Comparison Between Iliad and Odyssey

Although both works are credited

to Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey provide two remarkably different views

on the nature of the Olympian Gods, their relationship to humanity, and the

general lot of mortals throughout their all too brief lives. As a result of these

differences, both stories end up sending contrasting messages about life in

general. In the Iliad, the supernatural denizens of Olympus are depicted as

treacherous, power-hungry, and above all temperamental beings that are

always at each other's throats. Factionalism abounds, and neither the bonds

of marriage, nor the ties of kinship can contain keep it under control. A perfect

example is when Ares betrays his mother, Hera, and his sister, Athene, by

aiding the Trojans instead of the Greeks. When he is discovered, Athena

strikes him down in battle through Diomedes. In the Odyssey, however, the

Gods of Olympus display far more unity and civility toward each other. They

argue and disagree, but their disagreements are never carried out to the

extremes found in the Iliad. When Poseidon punishes Odysseys for blinding

the Cyclopes, Athena does not take revenge. Even though Odyssey's is her

favorite mortal, she respects Poseidon's right to punish him. Also, the

treachery among the Gods that is so prevalent in the Iliad, is nowhere to be

found in the Odyssey.

In Iliad, Hera, enters into a conspiracy with Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Morpheus to aid the Greeks by putting Zeus to sleepÉ thus

rendering him unable to help his beloved Trojans. Nothing like this incident

can be found in the Odyssey. References to past disagreements and

arguments between the Gods (such as in the Poet's tale of Ares and

Aphrodite) are scattered throughout the book, however, so the views between

the Iliad and the Odyssey are not exactly diametrically opposed. The role of

the Gods in the affairs of humanity is much greater in the Iliad