Prompt, Essay #2: Gods and Men in The Iliad

Gods and Men in Books I-IV of The Iliad.

The gods play a crucial role in The Iliad. These Olympian gods stir up trouble, they play favorites, and they sometimes scheme, trick, and lie.  They have passions, desires, and intense rivalries with each other. They often seem to regard mortals as so many chess pieces in the games Gods play. They are most predictable when considering - and being part of - the affairs of their mortal sons and daughters, but even then their powers can be thwarted and their selfish interests frustrated. Mortals regard the gods as powerful, but they rarely count on them for anything. Mortals might appeal to the gods’ sense of right and wrong or fair play, but those standards apply more to humanity than to the gods. 

Using Books I-IV in The Iliad, examine the role of the gods in the confrontation between Agamemnon and Achilles. The gods had favorites, and they played favorites. The made deals, they lied, and they changed their minds. Meanwhile, the Trojans and the Greeks had to play the hands they were dealt - even when they couldn't see all the cards. Discuss the relationship between gods and men. Examine the gods’ behavior as they argued or colluded with each other, and discuss what they did to interfere (or not) in affairs of man. Examine how mortals on both sides of the war tried to influence the gods in order to gain advantage, and how the gods responded.

Respond to this prompt in a 700-100 paper, using specific details from the text to prove your point (your citations must note the book and line number). Use MLA format standards.