Cosmic Justice

In my Greek Literature class we are studying ways in which the Greek myths are metaphors or lessons for the human condition. I'll be posting here some thoughts that come up in discussion throughout the semester.

A theme that occurs again and again in the Greek stories is the fickleness of fate and the idea that bad, even horrible, things can happen to those considered heroes or worthy beings. While there are cases in which the punishments are considered only what the person deserved, such as with King Laius and Jocasta (for trying to kill their son), there are, as often as not, instances in which the victims were blameless – such as the cases of Actaeon, Procris, or Creusa. Edith Hamilton in Mythology phrases it as “Their fate indeed was a proof that suffering was not a punishment for wrongdoing; the innocent suffered as often as the guilty” (375).

These stories of senseless sufferings and death have, I think, an even stronger impact on us than the ones in which the sufferer brought their fate upon themselves. As humans, we like to think that there is justice in the world or that, at the least, things happen for a reason. This notion comes out especially strong in religious beliefs – in the idea of karma, in the new testament stories of Jesus, in reincarnation as something deserving of your past life's doings. Rarely do people admit that sometimes bad things just happen – such as in the case of a loved one being killed in a car accident; always there is someone with the sentiment that “God has a reason for everything” or some other platitude. It is the rare and often chastised individual that states that “These things happen.” Because of the fragility of life and the fear inspired by our own mortality, such an idea – that misfortune can fall upon anyone – is terrifying and avoided.

The Greeks understood this avoidance and fought it. Over and over, their heroes endure trials and tribulations completely out of proportion to their actions. Sometimes they overcome, as Odysseus did, and sometimes they die, like Antigone, Procris, or Actaeon. Sometimes the gods are blamed, sometimes misfortune or fate, but the prevalence of the theme itself speaks of a knowledge that humans' lives are very much at the whim of the universe – and that it is, perhaps, necessary to acknowledge this if we are to go on living without going crazy.

In the film The Princess Bride there is a line that echoes this knowledge of the Greeks. The grandfather, in response to his grandson's protests that things are not happening as they should, states “Who says life is fair? Where is that written?” Deep within us, I think, we all realize that life isn't fair, that the good guys do not always win, that the underdog really doesn't stand a chance. It is more than possible that denying this actually harms us more than helps us. Yes, hope is important, however an unrealistic view of the nature of 'Life, the Universe, and Everything' more often leads to extra grief as we try to justify the events around us rather than accepting them for what they are and working through them. By constantly telling stories of harm without reason, the Greeks pointed out to themselves and to us the nature of the human condition – that ultimately there are things that will not make sense and that, while it is a tragedy, we have to live with it.