The Story of Perseus

1. The Story of Perseus BY: Emma M., Abbinav M, Adam K, Brandon S, Athan J, Jared Group 2 1st block

2. Heroic Qualities Heroic Flaws • Optimistic about what he wishes to accomplish • Clever and witty • Bravery • Cunning • Perseverance • Constantly doing dangerous things without thinking it through beforehand. • Close-minded (journey to Medusa) • Foolish

3. Story Event 1 • Acrisius the King of Argos, father of Danae • His daughter Danae would have a son and would kill him • Acrisius didn’t want to kill his daughter so he imprisoned her. • Then Zeus came from the sky and made love with Danae • After a few months came Perseus • Acrisius found out and sent her and Perseus away at sea in a box Acrisius, King of Argos

4. Story Event 2 • As daylight faded and time passed by Zeus decided to bring them to safety • When Danae and Perseus hit shore they were taken in by Dictys • Dictys took great care of them • They stayed with Dictys for many years • Then Dictys brother shows up and his name is Polydectes • Polydectes wanted only Danae and her alone

5. Story Event 3 • Polydectes created a plan to get rid of Perseus • Polydectes proposes to Danae and invites everyone to the wedding even Perseus • Perseus had no gifts to give them but had an idea of what Polydectes said before • So Perseus set his mind to go kill a gorgon named Medusa • Perseus traveled across the land in search for the location

6. Story Event 4 • He went to a place called Dodonna, the land of the oak trees • There is where he found out about the two gods that were watching over Perseus • Their names are Hermes and Athena • Hermes appears before Perseus and tells him to be equipped • Hermes then decided to help Perseus out himself with the nymphs

7. Story Event 5 • Hermes then gives Perseus a sword that would not be bent nor broken to attack the gorgons • Athena then comes in and gives Perseus a shield to use as a mirror to fight the gorgon • Perseus then encounters the Gray Women and snatches the third eye out of one the three sisters • The women then reveal the nymphs of the North's location

8. Story Event 6 • Hermes then helped Perseus to fly over the location and there was the three gorgons. • Standing beside him was Athena who told him which was Medusa because the other two were immortal • Knowing that Perseus used his shoes that Hermes provided to fly above Medusa • Perseus then Strikes with the sword as Athena Guided his hand and cuts her head right off

9. Story Event 7 • The other two gorgons then awoken from their sleep and searched for Perseus • Perseus had on the cap of darkness and so they were unable to find him • After wards he meets a beautiful lady named Andromeda and fell in love instantly • But there was a snake that was going to kill Andromeda • Perseus stood by her side and slayed the snakes head off like Medusas

10. Story Event 8 • He then took Andromeda home and asked her hand in marriage and they gladly gave it to Perseus • On his way home he finds Dictys wife dead and no one to be found in the house which he grew up in • Dictys and Danae were in a refuge in a temple because Danae had refused to marry Polydectes • Perseus then hears that Polydectes is holding a banquet for all the men who favored him

11. Story Event 9 • Perseus attends to the banquet and reveals Medusas head and turns everyone into stone • Everyone on the island was finally free from Polydectes • Perseus then hears about an athletic contest that King Larissa is holding • Acrisius attends to this contest to meet the King • Perseus entered to participate in the Discus throwing and ends up throwing it straight to Acrisius not knowing who he was

12. Story Event 10 • After Acrisius their troubles are no more. • Perseus and Andromeda lived happily ever after • Their son, Electryon, became the grandfather of Hercules • Athena was given Medusas head and Zeus’s shield to carry for him

13. Motifs and Themes • The basic theme of this story is determination conquers all. With Perseus’s confidence and wit, he was able to do the impossible. Motifs • Courage • Perseverance • Determination • Self- reliance • Confidence • Assertive • Headstrong

14. Major Archetypes • The Hero – Perseus rescues Andromeda, Zeus also brought the two to safety at shore • The Villian – King Polydectes (or Medusa) • The Wise Old Man – Dictys helped Perseus and Denae to shore and took care of them • Damsel in Distress – Danae when put in refuge by Polydectes and Andromeda when rescued from the snakes by Perseus • The Innocent – Perseus began as just a boy but developed into a hero much larger • The Helpful “Animal”- Hermes and Athena helped supply Perseus with supplies to shield him and kill Medusa • The Temptress- Andromeda could also be known as this, distracts Perseus from getting the head of Medusa to Polydectes

15. Major Archetypes (cont.) • Trickster – Perseus, without thought, went against what was safe in order to do what he thought he should • The Sea – symbolized a measure of time that Perseus and Danae were in the box • Islands – Dodonna, island of Medusa • Supernatural Intervention – Zeus, Athena, and Hermes coming to the demi-god, Perseus’s, rescue

16. Story Summation • Because of Perseus’s strong will and confidence in himself, he was able to conquer the unthinkable with the help of the gods watching over him. With determination came conquer in his actions. He was able to deliver the Medusa head back to the evil King Polydectes, stone him to death, rescue Andromeda, and free the people of the land from Polydectes.

17. Cultural Values • The Basic Lesson, or cultural value, of the story of Perseus was with a lot of determination and confidence, you can conquer all. Because gods treasure the trait of obedience very much and because of Polydectes evil task given to Perseus, Zeus and his helpers assisted Perseus in his journey to get the head of Medusa, fulfilling his fate as a true hero.