Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

Dear Mythology Kids,
Welcome Back! I hope you had a relaxing break!

We reviewed the two myths, "Mead of Poetry" and "Loki's Children and the binding of Fenrir" in class. We also discussed the motifs found within each myth.

Students were then introduced to a new assignment regarding poetry. If you were absent today, please stop by so I can give you a greater explanation for it.

We then started on a new myth entitled "Treasures of the Gods"

HOMEWORK:


Questions to anticipate for Wednesday's quiz.

1.. The name “Bolverk” translated means “evil one.” Explain why you think Odin selected this name for the character he portrays in “Mead of Poetry.” Support your answers with examples from the myth.

2. Agree or disagree with the following statement by Odin, and then justify your response. “To be a poet, that is the finest calling.”

3. Consider the “host/guest” relationships within “The Mead of Poetry.” How are these relationships different and/or similar to those in the Greek myths? Support your idea with examples from “The Mead of Poetry” and any Greek myth.

4. The “quest for knowledge” is a strong motif in “The Mead of Poetry.” Primitive societies venerated poets in association with their leaders and gods; however, in some cultures the desire to learn was considered dangerous. Express your ideas concerning both “frames of thought.”

5. What could Sif’s hair represent? (What could it symbolize?) Explain your ideas.

6. What are Loki’s motive, both hidden and apparent, in the myth “Treasures of the Gods?” Explain.

7. Which group of gifts, in your opinion, is more superior? Support your reasoning.

8. Loki's deception in "The Wall of Asgard" leads to a positive outcome for himself and the gods. Discuss the concept of opposition in relationship to the myth and Norse mythology in general.


In addition, don't forget that your memorized poem, and the explanation that goes along with it, are due on Monday, April 21st.. Please remember the following:

1. Make sure your poem is memorized
2. Make sure you have included a typed explanation as to why you value the poem and the meaning behind the piece.
3. Remember to include a copy of the poem beneath your explanation.

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Dear Mythology Kids,

I hope you are enjoying the break; I look forward to hearing about your adventures! I wanted to remind you about the two myths that you need to read for TUESDAY!

Please read the following:
1. "The Mead of Poetry" pgs.26
2. "Loki's children and the binding of Fenrir" pgs.33

I look forward to seeing you soon.
Big Hugs,
Crampton

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

Dear Mythology Kids,


HAPPY 4th TERM! Can you believe it? This is what you missed today in class! STOP MISSING CLASS!

WHAT ARE RUNES?

Runes are the letters of the ancient Scandinavian people. According to myth, the Runes were created by Odin. In his quest to obtain more knowledge, he stabbed and then hanged himself from Yggdrasil. As he was hanging, and of course, bleeding to death, the weight of his body forced dead branches from Yggdrasil to land in Gunnungagap. The branches fell in unusual patterns, hence creating the Runes. Originally, eighteen Runes were created, but as the Scandinavian language changed, more letters were required.

Each Rune represents a letter, has a sound, name, and has magical powers associated with it. Odin touches each of the eighteen Runes, and therefore he is given knowledge that other characters in Norse Mythology do not have. For example, one of the Runes taught Odin how to return from the dead. Another teaches him how to woo women. One Rune gives him the power to read and write.....etc.

The Runes are placed around this rendering of Odin riding Sleipnir.

We covered an extensive amount of information today in class. We completed the back of your yellow sheet. YOU WILL HAVE A QUIZ ON FRIDAY covering our discussion today. If you complete your flashcards (48), you are welcome to use twelve on your quiz. The following characters relate to your quiz:

Odin

Thor

Frigg (a)

Balder

Loki

Hel

Tyr

Heimdall

Hermod

Idun

Njord

Freyr

Frejya

Hugin

Mugin

Norns

Valkyries

Fenrir

Jormungand

Jotenheim

Jormungand

Ragnorok

Mjolnir

Slepnir

Vahalla

Aesir

Vanir

Asgard

Midgard

 

RUNES (and everything about them!)

