Perseus

Andrew Mastrantoni, Kara Gullion, Zaria Scroggins, Kellen Wood, Salem

Barton

Heroic Qualities and Flaws

• Qualities- Brave, Determined, Strong, Selfless, Caring, Passionate, Loving and Loveable

• Flaws- Over confident to the point where he put himself in harms way multiple times. Felt he had something to prove, trying too hard to be a hero.

Journey/ Quest/ Tasks (Events)

• Acrisius locking Danae in an underground bronze house.

• Zeus came to visit Danae as golden rain and got her pregnant.

• After she had bore Perseus, Arcrisius found out and put them in a chest and sent them out to sea.

• Dictys rescues them from the chest and cares for them.

Journey/ Quest/ Tasks (Events)• Polydectes, the king of the island and falls in love with

Danae but doesn’t want her because of her son, so he starts plotting how to get rid of them.

• Perseus takes it upon himself to impress Polydectes by attempting to kill Medusa and bring back her head as gift for his wedding.

• Hermes appears to Perseus, and guides him to the Mountains where he can find the Gray Women and tells Perseus how to persuade them into giving him directions to the nymphs of the North and Hermes gives him a sword that wont be broken by Medusa’s scales.

Journey/ Quest/ Tasks (Events)

• The nymphs give him the winged shoes to fly over the Gorgon sisters, the wallet to hold Medusa’s head, and the invisible cap to hide him after he kills Medusa.

• Athena then appears and gives Perseus her breastplate and the reflective shield to see Medusa with.

• Perseus then travels to the land of the Gorgons and slays Medusa by cutting off her head, then hides with the invisible cap and flies away.

Journey/ Quest/ Tasks (Events)

• He spots Andromeda, who was about to be sacrificed to a sea serpent . He waits beside her and as the serpent appears, he cuts off it’s head.

• Returns to Polydectes and his party and turns them all to stone using Medusa’s head.

• Then they return to the island and they get married. His mother had run away and was in hiding and his grandfather was killed by a flying discus in the stands.

Motifs and Themes

• Motifs- Love, Bravery, Karma• Themes- Rags to riches, Love conquers all,

Pride comes before a fall, What goes around comes around, Evil Stepmother (Acrisius)

Major Archetypes

• Andromeda- Damsel in distress• Perseus- Hero• Polydectes and Acrisius- Villain• Medusa- Shrew• Danae- Innocent• Athena- Earthmother• Hermes- wise old man• Hermes and Perseus- Complementary pairs,

tricksters

Major Archetypes

• Sea- dangerous because Perseus and his mother were sent out to sea in a box

• Mountains- find the knowledge of where the nymphs of the North live

• Island- isolation with Polydectes and safety from Acrisius

Major Archetypes

• Serpent- about to eat Andromeda• Light vs Darkness- the darkness would be

when they were in the box and then light when they finally got out

• Three Gray Women- symbolized spirituality

Story Summation

• Perseus learned that he should value others before himself. He also learned determination will be worth it in the end and that self sacrifice pays off.

Lesson or Cultural Values in Story

• Cultural Values- beautiful women, trying to impress people, great rewards will impress people