Mr Michael

Ransom –Study Guide

Background

Credited as the author of two of the greatest works of literature, the blind poet Homer is renowned for writing the legendary stories, The Iliad and its sequel, Odyssey. His poems are regarded as the oldest extant works of Western literature. The Iliad is a story about the Trojan War that took place during Ancient Greek times. It is only through this piece of literature combined with other authors’ works that we are aware of such an event. Whether or not it existed has been debated throughout the centuries, and thus, we regard Homer’s writing as a strong contribution to the beginnings of Greek mythology, a collection of myths concerning Greek religion and culture. The common theme of all Greek mythology concerns powerful gods, heroes, mythological creatures and humans. These myths have had major influences in art and culture, and even during modern society today with its teaching of our beginnings, history and, morals and lessons for our daily lives.

In Ancient Greece, it was believed that gods had a great authority over human existence. Since one’s destiny was thought to be pre-determined by gods, mortals lived in accordance with their rules. This was done in an effort to appease and avoid insulting them or one would risk a doomed fate. Thus, the line between human choices and god's puppetry was unclear as the events and incidences in the peoples’ lives unfold.

The Trojan War, as described in The Iliad, is known to be the greatest conflict of all Greek mythology. It is a mortal battle between the Greeks and Trojans that began due to a conflict between the gods. Drawn from a section of The Iliad, David Malouf’s poignant novel Ransom explores the themes of revenge, redemption and fate during the Trojan War. While The Iliad is heavily focused on the gods and the battles fought amongst the people, Ransom explores a new avenue of human relationships through two main characters: Achilles, the greatest warrior and hero of the Trojan...