PRACTICE QUIZ!
1. I am Odin's "thought." _________________
2. I am Odin's "Memory." _________________
3. Mother to Balder; Friday; weaves the clouds ______________
4. Loves gold; hates war ____________________
5. Strong senses _________________
6. Trickster _______________
7. The end of the Norse World is called ______________
8. I have eight legs. _______________
9. Wednesday ______________
10. The "heaven" in the land of the gods is called ____________
11. Loki is our father 11.______________12.______________13.____________
14. I have a special hammer _______________
15. Apples are my favorite fruit. _________________
16. Collect the fallen warriors from battle ____________________ 

17. "Lord of the Gallows" ___________________

18. God of farmers __________________

19. One handed for sacrifice __________________

20.  Gods of War ____________________

I hope this helps!

 

Cheers,

Crampton

HOMEWORK:

1. PREP FOR YOUR QUIZ!
2. Make sure you have all 48 flashcards ready for your quiz...you can use 12 on your Quiz !

Welcome to Norse Mythology! Thursday, March 6th, 2014

Dear Mythology Kids, 
STOP MISSING CLASS, and if you do miss class, then FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED. Focus on being PRO-ACTIVE!

This is what you missed today!

Norse Mythology are the stories of the Scandanavian people. The Norse were extremely skilled at sea faring; consequently, they were exposed to different cultures. The Norse came upon the Romans, who in turn, hired them as mercenaries. The Roman culture was extremely advanced; consequently, the Norseman adopted some of their belief system into their own culture. This is why when we start to read the myths you will note some strong similarities to Greek Mythology. Remember that the Romans stole their religion from the Greeks. Another important point that you need to know involves the conversion of the Romans to Christianity. The Norseman continued to be influenced by the Roman culture, and therefore they also adopted Christian influences into their mythology, as well.

Everyone of you should have a new textbook, and a "packet" of handouts that will be used during the next two weeks. Your homework assignments for TUESDAY. includes the following: 

 

1. Please make flashcards for the characters discussed today in class......the first 12...up to YGGDRASIL!

2. "PERSONALIZED ITHACA" is due on THURSDAY!

3. FOOD ASSIGNMENT is due on THURSDAY!

Norse Mythology is difficult to fully explain in this forum, but I will do my best.......In the beginning, no formed matter exists. This enormous chasm of unorganized matter is called GUNNUNGAGAP! To the north of Gunnungagap is an immense area of frozen ice. This area is called NIFLHEIM.

To the south of Gunnungagap is an immense region of heat called MUSPELHEIM. Nothing exists but these two regions.
Suddenly these two regions begin to move closer together. The heat from Muspelheim causes the ice from Niflheim to melt and droplets of water land in Gunnungagap. Some how and I don't know exactly how this happens, and neither did the Nordic people, so you just have to accept it, two important beings are created at the same time......an enormous man called Ymir, who is also called a "frost giant" and a cow whose name is Adumla. I know, it's a little unusual.

Ymir begins to suck on the teats of Audumla, so she is nourishing this evil frost giant, and then he begins to "give birth" to other frost giants. As he is sucking on the teats of the cow, Ymir begins to sweat and his sweat morphs into other giants. In the mean time, Audumla begins to lick some of the ice from Niflheim that did not melt when Muspelheim moved close to it. Every place her saliva touches a human form is created. You can see this depicted in the image above. The individual that is created from the saliva is known as BURI. He is entirely positive. He, in turn, gives birth to two individuals; their names are BOR and BESTLA. Bor is a male and Bestla is a famale. These two have three children whose names are Odin, Vili, and Ve. Odin becomes the king of the Norse Gods because he is recognized as the "first born."

Odin, Vili, and Ve recognize that Ymir is "birthing" evil frost giants, so they feel compelled to destory him. Upon his murder they take his body and use it to create the world of humans, giants, and dwarfs known as Midgard.

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014! PREPARE for YOUR EXAM!

