Divine Intervention Essays

  • Divine Intervention in Homer's Epic Poem, The Iliad

    2014 Words  | 5 Pages

    The gods and goddesses that the Greek people believe in make up the Greek mythology studied today.  These divine characters represent a family living on Mount Olympus who intervene frequently in the lives of the human characters in Greek plays.  They are omnipresent, for they are always observing mans actions and working through human nature.  The gods are a higher power, and provide explanations for otherwise unexplainable events.  The gods help humans in trouble and give

  • Old Testament Vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Old Testament vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention The Old Testament and Hellenic texts we have studied have numerous examples of divine intervention. The range and complexity in human affairs that these interventions occur have similar, yet different attributes. Both texts describe divine intervention as a way of explaining "why things happen(ed) and being "chosen" by God or gods to fulfill a destiny. Both also see divine intervention as something that can not be understood by humans; God or the gods

  • The Protagonist as Victim in Oedipus the King and Hamlet

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Protagonist as Victim in Oedipus the King and Hamlet In Sophocle's Oedipus the King and William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the unruly forces surrounding the protagonists are the source for their downfall. Fate, women, and divine intervention are the foundation for the protagonists' demise. The protagonists are powerless against these elements, and for that reason, are not responsible for their finish. The uncontrollable force of fate is one component that assists in destroying Oedipus

  • Tragedy in Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and the Book of Job

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    a tragedy resulting from different things. In Oedipus Rex the tragedy is a result of Oedipus's fate. In Hamlet the tragedy is caused by human folly. The divine intervention of God is what causes the tragedy in Job. The tragedy in Oedipus Rex is a result of fate, in Hamlet a result of human folly, and in Job a result of divine intervention. The play Oedipus Rex involves the tragic downfall of the main character King Oedipus. This tragedy was a result of fate. From the time Oedipus was born

  • Oedipus the King: Free Will or Fate?

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    whether we as a species have free will or if some divine source, some call it fate, controls our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Does Oedipus control his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It’s that question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things. With all the oracles and talk of prophecies, its obvious that there is some divine intervention in Oedipus. But how strong is it, and how much control

  • Deus Ex Machina And FaDeus ex Machina and Fate vs. Dutyin Homer's The Iliad and Virgil's The Aeneidte Vs. Duty

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    quickly become stagnant and fizzle out into inaction. The central divine driving force in both of the works is the wrath of two female gods: Juno(Hera:Greek) and Minerva(Athena:Greek). These two are responsible for much of the driving force in the two stories as they settle their vendetta with the Paris and the Trojans. As a result, and for purposes of scope, this essay will examine specifically the effects of the godly intervention on the Trojans and Troy. In The Iliad the actions of the gods

  • Palestinian Cinema

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    on narrative and cinematic means of stylization over finely polished visual representations found in modern consumer cinema. In Divine Intervention, violence becomes aestheticized through narrative and cinematic absurdity. Instead of shying away from metaphor in a crisis of representation, “when reality becomes…too unreal to accommodate any metaphor,” Divine Intervention takes metaphor and stretches it to its logical limits, where a piece of fruit becomes a bomb to represent the suppressed anger

  • Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fate and the Modern World

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    originated these questions.  Thousands of years before the time of the Greeks man worried that his life, and therefore his fate, was determined by very powerful gods.  Hence much time and energy was spent praying and asking the gods to utilize divine intervention to provide better hunting, weather, food, and other forms of good fortune. Thousands of years of superstition and spiritual worship evolved into Greeks’ religion, which was based on mythology and the belief that gods of the Olympus controlled

  • Comparrison Donnie Darko, 2001: A Space Odyssey

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    throughout the movie being shown in reverse. During the montage the jet engine from Mrs. Darko’s plane is seen crashing through the sky. Normally an engine would crash into the ground, but it travels through a surreal portal, which is a sign of divine intervention. It is now known that the engine's destination is towards Donnie's bedroom, as indicated in the beginning and ending of the film. The ensuing shots are taken from scenes that occurred earlier in the movie, filmed in reverse, indicating that

  • Virgil's Aeneid - Is Aeneas Really a Hero?

