Perseus and Medusa

Perseus: Powerful Demigod wth Mighty Weapons | Ancient OriginsMedusa is one of the most infamous monsters in all of Greek Mythology: one of the three mythical Gorgons, with a head covered in snakes and a face that would turn you to stone with a single glance. The story of Perseus is also well-known, particularly his use of a mirrored shield that guided him towards Medusa without looking directly at her deadly visage, before slicing said head from its shoulders and returning home as a hero. A classic archetype of Greek story-telling - hero faces impossible task, uses guile and godly assistance to complete task, returns to be lauded and rewarded, then suffers tragic later life (for Perseus, it was the accidental murder of his grandfather, Acrisius).

When you delve deeper into the Perseus myth, however, you find something much more complex and symbolic, particularly in regards to the question of fate and destiny. Namely: is it possible to avoid fate? Or will our prophesied destiny forever stick to us like proverbial bolognese on a proverbial white shirt?

Perseus' story starts before his birth, when his aforementioned grandfather attempted to avoid a prophecy that stated his yet-to-be-born grandson would one day kill him. On his birth (a result of Zeus' divine intervention), Perseus and his mother were placed in a boat and pushed out to sea in the hope they would disappear forever. How could Perseus possibly kill his grandfather if he never saw him again?

Your first job is to find out by reading through the full myth of Perseus by following this link:

http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/myth-stories/perseus-and-the-medusa.htm

Challenges:

1. Create a comic strip of Perseus' story - try to summarise his story in about 8-10 panels.
Theseus faces the Minotaur | Greek mythology stories, Mythology ...

2. Challenge yourself.

Write a short essay OR create a presentation which answers this question: What does the story of Perseus show us about the Ancient Greek belief in Fate and Destiny?

Think about the following ideas:

  • Did the Greeks believe in fate?
  • Did they believe fate could be avoided?
  • Why do you think the gods helped Perseus in his journey? Was he supposed to complete his task?

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