Dear Mythology Kids,

STOP MISSING CLASS! The first portion of your ILIAD EXAM will take place on THURSDAY. If you missed class, The second portion of the exam involves a two take-home responses.  I am so sorry, because we completed the following:

1. We went through a time-line, so that each student would know what events take place in what epic, The Iliad or The Odyssey. The first portion of the exam has a list of 30 events and you will need to identify what epic those events occurred. I have included the Time-Line for you below. Visit with a friend in class, so that you understand the contents of each box. Cut and paste it as a word document, and then use it as a review!

2. You will have several quotes from the ILIAD, where you will need to identify the characters. All of the quotes have been taken from your handouts.

3. You will see 15 pieces of artwork detailing events within the epic. If you paid attend in class, then you have already seen the images, as they were on the power points.

DECIDE WHERE YOU THINK YOUR WEAKNESSES ARE, and then REVIEW FROM THERE!

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance!
Cheers,
Crampton

Time-line of events within The Iliad, B4

1.

2.

3.

4a.

4b.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

In the mean time…at Aulis

14. 15. 16.

17.

18.

The Greeks arrive on Trojan soil…War lasts for 10 years!

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

The Iliad's Characters

So, here we have the significant  quotes for each of the characters that we have discussed up to this point. PRIAM

Priam, King of Troy, begging Achilles to relinquish the body of Hector

B1/B2:
1. "I have endured what no other mortal on the face of the earth has yet endured, to reach forth my hand to the face of him that has slain my sons."
2. " So accompanied the old man past the guards and came into the presence of the man who had killed and maltreated his son. He clasped his knees and kissed his hands and as he did so, Achilles felt awe and so did all the other there....."
B4:
1. "Priam was killed by Neopotolemus, the son of Achilles. Achilles had spared Priam, but Achilles' son struck him down before the eyes of his wife and daughters."
2. ""In Greek Mythology, Priam was the last king of Troy, a ruler who witnessed the destruction of his city in the Trojan War. His son Paris caused the war, while another son, Hector, became the greatest Trojan hero during the long struggle with the Greeks."

Paris, Prince of Troy

B1:
1. "Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe and Asia; Athena, that he would lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks and lay Greece in ruins; Aphrodite, that the fairest woman in all the world would be his."
2. "Paris, a weakling and something of a coward, too, as later events showed, chose the last."
B2:
1. "Paris himself, who had not fought at all, except to throw his spear, she caught up in a cloud and took him back to Helen."
2. "His single combat with Menelaus, Helen's husband, was suppose to have settled the outcome of the whole war. Instead it revealed Paris as a coward, who only escaped through the intervention of Aphrodite."
B4:
1. "In Sparta, Menelaus, husband of Helen, treated Paris as a royal guest. However, when Menelaus left Sparta for a funeral, Paris abducted Helen and also carried off much of Menelaus' wealth."
2. "What men care for most was set before him. Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe and Asia; Athena, that he would lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks and lay Greece in ruins; Aphrodite, that the fairest woman in all the world should be his. Paris, a weakling and something of a coward, too, as later events showed, chose the last. He gave Aphrodite the golden apple."

Helen, "the face that launched a thousand ships"

B1:

1. "Then Priam brought Hector home, mourned in Troy as never another, even Helen wept. 'The other Trojans upbraided me, ' she said, 'but always I had comfort from you through your gentleness of spirit and your kind words. You were only my friend."

2. "The most fascinating things about Helen was her story. It was far better than she was. We do not see any real character development in her and have to regard her as a a pawn of the gods. The larger story is involved with the people around her, their rise and fall. She herself seemed oblivious to the horrors that surrounded her."

B2

1. "If only death had pleased me then, grim death, that day I followed your son to Troy, forsaking my marriage bed, my kinsmen and my children."

2. "Never set food on Mt. Olympus ...never! ---suffer Paris, protect Paris, for eternity....until he makes you his wedded wife---that or his slave. Not I, I'll never go back again. It would be wrong, disgraceful to share that coward's bed once more."

B4

1. "Aphrodite led Paris to Sparta, the home of a Greek prince named Menelaus. Helen, his wife was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris fell in love with Helen and carried her off to Troy."