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    Virgil's Aeneid - Is Aeneas Really a Hero? Thesis: Despite his accomplishments and the glory associated with his life, Aeneas only achieves the status of hero through divine intervention, and this god-given position causes him just as much grief as it does splendor. What is a hero?  We would like to think that a hero is someone who has achieved some fantastic goal or status, or maybe someone who has accomplished a great task.  Heroes find themselves in situations of great pressure and

  • Comparing The Iliad and The Bible

    2161 Words  | 5 Pages

    explanatory theories, often taking the form of stories or chronicles, are usually linked to some sort of mysticism or divine intervention.  By ascribing that which he does not understand to the gods’ will at work, man avoids facing up to his own lack of knowledge in a given area, and also draws comfort from assuming that the universe does indeed function under the guidance of divine beings.  Thus the explanatory accounts that man crafts enhance his own security, quelling the fear of chaos that resides

  • The Apocalypse of Adam

    2341 Words  | 5 Pages

    22-[76],7) talks about a special race of men that come "from the knowledge of the great eons and the angels" (Hedrick, 29). This part also discusses their "conflict" with god. God then tries to wipe them out, and their survival is ensured by "divine intervention" (ibid). The second... ... middle of paper ... ...ebates about its intended audience, it's intended purpose, and the significance of the hymnic or 13 Kingdom section. The Apocalypse of Adam is a most interesting piece of literature that

  • Essay on the Role of the Gods in Homer's Iliad

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Christian God does not tend to take such an active role in the affairs of people's lives, where, on the other hand, "the Greeks regarded direct involvement by the gods as a daily, uncontrollable part of life"(Guthrie 17). Needless to say, divine intervention was a major variable in the equation of Homer's Iliad. The gods picked who they would favor for different reasons, except Zeus.  As the symbol of supreme authority and justice, he makes judgment calls as to the other gods' involvement in

  • The Prophet Amos

    1661 Words  | 4 Pages

    son and successor) rebuilt and fortified after the breaking away of the ten northern tribes and founding of the northern kingdom of Israel (in 931).” (Miller p.45) Like many other prophets Amos was called directly by Yahweh through some divine intervention. Yahweh “took” him from his flocks and said, “Go and prophesy to my people Israel.”(Amos 7:15) He also saw five visions. Throughout the third and fourth visions God’s voice claimed, “I will forgive them no longer.” (Amos 7:8; 8:1) He was referring

  • Loneliness=craziness In Robins

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    strong believer in God. He believes that God’s providence shapes the lives of all men and that any unusual circumstances or misfortunes that occur happen because that is the way God wanted it. Throughout the novel one can see other instances of divine intervention in Crusoe’s life. Even though Robinson Crusoe is under impractical circumstances, stranded on this remote island, his isolation enables him to learn numerous things and become a devote Christian. He learns how to become an architect, a carpenter

  • A Comparison of Tragedy in Hamlet, The Book of Job, and Oedipus Rex

    1253 Words  | 3 Pages

    of Job, and Oedipus Rex For ages, man has pondered upon the roots of destiny. Is the outcome of a man's life determined by human qualities and failings, the meddling of a divine power, or simple fate? Shakespeare's Hamlet made the argument that tragedy is caused by human folly. The idea that divine intervention is at the root of human suffering is put forth in the Book of Job. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, fate is given as the root of man's suffering. Three divergent perspectives on the origins

  • A Comparison of Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and the Garden of Eden

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eve, the original mother of mankind, a woman exiled from the New Garden of Eden due to an unforgivable sin. She is doomed forever to walk outside the garden, no longer able to partake of the fruits of paradise, barred from reentry by seeming "divine intervention." Hester is the temptress of Dimmesdale, offering him the fruit of good and evil which, heretofore, removes all naivete and forces him to walk, tortured, through the world with the knowledge of right, wrong, and the magnitude of his sin seeming

  • Divine Intervention In The Iliad

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    War, and Odysseus, the cleverest man in the army, who is trying to get home after that war. The gods often intervene, shaping the lives of the characters. Divine intervention in The Iliad and The Odyssey exists to characterize the statuses of the mortals and the gods. The gods remind the mortals of their power over them through divine intervention, elevating the statuses of the gods and reinforcing their superiority. The gods are vengeful and unforgiving, and demonstrate that the mortals are completely

  • Human Depravity

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    say that without the divine intervention of God's grace, we would not be able to take even the first step towards him, which is supported by verses like John 6:44a: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This means that until we are saved, or under the influence of this divine grace, we are unable to even choose to follow him. A contrasting point of view is given by Pelagius, who would argue that it is not necessary for God to enable us with divine grace in order to follow

  • Puritan effect on Literature

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    to safety. He wrote: “…they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean…again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth…” Bradford was appealing to the high interest in God’s divine intervention amongst the people. Bradford also described in his documentation the sickness and famine faced by the people and the communal effort to help the suffering. Bradford said: “…in the time of most distress, there was but six or seven sound persons