytelling, does not have this access to the gods' perspective and relates events only from his own perspective. ...

• Word Count: 8864
• Approx Pages: 35
• Grade Level: High School