Gods As Pesky Interlopers

Published April 9, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey there!,

I got a little behind on the show, but I’m caught up now. I wanted to share a thematic thought with you – the Gods (old and new) come across as pesky interlopers. I was struck by this reading The Song of Achilles.

If you take the Grecian assumption that the gods created the world and man for their own enjoyment, as well as the passage of time, this “war” feels like the same inconvenience of when your airport is shutdown because of Air Force One coming to town. It’s super frustrating in the moment, you’re pissed at the gall of this powerful being messing up your travel, but you eventually forget it.

Thetis, Achilles’ mother and a minor god, forces a king to hide her son and marry his daughter to Achilles in secret, in an effort to prevent Achilles’ death. But the prophecy wins out, and the poor king and princess are left with a disgraced kingdom and a goddess’ anger because her plot was discovered. The king probably just wanted to go about his day, not getting mixed up in the drama of the gods, but that’s the heart of every myth and tale – the gods mess with us.

Ignoring some of the creative issues, the show is essentially asking the question – do we want to be inconvenienced by the gods and their drama? Or do we want to play a role in it? Shadow Moon seems to be letting it happen to him, even becoming possessed. But Laura is figuring out how to play the game, even when she gets played.

So is that the question, do we just let the gods inconvenience us and move on, or do we participate and gain more from our existence?

Emily Jasper

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