Which scholar argues that the gods work through human wills and desires?

Which scholar argues that the gods work through human wills and desires?

• A. Gransden
• B. T. S. Pattie
• C. Bob Cowan
• D. Ellen Olliensis

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that divine power in epic literature often works by stirring human motives rather than by direct, literal control. In such a view, the gods influence events by shaping what characters want, fear, or value, but the heroes still choose how to act, and those choices drive the plot forward. This is the perspective associated with Gransden: he argues that the gods operate through human wills and desires, guiding outcomes by anima ting the characters’ inner aims rather than pulling every string themselves. In the Aeneid, this means gods like Venus, Juno, and others set up situations or plant motives that provoke decisions in Aeneas and others, yet the resulting actions stem from those characters’ own resolutions and passions. So, the best-fit answer is Gransden because his approach foregrounds divine influence mediated through human motivation rather than unmediated divine coercion.

The main idea here is that divine power in epic literature often works by stirring human motives rather than by direct, literal control. In such a view, the gods influence events by shaping what characters want, fear, or value, but the heroes still choose how to act, and those choices drive the plot forward. This is the perspective associated with Gransden: he argues that the gods operate through human wills and desires, guiding outcomes by anima ting the characters’ inner aims rather than pulling every string themselves. In the Aeneid, this means gods like Venus, Juno, and others set up situations or plant motives that provoke decisions in Aeneas and others, yet the resulting actions stem from those characters’ own resolutions and passions. So, the best-fit answer is Gransden because his approach foregrounds divine influence mediated through human motivation rather than unmediated divine coercion.