Perseus

1. Shreya Nandi Sean Tait Arely Johnson Michael Senatore Reeves Moore Perseus

2. Perseus’ Characteristics

3. Heroic Qualities Flaws • Courage • Bravery • Adventurous • Strength • Intelligence • Prideful • Gullible • Has hubris • Dependent

4. Perseus’ Quest

5. King Acrisius had a daughter named Danae He’s told by Apollo’s Oracle that his grandson would kill him Fearing the gods, Acrisius didn’t kill his daughter but forced her to live in a brass box in the ground Zeus visited Danae which ends with her giving birth to Perseus

6. Acrisius finds out about the son, Perseus, then proceeds to throw Perseus and Danae into a chest and throws them into the sea They drift onto an island and were found by a fisherman named Dictys Perseus and his mother lived with Dictys and his wife for many years King Polydectes, the brother of Dictys, discovered Perseus and Danae and then fell in love with Danae

7. But King Polydectes did not want Perseus as his son so he set up a plan to get rid of Perseus King Polydectes told Perseus that he wanted the head of a Gorgon King Polydectes threw a wedding party and invited Perseus, who could not supply a gift for the bridegroom Perseus, who was prideful, declared he would bring back the head of a Gorgon which was an impossible feat for a mortal

8. Fortunately, the gods favored Perseus (specifically Athena and Hermes) Perseus was visited by Hermes and was told to seek the nymphs of the North so he could be properly equipped To find these nymphs he had to find the Grey Women (also known as the Fates or the Graeae) and get the information he needed from them. Before setting out on this part of his quest, Perseus was gifted a sword strong enough to penetrate Gorgon scales by Hermes, and Athena gave Perseus a shield with which Perseus could use reflections to fight the Gorgons with.

9. Perseus, with the help of Hermes, then found the Grey Women and, after stealing their eye (Hermes’s plan) demanded he be shown the way to Nymphs of the North He follows their directions and reaches his destination with the help of Hermes who’s known to have the title of being a guide.

10. When Perseus arrived, he was given winged sandals, a wallet that could expand to hold anything, and a cap of that could make the wearer invisible. Now, with the gifts of the nymphs and of Athena and Hermes, Perseus was ready to face the Gorgons Hermes knew that the three Gorgon sisters lived on the Terrible Sisters’ island and flew Perseus to the location.

11. When Perseus reached the island, the Gorgons were asleep With Hermes and Athena next to him, they told him which Gorgon was Medusa because only she could be killed. Perseus hovered over the sisters (using his winged sandals) and while looking at the shield, with Athena guiding his hand, Perseus beheaded Medusa. The other two sisters woke up, but Perseus got away using his cap of darkness with Medusas head in tow inside his expanding wallet.

12. On his way back, in Ethiopia Perseus found a beautiful maiden named Andromeda who was being sacrificed to a sea serpent. Andromeda’s mother, Queen Cassiopeia boasted her beauty so much that the gods detested her so heer people were destined to be devoured by the sea serpent. In order to save her people, the queen found out, via the Oracle, that she needed to sacrifice her daughter. Perseus ended up saving Andromeda and asking for her hand in marriage

13. Perseus and Andromeda sailed back home to his mother. Perseus found that the fisherman Dictys and Danae had to hide from King Polydectes’ rage because he was furious that Danae wouldn’t marry him. As revenge, Perseus crashed a banquet held by Polydectes and unleashed Medusa’s gaze upon the men there, turning the men to stone When the islanders heard that they were free of the tyrant, it was easier to find Danae and Dictys

14. Perseus made Dictys king of the island and left with Andromeda and his mother to go back to Greece and see if King Acrisius had a change of heart. Upon reaching there, Perseus learned that Acrisius had been driven out of town to an unknown location. Soon after Perseus went to participate in a discus-throwing athletic contest held by King Larissa in the North. As the Fates would have it, King Acrisius was there and suffered a fatal blow from a discus thrown by Perseus.

15. Perseus Analysis

16. Theme - Perseus’s story exhibits the inescapable nature of fate and prophecies. This can be seen when the prophecy foretelling Acrisius’s death at the hands of Danae’s son came true. King Acrisius did everything humanely possible to stop his death from happening, however, in the end Perseus manages to kill Acrisius with a fatal blow with a discus. Theme

17. Motif - Human ingenuity can also be found in Perseus’s quest. It can be seen when Perseus, with the help of Hermes, takes the Gray Women’s eye as leverage to gain information on the whereabouts of the gorgons. It can also be seen when Athena (or logic) helps Perseus in slaying the gorgon Medusa. Motifs Motif – Beauty is a major motif in Greek myths. In Perseus, Danae’s beauty draws in Zeus which results in the birth of Perseus. Danae’s beauty also brings forth King Polydectes which manages to launch Perseus’s quest. The gorgon Medusa’s lack of beauty is reflected with her poisonous gaze which turns those who look at her to stone. Lastly, Andromeda’s beauty causes Perseus to fall in love with her on the spot which results in Perseus saving Andrmeda from Cetus, the sea serpent.

