MYTHOLOGY: Friday, November 15th, 2013

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class, we completed the following:

1. We finished correcting the "Theseus" quiz.
2. Students were then given a peer review regarding the in-class essay entitled "Mythology is a Lie." Yes, I know that you were given this assignment a few weeks ago, but I haven't felt that I had a good time or day to complete the peer review; I do appreciate you being patient with me.
3. We then discussed the symbolism associated with the hero myths that we have read up to this point: "PERSEUS," "THESEUS," an "DAEDALUS"
We completed the following handout as a class.

“Meaning behind the Myths”

Perseus	Theseus	Icarus

4. Students were then introduced to their assignment. I have included an example for you below. If you missed class, please communicate with me regarding the piece of artwork that you are going to discuss and the symbolic meaning behind the piece you pull.

“Damaging Self”

“Hercules and the Nemean Lion” By: Baldassarre Peruzzi

1. Identify the subjects indicated in the piece of art work.

In the piece entitled “Heracles and the Nemean Lion,”by Baldassarre Peruzzi, Heracles, the greatest of Greek heroes, is grappling against the Nemean lion. The lion was the first of twelve seemingly impossible tasks completed by Heracles

2. In order to understand the piece, does the audience need some schema regarding the events?

Hera, queen of the gods, detested Heracles, because he was the child of Zeus, her husband, and a mortal woman named Alcemene. Hera was so jealous of Zeus’s constant infidelities that she chose to retaliate against his lovers; however, Hera did not choose to take her anger out on Alcemene, as Alcemene was a faithful follower to Hera. Instead, Hera took her fury out on the child, who Alcemene named Heracles, after the goddess she worshipped. Hera wanted to destroy the child, as he was a constant reminder of Zeus’s infidelity. So, to carry out her revenge, Hera caused the young Heracles to go insane. While playing with his three young sons and his wife, Megara, he temporarily went mad. Rather than seeing his children running towards him, he saw enemy warriors, who he in turn slaughtered. His wife attempted to stop the chaos, but Heracles murdered her as well. Once his lucidity returned, and he saw the bodies of his family, he knew that he must accept any fate the gods prepared for him, as this was the only way he would be forgiven of his horrible crime. Hera, naturally thrilled that he had destroyed his family, decided that she would determine his fate and punishment. She said the only way he could be forgiven involved the completion of twelve impossible tasks. The first labor was to kill the Nemean Lion; an impossible task, because the lion’s skin was impenetrable.

3. What is taking place in the art work?

Heracles is able to defeat the Nemean lion by using his own strength against it. He ends up strangling the beast, and then decides to use the lion’s skin as a form of armour. Unfortunately, Heracles realizes that no weapon can puncture the skin. Initially, he is lost for a way to sever the skin from the lion’s body. He finally decides to use the lion’s claw as the “tool” to complete the job. He rips one of the claws from the immense paw, and uses it to cut through the steal-like skin, finally obtaining the impenetrable armor.

4. Explain the symbolic meaning concerning the myth depicted in the piece.

The “claw” used to sever the lion’s skin represents the “damage” individuals cause themselves. People act as their greatest enemies; consequently, they cause the most damage to themselves. It is not outside forces that destroy individuals, but their own flaws.

SPENCER (B4) , OLIVIA (B2), JOEY (B1), : This is the piece of artwork that you need to discuss, cute kid. I hope the surgery went well. Please keep me posted.