Can a god change a human's destiny and vice versa? ... The belief in destiny and the higher powers are what drive the human race to their full potential. ... We are shown both examples of how the humans regard the gods, and how the gods regard the humans. ... But in the end a man's fate will remain the same, unaltered, despite the God's interference. ... Destiny will enevitable take the individual to where they where meant to be despite the Gods' interference. ...

• Word Count: 1153
• Approx Pages: 5
• 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