Story and Explanation: A General Survey of World Literary Classics

Author: Pan Yihuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The phenomenon of resisting and despising oracles is rampant in Greek mythology and epic poetry. The most famous example is Prometheus, who defied Zeus and stole fire for humanity. Additionally, in the Iliad, Achilles was once threatened by the Sun God before being shot by Apollo's arrow: "Abandon the Trojans! Cease this great slaughter! Beware, or one god will demand your life!" Achilles clearly recognized the voice as that of a deity, yet he was not afraid and ignored the warning. In Greek literature, not only Achilles and Paris were under the influence of oracles, but Prometheus also harbored the secret that Zeus was destined to perish, making the fate of gods and humans symmetrical. The destiny represented by oracles carries the color of an all-encompassing "Dao," often an abstract essence and transcendent logic, yet it is also knowable, ignorable, resistible, and verifiable. In Greek thought, oracles are both the will and arrangement that transcend human desires and an embodiment of human intelligence that connects the real world with the realm of aspirations. Between the arranged fate and the actively pursued desires, the ancient Greeks, with their rich life experiences and bold creative spirit, explained the complexity and variability of life. When fate could be achieved or avoided, oracles were concrete and comedic, such as Paris, who narrowly escaped his ill fate of being abandoned and indeed gained Helen and the happiness of love. When fate could not be escaped, it became abstract and general, oracles no longer merely life's hardships and disasters but took on a metaphysical sense of tragedy and heroism, detached from specific life scenarios. Paris's fate, like that of his mortal enemy Achilles, was inescapable. He did not intend to marry another man's wife, yet fate arranged his encounter with Helen. After the Trojan War broke out, he tried to duel Menelaus alone to avoid the suffering of two nations over his private life, but divine will allowed him to escape defeat. The second time, he tried to return all the wealth he had brought with Helen and offered double compensation for peace, but the honor of the Greeks and the return of Helen were inseparable, and the dignity of the Greeks had to be exchanged for his personal happiness. In fact, Achilles's refusal to surrender his beloved captive to Agamemnon was psychologically congruent with Paris's refusal to return Helen—he was defending his own dignity. Achilles's refusal still retained an abstract quality and habitual traits, while Paris's refusal was even more abstract and embodied his personal ideal pursuit. Achilles's refusal could be changed, and the change only made him achieve greater battlefield glory; whereas Paris's refusal could not be altered, any change would only make him a shameless person. Paris's uncontrollable lust or lechery was, to the ancient Greeks, a weakness imbued with divinity, like Achilles's "heel"—deadly yet inevitable. Paris persisted in his pursuit of love, like a moth drawn to a flame, chasing happiness in the face of terrifying oracles. Thus, in his act of resisting oracles, he established the value of his desire. Moreover, Paris's pursuit stemmed from a divine will—the promise of Aphrodite. The goddess's vow and Hera's curse