Danae was captured by polydectes, the evil king of the island of seriphos. Yes, even though he had the good old magic arsenal, perseus was not so foolhardy as to wake medusa. Ovids account of medusas mortality tells that she had once been a woman, vain of her beautiful hair. Perseus promptly fell in love with her, killed the monster, and married the princess. Top 10 tips for getting started with prezi video in your online classroom. So acrisius straightaway stuck daughter and infant into a chest and pushed it out to sea. Edith hamilton students who enjoy reading greek and roman. Perseus and the legends of argos 549 gorgon and came bearing the head with hair of writhing snakes, for the islanders a stony death. King acrisius of argos was warned by an oracle that he would be killed in time by a son born to his daughter danae.
Later, after perseus was grown, polydectes fell in love with danae and sent perseus on a quest to bring back the head of the medusa to get him out of the way. She was beautiful above all the other women of the land, but the king was not content because he had yet to have a son. Fearing that, he hid his daughter danae in a chamber underground. Pdf the character of medusa shifts meaning from the origins of her myth, through. The three gorgons, of whom only medusa was mortal, were of terrifying aspect, and those who looked upon their faces were turned to stone. Perseus was provided weapons such as a sword and a shield for his quest. Jun 21, 2016 known for precisely one adventure, perseus also carries the distinction of being the only greek hero without an obnoxious character flaw none of herculess rages, jason or theseuss wifely. Describe perseus from the vantage point of one of the snakes on medusas head. An oracle told him that his grandson would kill him, so he abruptly changed his mind and put his daughter, danae, in a box with no doors or wind. The myth of perseus and medusa is one of the best thrillerlike tales in greek mythology with a promising plot that gets more complicated as the story progresses, this myth has a typical hollywoodlike scenario with the main character not being born yet at the moment when his destiny was determined. Perseus is also said to be an ancestor of hercules and the asian race of the persians.
The adventures of perseus 2 story of the play in pageant, verse and fearsome argument the gods on olympus present themselves. Perseus and medusa myth text bedtime and campfire stories from way, way back in the day heres one version of perseus story, as told by thomas bulfinch in the age of fable. Perseus by edith hamilton king acrisius of argos1 had only one child, a daughter, danae. The story of perseus long ago, king acrisius of argos learned from an oracle that he would one day be killed by his grandson. Different things happen in the movies that are not even close to some of the things in the myth. Perseus had no horse to give, so he asked polydectes to name the gift. Betterlessons unique formula allows us to bring you highquality coaching, a professional learning lab, and a learnbydoing process that embeds pd into the classroom. Wailing, the two gorgon sisters took to the air on heavy wings in groping pursuit. Perseus study mod pdf arts for learning connecticut. Oct, 2016 perseus father, the king of argos, wanted a male heir to his throne because he only had one daughter. Perseus was the son of zeus and danae, the daughter of acrisius of argos. Their son was electryon, who was the grandfather of hercules. As you read this myth, look for examples of perseuss bravery. Perseus turning phineas and his followers to stone, early 1680s long ago in greece there lived a king called acrisius who had just one daughter, a beautiful girl named danae.
Known for precisely one adventure, perseus also carries the distinction of being the only greek hero without an obnoxious character flaw none of herculess rages, jason or theseuss wifely. Briefly describe your culture and why perseus has had a negative impact on it. Perseus with the head of medusa by benvenuto cellini, wikimedia commons. The king couldnt leave the little baby perseus or his daughter alive but he dare not kill the child of zeus or his daughter, this might bring the wrath of the gods upon him. But she is also the most famous and the myth of her demise at the hands of perseus is often recounted. There is only one obscure myth about the death of perseus, for in fabulae it was said that megapenthes killed perseus, in revenge for the death of his father, but in most sources it was said that perseus became one of the rarest figures in greek mythology, a hero who got to live out his life happily. Jul 15, 2019 perseus is a major hero from greek mythology best known for his clever decapitation of medusa, the monster who turned all who looked at her face into stone. Like most of the mythological heroes, the genealogy of perseus makes him the son of a god and a mortal. As you read, try to identify the characteristics of the myth genre. Perseus flew on until he spotted the beautiful maiden andromeda, who was chained to the rocky shore as a sacrifice to a sea monster. In despair perseus wandered to a lonely part of seriphos, where hermes and athena came to his help with advice. Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan museum of.
Perseus, in greek mythology, the slayer of the gorgon medusa and the rescuer of andromeda from a sea monster. But acrisius had a streak of jealousy that ran through his soul and tainted everything that he touched. On his way home, as he flew over the coast of ethiopia, perseus saw. Perseus and the legends of argos oxford university press. A victim of rape in grecoroman mythology, medusa and her. Fearing that, he hid his daughter danae in a chamber undergroun. They could not find him, for he had put on the magic cap of invisibility. Edith hamilton students who enjoy reading greek and roman mythology as part of their english classes have edith hamilton to thank. The best jokes are ones that require a paragraph of explanation. Apr 02, 2017 this engaging and detailed lesson enables students to gain a deep understanding of the greek myth perseus and medusa. Perseus then gave the winged sandals and the helmet to hermes, who restored them to the nymphs and to hades, and athena received the head of gorgo, which was put on the shield or breastplate of the goddess.
