Character-defined Destiny Essays -- Literature Heroic Epics Essays

Character-defined DestinyThe Greek poet Homer established the heroic meter epic literary genre more than two-and-a-half millennia ago with the organization of two voluminous works of art, the Odyssey and the Iliad. From its inception, the heroic epic cast human fate as a type of whimsical recreation for the gods. In fact, the news program fate was adopted from the name of the Greek gods in charge of spinning the thread of human life and then cutting it when a persons destiny had been fulfilled. Hence, a persons fate in the Homeric epics was largely determined by providence, and a persons individual actions had minute bearing on what became of him or her.We see a new understanding of fate begin to take form in the two primary heroic epics of thirteenth century German literature. The story of Parzival introduces the role of individual maturation in the fulfillment of ones destiny, notwithstanding its predetermination by divinity through birthright. The Nibelungenlied, on the other hand, suggests that predestination is the result of the inevitability of ones receive idiosyncrasies one acts in accordance with ones accept character traits and cannot act otherwise. Both understandings of fate, how perpetually, afford man a much larger share in the determination of his own destiny than the Homeric epics ever did and, as such, can shed light on the evolving notion of the heroic informing each work. The story of Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail was first told by French author Chrestien de Troyes in the 12th century naturally, the fate of Parzival would have already been well known to Wolfram von Eschenbachs 13th century audience. hence the focus of the epic is certainly not Parzivals destiny, but his development and maturation throughout th... ... The reason for this is that Gawan (and the code of chivalry he represents) regards his relationship with god in feudal terms, expecting reward in return for service. Even though Parzival once fell from grace and the favor of the round table, he was able to meet redemption through God with the help Trevrizent. By confessing his sins before God and atoning for his trespasses, Parzival was thus able to attain a higher level of honor.Redemption is the diametric piece of the heroic puzzle that the society of the Nibelungenlied lacks. In Parzival there is no sense of the imminent doom that pervades the Nibelungenlied, because of the societys steadfast belief in Gods eternal mercy. And, as long as the society of the Nibelungenlied remains bereft of the potential for redemption, it will remain entangled in its own type of Atreus curse and doomed for self-annihilation.