2. "When Menelaus returned home and discovered Helen gone, he called on the leaders of Greece, who had sworn to support him if necessary. The Greeks organized a great expedition and set sail for Troy. Their arrival at Troy marked the beginning of the Trojan War."

We discussed Menelaus, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and Iphigenia today in class.


Menelaus, King of Sparta/Husband to Helen

B1:1."Hear me also! This touches me most clearly. My mind is that the Acheans and the Trojans should now be reconciled. You have suffered enough this quarrel of mine and Paris. Call his grace, King Priam, as a witness, and we do not wish to violate this old man, he looks both before and behind, to see that the best is done for both sides."
2. " Paris struck first, but Menelaus caught the swift spear on his shield then hurled his own. It rent Paris' but did not wound him. Menelaus drew his sword, his only weapon now, but as he did so it fell from his hand broken. Undaunted though unarmed he leaped upon Paris and seizing him...he would have dragged him to the Greeks victoriously if it had not been for Aphrodite saving him. "

B2:1. "Menelaus and Helen received him graciously as their guest. The ties between guest and host were strong. Each was bound to help and never harm the other. But Paris broke that bond. Menelaus trusting completely to it left Paris in his home and went off to Crete."
2. "Later after Paris' death, the Trojans gave Helen to his brother Deiphobus, in whose house, on the night of the fall of Troy, Menelaus found her. He had meant to kill her on the spot, but her beauty and Aphrodite's power deterred him."

B4:1. "Menelaus saw who was making the challenge and was as glad as a lion coming on the carcass of a wild goat....He stood and looked at his rival with contempt."
2. Same as the second quote for B1..refer to the second quote for B1.

Burial mask discovered by Henrik Scheilmann. Scheilmann thought he had discovered the mask of Agamemnon. He was actually incorrect, as the funeral mask is several hundred years older than the Agamemnon of history.

B1:1. "Artemis was so angry. One of her beloved wild creatures, a hare, had been slain by the Greeks, together with her young, and the only way to create the winds and ensure a safe voyage to Troy was to appease her by sacrificing to her a royal maiden, Iphigenia....He dared the deed, slaying his child to help a war."
2. "Agamemnon, in Greek Mythology, was King of Mycenae, and a commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. When the Greeks had assembled at Aulis for their voyage to Troy they were held back by adverse winds. Agamemnon had killed one of Artemis' sacred hares and the young; she was angry with Agamemnon's arrogance, so she caused the winds to blow unceasingly. To punish Agamemnon, she required the sacrifice of his eldest daughter Iphigenia. "
B2:1. ""Agamemnon sent a letter to Clytemnestra and their child, Iphigenia, asking them to come and join them at Aulis, where Iphigenia he said was going to be married to the great Achilles."
2. "He insulted the goddess Artemis by bragging that he was a better hunter than she and by killing a sacred hare. As punishment, Artemis caused the winds to blow so hard that the Greek fleet could not set sail."

B4:1. "Agamemnon had been forewarned about the danger of returning home with Cassandra, yet his pride blinded him and he thought himself invinsible. He was vulnerable because he refused to listen to Cassandra, so Clytemnestra killed him."
2. Same as the second quote for B2

Clytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, wife to Agamemnon, mother to Iphigenia, sister to Helen of Sparta

B1:
1. " She saw no reason to explain her act or excuse it. She was not a murderer in her own eyes, she was an executioner. She had punished and murdered the murderer of his own child."
2. "Dark red stains were on her dress, her hands, her face, yet she herself looked unshaken, strongly sure of herself...It was his blood that stained her dress and face and she was glad."
B2:
1: Same quote as b1
2: Same quote as b1
B4:
1. Same quote as b1
2. "Here lies my husband dead, struck down justly by my hand."

Sacrifice of Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra

B1:1. "When she came to her wedding she was carried to the alter to be killed by her father."
2. "She would only send a favorable wind if the king propitiated her by offering up Iphigenia, the most beautiful of his daughters, as a sacrifice to the goddess."