There was a need to explain natural events, disasters. Medusa has haunted the cultural imagination since perseus cut off her head in ovids. Perseus was the son of danae, his mother, and zeus, the chief of the gods was his fa ther. Zeus, always on the prowl, found danae, and entered her cell in the form of golden raindrops. Pick two poems from the bulfinchs mythology link that allude to the perseus story. Hamiltons scholarly work singlehandedly renewed an interesting the classical world in american schools. Quickly perseus threw medusas head into the magic bag and swung himself into the air.
Polydectes held perseus to his rash promise and demanded the head of the only mortal gorgon, medusa, whose gaze turned people to stone. Thus the story of heracles at troy is much like the story of perseus at joppa. One may wonder why the myth makes the wandering of perseus out to be an. How do they reference this myth and what does the author seem to highlight. His mother was danae, the daughter of acrisius, the king of argos. When a prophecy revealed to acrisius that his grandson would kill him, acrisius imprisoned his daughter danae to keep her chaste. Perseus and andromeda the magical world of myth and legend. The short story and myth of perseus the myth about perseus is featured in the book entitled stories of old greece by emma m. Perseus mythology notes by hannah wiltonjones on prezi. As night came on, he reached the western limit of the earth, where the sun goes down. The myth of perseus and his slaying of the only mortal gorgon, medusa has its origins in greek mythology which.
The only son of zeus and danae and, thus, a halfgod by birth perseus was one of the greatest heroes in greek mythology, most renowned for beheading the only mortal gorgon, medusa, and using her severed head capable of turning onlookers into stone as a mighty weapon in his subsequent adventures. The adventures of perseus the national gallery, london. Perseus is best known for beheading the gorgon medusa, a snakehaired lady who can turn anybody who looks at her into stone. The myth of perseus and medusa is an important example of morality at work in ancient greece, and this quizworksheet combo will help test your understanding of these. As the great, scaly monster emerged below the rocks, perseus hovered in the air on his winged sandals, challenging the brute and guarding the beautiful hostage. In a lot of ways, perseus is the dude that all mortal heroes have to measure up to. Acrisius, the king of the argos, had only one daughter. Nov 23, 2009 read this miscellaneous essay and over 89,000 other research documents. Atlas and perseus the myth of atlas and perseus the mythical story of atlas and perseus by thomas bulfinch.
In doing so, students learn to interpret and infer the key elements of plot in texts, comment upon the key themes and plot ideas running through a text, and empathise with the firstperson perspective of a character. The story of perseus is written by the authors ovid and hesiod king acrisius of argos had only one child, a daughter, named danae. The myth of atlas and perseus after the slaughter of medusa, perseus, bearing with him the head of the gorgon, flew far and wide, over land and sea. She was beautiful above all the other women of the land, but this was small comfort to. Perseus turned and watched the water ripple with the approach of the creature. First, build the control by joining the two strips of wood at right angles as. Perseus gods and heroes of the ancient world pdf free. Even medusa appears briefly, but she is actually related to the myth of perseus. Hereupon perseus went to argos, accompanied by cyclopes, skilled in building, 14 by danae, and andromeda. When the oracle tells the human king, acrisius, that his grandson will kill him, the old miser locks his daughter, danae, up in a tower guarded by savage dogs. Perseus is the granddaddy of all the greek heroes, coming before theseus, heracles, odysseus, and the rest. Learn more about the traditional story of perseus in this article. Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of greek mythology.
Zeus comes to her and devours the dogs, and soon perseus is born. Perseus and andromeda onceuponatime,kingacrisiusofargos was toldbytheoracle thathewouldbekilled by his grandson. The fishermans brother, polydectes, was the ruler of serifos. In order to fully understand the tale of perseus and medusa, it is first necessary to tell the story of perseus birth. Perseus in greek mythology greek legends and myths. Nor did he consider, as a child of jupiter, his grandson perseus, whom danae conceived of a shower of gold.
The monster opened its huge jaws, showing teeth as sharp as daggers. Apollodorus, library, book 2, chapter 4 perseus digital library. Climax noun mood or feeling of a story at the gorgons lair, perseus used the shield to block medusas. He had one daughter, danae, who he promptly locked away once she reached childbearing age. At the age of sixtythree, hamilton began a second career retelling the ancient myths of greece and rome. Olympus in the form of a stream of gold, which poured through the roof of the chamber, and soon danae had a baby named perseus. And so perseus sought out medusas lair, surrounded as it was by the petrified remains of previous visitors, and he found the gorgon sleeping.
Students who enjoy reading greek and roman mythology as part of their english classes have. The story of danae, the mother of perseus, was the theme of plays by sophocles and euripides. She signified a historical menacethe story of perseus vanquishing and. But the god zeus got in, disguised as a shower of gold, with the result that perseus was born.
1224 1353 448 426 69 89 525 1467 1392 156 1135 1589 581 292 235 1071 1477 510 81 1488 896 85 1399 1436 474 592 1213 908 1091 624