18. The Hero -Perseus: He is the obvious choice for hero because he is the story’s main character; he also embodies Greek culture and is the one to go on the quest. Major Archetypes - Characters • The Villain - Polydectes: Though a case can be made for the Gorgons but ultimately he is the best choice for villain because of his insidious plot to get rid of Perseus.

19. The Damsel in Distress - Andromeda: When Perseus found her she was at the mercy of a giant sea serpent. Major Archetypes - Characters • The Temptress - Andromeda: Though she had no intension of doing this she did get Perseus to fight a giant sea serpent for her. • Scapegoat or Sacrificial Victim - Andromeda… Again: The only reason she was anywhere near that sea serpent was because her people, the Ethiopians, decide to sacrifice her to save their own hide.

20. Islands - Perseus’ Island: This is a small place off the mainland where Perseus and Danae are isolated from Acrisius. Major Archetypes - Settings • The Sea – The domain of the sea serpent. It seems as though the sea is giving life to dangerous and chaotic beings that takes the lives of the village folk on the coast of Ethiopia.

21. Serpent – The sea serpent that Perseus saves Andromeda from. The sea serpent is a pure force of evil which was devouring the Ethiopians. MajorArchetypes - symbols • Three - The Gorgons, The Grey Sisters - The unholy Trinity. • Supernatural Intervention - Hermes and Athena: They are gods and they help Perseus, nothing more to say.

22. The Quest - Perseus had to retrieve a gorgon head in order to restore his honor. Major Archetypes - situational • The Task - Perseus had to slay the sea serpent in order to win the fair maiden.

23. Rags to Riches - Perseus go from an unknown fisherman to a hero in the eyes of the Islanders and Dictys goes from a fisherman to a king. Major archetypes – motifs and themes • What Goes Around Comes Around - Polydectes gets turned to stone after sending Perseus to his death and King Acrisius is killed after he casts his daughter and grandson into the ocean.

24. This story is good example of a Inverse Fairy Tale because, even though he is the hero in this story, Perseus needs a lot of help. The two main characters that the help comes from are Athena and Hermes (his “fairy godmothers”), for without their help he probably would have died of old age searching for the place. He also gets some more help from the Nymphs (picture helpful woodland critters) who give him items essential to his quest. This turns the common fairy tale, the princess is in trouble and its up to a higher power to help, by putting a male hero in the role of a female princess. Inverse Fairy Tale

25. Perseus learns many concepts on his quest. One main lesson he learned was that fate is inescapable no matter how hard you try to change it. This can be seen when the prophecy about Acrisius’ death comes true at the hands of Perseus even after Acrisius’ drastic efforts to divert his destiny. Another lesson that Perseus learned was that everyone needs help no matter how big or small their actual or metaphorical quest is. Perseus would never had retrieved the Gorgon’s head without the help of Hermes and Athena. From Hermes and Athena gifting Perseus weapons to Hermes giving safe passage to Perseus, Perseus would’ve never been able to complete his quest without the help of these gods. Story Summation

26. Good hospitality seems to be a recurring theme throughout Greek mythology. In Persus’s story, Dictys, the fisherman, took in Danae and Perseus and housed them for many years. Dictys’s role as a good host is seen to be rewarded by the gods when Dictys is crowned the king of the island. This event also supports the concept that the gods reward humble beginnings with material wealth. Perseus’s story exhibits the inescapable nature of fate and prophecies. This can be seen when the prophecy foretelling Acrisius’s death at the hands of Danae’s son came true. King Acrisius did everything humanely possible to stop his death from happening, however, in the end Perseus manages to kill Acrisius with a fatal blow with a discus. The incorporation of these specific themes in Perseus signifies that these lessons are important enough to be written inside a popular myth. The recurring concepts of hospitality and fate in popular stories show that they were common knowledge in society and were easy to relate to and use in every day life. Cultural Values

27. Perseus is the perfect example of Greek heroism. He defends his family and gets revenge while climbing over various obstacles on his quest. Perseus proves to be courageous, clever, and determined on his quest to prove his honor and to gain respect from others. These qualities are seen throughout this popular story and were sure to be respected in society and valued above all. Cultural Values

28. THE END