B2:1. Same as B1
2. "Iphigenia was a tragic heroine. She was the first person to have her life flipped upside down because of the Trojan War and it was her death which allowed the Greek fleet to set sail for Troy. Iphigenia was extremely brave and she is the reason why the entire war was able to continue."

B4:

1. same as b1

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Dear Mythology Kids,
STOP MISSING CLASS! I love your guts, but I am going to "call you out!" If you are ill, then by all means stay at home, but many of you are not getting up in time for school, so you are missing first period, or you are going out for lunch, and failing to watch the clock. ARRIVE ON TIME, as it is SO RUDE when you are LATE! FIGURE IT OUT, my young friends. I don't have the time to repeat myself, even though I do that frequently in class. Seriously, I don't have an extra 80 minutes to offer you. VISIT WITH ANOTHER STUDENT IN CLASS, in order to find out what you missed! CHANGE YOURSELVES and if you need help then contact a psychologist! I am happy to act as your "psychologist!"

"What did I miss?"

1. Each student completed a graphic organizer regarding the basic plot line for The Iliad.  Please visit with a friend in class regarding this information. DO NOT JUST COPY IT....have your friend explain the information to you.

2. Students were then introduced to a research assignment regarding characters within the epic. If you were absent, then you were assigned a partner. AWESOME! Now you have the opportunity become better acquainted with someone that you may not know! PLEASE STOP BY and visit with me, so I can give you the reading material, which needs to be annotated/notated for THURSDAY!

Peace Out,
Crampton

NOTE: Select ONE of the images below to use as the primary focus for your power point. You will need to locate an additional four images for your presentation. You should not use any of the additional pieces that I have located for you below. TRUST ME when I tell you that you will be "spoiled for choice" regarding images associated with your character. GOOGLE IMAGES can easily provide with additional "visual aides!"

The Iliad's Characters

Monday, December 2nd, 2013

Dear Mythology Kids,
Welcome Back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

If you missed class today, we completed the following:

1. Journal #6 "The Right and Wrong to Disney's Hercules"
Students were asked to identify errors in the Disney film. Student divided their paper in half vertically. On the left they wrote "Mythology in general" and on the right they wrote "Hercules." Students were then asked to identify errors in the myth, and the mythology within the film. We watched the first 15 minutes in order to review our discussion from Monday's class period. You will need to do this on your own if you missed class today. I won't have time to show you the film during Flex.

2. While working in the groups,we then completed "Labors 11, 12 and Hercules's death."

3. We then discussed Heracles as paradoxical character.  This was useful, as one of the quiz questions you will answer for Wednesday relates to this idea.

4. We then reviewed the irony associated with the Heracles myth.

HOMEWORK:
1. Please read "Heracles" in your book pgs. 166-180 (I think...if I am wrong look up "Heracles" in your table of contents).
2. Review the questions for your quiz on Wednesday. I have included them for you below. Remember that you will randomly pull two of the questions from the following list.

Don't forget that you will have a QUIZ covering Heracles as a paradox, and the irony found within the myth of "Heracles," and how those aspects add to the pathos experienced by our hero. This will be a take-home assessment. You will need to support your points will textual evidence. You may use your annotated article regarding Hercules and/or your textbook. The internet is not an available option.

"How do I prepare for the quiz, Crampton?"

"Make sure you have read the myth of Heracles found on page 166 in your textbook. In addition, review the storyboard that we worked on in class on today!

"Will there be extra credit for this quiz?"

"Absolutely! I have listed the questions below. Respond to each one as if you were taking the actual quiz. Originally, I was going to have you complete one of the six questions, but I have changed my mind. You will answer two of the six listed. If you review this way, you will clearly be successful, as you will have two of the six included below, you just don't know which two. You are to discuss the irony found in each excerpt from the myth of “Heracles,” and how the irony adds to the pathos experienced by Heracles. Please be thorough in your response; assume that your audience has no schema on the character of Heracles. Cut and paste the questions into a Word document, and then respond to them on your computer.

 

DRAMATIC....the audience knows what the characters do not!

