Morality in The Odyssey, The Book of Genesis, and Prometheus Bound (Essay Sample)

Why is right & wrong regarded as what’s right & what’s wrong? Who is to say that this act is acceptable to humanity, however that act is intolerable in a civilized society? How did these conscientious principles, which we hold so dear, come to be? In brief, the answer to all of these questions stem from classic literature. Classic literature has both helped shape civilizations for centuries to come, as well as helping today’s society better understand their predecessors, and the world in which they inhabited.  Three specific ancient texts- The Odyssey, The Book of Genesis, and Prometheus Bound- all in some fashion helps us better understand how our system of morality which we have today, came to be. 

All three texts which will be discussed hold a central theme that can be connected to right vs wrong. Through the text, we can see in what ways society is similar, how society has changed throughout hundreds of centuries, and how morality and ethics has changed, in both society and individuals. In the classical times of the text, morality and “Right vs Wrong” was typically regulated by a single governing ruler (The Odyssey) or almighty beings superior to humanity (The book of Genesis & Prometheus Bound). Today, Our Modern day society uses laws & regulations to guideline what is right and what is wrong. All three texts to an extent conveys how the modern days guidelines- or right vs wrongs- we have today came to be. 

The Odyssey, depending on your perspective, has a plethora of different messages to take away from it. The Odyssey embodies a theme of Perseverance, temptation and desire, loyalty, and several more devices. However the theme which is most connected to our common humanity, and the principle of morality, is the theme of deceit for personal triumph. In The Odyssey, Odysseus uses his superior cunning and craftiness to get himself out of problematic situations. This attribute is best on display in Book nine, in the Episode of Polyphemus. In the episode, Odysseus and his crew sail to the land of the cyclops, home of Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men venture into a cave in hopes of finding food and supplies, however are greeted by the mighty cyclops Polyphemus, son of Zeus. Polyphemus devours a handful of Odysseus’ crewmates, and he looks to soon follow their fate. In spite of this, Odysseus, being the strongly cunning individual he is, forges a plan to save himself. First, Odysseus offers Polyphemus wine in order to incapacitate the beast, and stages the act as a peace offering (p. 320). Next, when the cyclops asked Odysseus of his identity, he told him, “... Nobody - that’s my name. Nobody - so my mother and father call me, all my friends (P. 322).” When Odysseus and his crew found the perfect opportunity, they then struck Polyphemus in his single eye with a scorching hot dagger, blinding him. When the other cyclops asks Polyphemus who has done this to him he replies, “ Nobody friends… Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force( P. 323).” Odysseus then escapes with his remaining crew members, and continues his voyage home. 

Odysseus, regarded as a hero and legend by all accounts, is best known for his deceit, cunning, and manipulative tactics in order to always reign victorious. These traits and common themes of the Odyssey and Odysseus helps readers better understand how some laws and regulations which we have today came to be. From a criminal standpoint, Fraud, identity theft, and White-Collar crimes in general can be attributed to The Odyssey. Odysseus committed fraud when deceiving Polyphemus, offering him the wine and identifying himself as “Nobody”once committing his acts. Later on in Book twenty-one, Odysseus lied about his identity & claimed to be a beggar when participating in the arrow and axe challenge (P. 661), which can be classified as identity theft today. 

The book of Genesis, whether from a religious, social or political stance, holds major implications on morality and our common humanity. From the principles of  “right vs wrong” and “good vs evil”, to the ideal form of governing for a prosperous society, Genesis is an all time story on how our modern humanity came to be. The most relevant story in the Book of Genesis is the story of Adam and Eve, and the forbidden fruit. Genesis is the story of creation, with the opening sequences describing how God created the heavens and the earth (1.1), eventually followed by man on the sixth day (1.26). With the creation of Adam and Eve, God places them in the Garden of Eden (1.30), encouraging procreation. God gives man one simple rule, to not eat the forbidden fruit. The task was simple and straightforward, however man succumbed to temptation after the serpent convinced Eve to eat the fruit (1.34). God, angered after being blatantly disobeyed, promptly punished man. 

The main theme to take away from The Book of Genesis, specifically the story of Adam and Eve, is “Right vs Wrong” or “Good vs Evil”. These themes tie right into our common humanity and principles of morality. In The Book of Genesis, we are given the first example of insubordination, as Adam and Eve knowingly defy God, even when they know that it is wrong. This helps us understand the foundations in superiors being resisted against today, such as teachers, parents, and Government officials. Adding to this, after man defied God, God promptly punished them for their actions. This is similar to how the environmental regulations which we have today came to be. Citizens were originally given freedoms to do what they want, wherever they want, until they abused said freedoms. Due to this abuse, pollution, global warming, deforestation, and a plethora of more environmental issues exist today. This forced the government, the superior, to promptly punish the citizens, by imposing strict environmental regulations throughout the world. 

Prometheus Bound plays a major role in understanding class systems and what separates us as individuals in today's society. Some believe that race is the most separative system in society, some believe that it is wealth and financial status, whereas others believe background and geographical origins separates us the most. The background of individuals being isolated from each other, simply due to differences between each other, can be found in Prometheus Bound. In the Greek Tragedy, Prometheus is being punished for stealing fire from Hephaistos, and giving it to humans. His act is perceived very differently from the other Gods. To Zeus and Power, the crime is flabbergasting, and they simply can not understand why Prometheus would want to give humans fire in the first place (L. 70). For Hephaistos, he is somewhat forgiving of Prometheus and the act, to the contrary of his counterparts.  

With Prometheus being the God of creation, it is easy to say he gave humans fire simply because they are his creation. However it is much deeper than this. Although Prometheus created humans, I believe he views them as equals and companions, unlike Zeus and Power who view humans as second-class, inferior beings. The God’s quarrel between whether or not humans deserve fire lays the principle for the common question pertaining to today's society: Is what’s best for the most powerful and successful, ultimately what’s good for us all? Gods, being the powerful and successful beings in this scenario, are thriving with fire. So is it right for humans to have this same ability to thrive? From Prometheus Bound, we are presented with the laying foundations for how business regulations and taxes came to be. In Prometheus Bound, Gods, the elite, are living flourishing and successful lives with fire, while humans are left to simply fend for what's left. Prometheus then gives humans fire, much to the disapproval of the other gods, allowing a more equal playing field between Gods (the elite) and humans (the “Working Class”). To equate this to modern humanity, many businesses and corporations thrived as monopolies, earning billions upon trillions of revenue every year, while small businesses and establishments struggled to keep their doors open. In order to level the playing field, the government implemented business regulations, causing higher taxes on big businesses and making monopolies illegal. This evidently made the elite 1% extremely upset, whereas it rejuvenated the middle working-class, as there was now a bigger opportunity for them to grow into something more.

Why is right & wrong regarded as what’s right & what’s wrong? This can best be answered through reading classic literature, and seeing how the principles conveyed through them relate to the principles we have today. The Odyssey, The Book of Genesis, and Prometheus Bound all in some way helps us better understand how our system of morality which we have today, came to be. Through The Odyssey, we are presented with examples of how White-collar crimes came to be. Through The Book of Genesis, we see how insubordination and environmental regulations first resulted from. Lastly, in Prometheus Bound, we are shown how business regulations and Taxes, or their equivalents, were first established. In order to better understand how our humanity today functions, and how our principles became our principles we must go back to classic literature, to observe where these instances first occurred.