Analysis Of Homer s Odyssey And Machiavelli s The Prince

Tradition has always played a key role in the development of humankind, but change, as some say, is necessary to the growth and survival of our species. A tradition is generally seen as any belief or custom that is transferred or passed on from one generation to another while change is anything that forces a deviation from this linear way of living. If we look throughout history, we see periods of massive change where societies have diverged from long held traditions. Religion being a very vital instrument in the ideas of tradition and change as is seen in Homer’s Odyssey and Machiavelli’s The Prince. Both of these works focus a bit on the change from God to self, religion to self-awareness. In Homer’s Odyssey, the long held tradition that the gods of Mount Olympus controlled one’s fate changed into the people forgoing their beliefs and believing they were able to create their own destiny. For Machiavelli and The Prince, a similar change occurred, but thi s change focused on politics and preserving oneself in the face of the public so one may control them thoroughly. On the surface, The Odyssey, supports the importance of tradition and yet proves the necessity of individual and social change while The Prince, which advocates such a radical change, in the end proves the need for the restraint that tradition teaches. Change has seemed to have been the more desirable route, but it has not always been the correct decision. For both Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Homer, their cultural