SITUATIONAL.....action occurs that the audience was not anticipating

VERBAL....words possess an opposite meaning to what is said 

1.) Heracles represents a paradoxical character, in that he represents the extremes to human behavior.  He is a good guy and a terrible villain. He is extremely intelligent; yet, at the same time he is daft. Discuss a minimum of two paradoxical features regarding his story, and why these traits add to his already significant pathos.

2.) "The goddess drove Heracles temporally mad, and he killed his children, Megara as well—thinking they were either wild beasts or enemies of Thebes. When his sanity returned, Heracles exiled himself from Thebes for his crime. He traveled to Delphi to ask the oracle how best to atone for his crime. The priestess of the oracle instructed Heracles to go to Tiryns and perform any 10 labors devised for him by King Eurystheus."

 

3.)" Eurystheus directed Heracles to kill the Lernaean Hydra (water snake) as his second labor. Heracles slew the beast by chopping off its immortal head and burying the still-hissing head under a rock. Before returning to Tiryns, Heracles dipped his arrows in the poisonous blood of the Hydra. Thereafter, anyone wounded with one of these arrows would die."

 

4.) "The goddess sent two poisonous serpents with flaming eyes to destroy both Heracles and his half-brother Iphicles. Yet the mighty infant seized one in each hand and easily strangled the serpents, thinking they were toys he found great glee in his kill of the snakes."

 

5.) "The perfect host, Admetus entertained his guest while hiding the fact that he was mourning for his wife, Alcestis. When Heracles discovered his host’s secret, he rushed to Alcestis tomb. Upon bringing her back to Admetus, the host promptly died." 

 

       6) "He sent his servant home to Deianeira in order to obtain the special ceremonial shirt he wore on        these religious occasions. When the servant mentioned to Deianeira that Iole was to accompany Heracles, Deianeira feared that her husband loved the beautiful princess.”

Thursday, November 21st, 2013 and Monday, November 25th, 2013

Dear Mythology Kids,
If you missed class, we completed the following:

1. Students were introduced to an interesting way to annotate and notate their reading material.

NOTE: . Each type of notation correlates to a specific color. Please see the color key below.
 

• If you  find a section of text confusing then you would underline it using BROWN.
• If you are able to make a connection to your own life then you would underline that section of text using your PURPLE.
• Another way to annotate is by asking QUESTIONS about the text. RED is the color you will use for this annotation.
• If you come across a VOCABULARY word that you don't know use YELLOW!
• If a piece of text touches you emotionally, then BLUE is the color for that annotation.
• If a piece of writing is poetic to you, then use BLACK!
• If text gives you a different perspective then GREEN is your annotation color.
• ORANGE is the color you will use if you come across text that you find interesting

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 2013 

If you missed class, we completed the following...... By the way, pLEASE RETURN TO CLASS after THANKSGIVING with the information you missed today.

 

 1. Students worked in groups in order to share information about each section that they read. We worked on completing the Heracles Graphic Organizer. Each class was able to obtain the information for Birth/Eartly Years, Labors 1-6, and Labors 7-10. We will completed the remaining section upon your return from the break. COME BACK PREPARED, or you will be so LOST!

HOMEWORK:

1. Work on your MOSAIC over the break....Remember that a 1/4 of it needs to be completed for Friday, the 6th!

Take care of yourselves....Do something nice for someone else, as so many people need help, especially this time of year.

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class, we completed the following:

1. Students went to the lab to work on their "Symbolism in Myth" response.  If you missed class, then you will need to complete your assignment at home and then bring it to me on Thursday.

HOMEWORK:
1. None, unless you missed class today.
2. YOU WILL NEED MARKERS FOR CLASS ON THURSDAY!

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. 

"Danae" by JW Waterhouse

"Perseus and Medusa" by Sebastiano Rici

 

 "Perseus and Andromeda" by Tiziano Vecellio Titian

"The Greae Women" by Unknown

"The Fall of Icarus" by Peter Paul Rubens

"Icarus and Daedalus" by Charles Paul Landon

"Theseus and the Minotaur" by Unknown

"Ariadne and Theseus" by Niccolo Bambini