Greek Religion/Mythology

OBJECTIVE
To examine one Greek myth, provide a summary and explain the main message/lesson/moral of the story. The idea is, for a brief moment, to become a story teller in the spirit of an ancient oral tradition. Must be at least 500 words. Please include a word count or you will lose 5 points!

DIRECTIONS
Greek religion and mythology (Links to an external site.) is full of colorful goddesses, gods and mythical creatures. They can exhibit a variety of odd behaviors, from random acts of kindness to bizarre and violent deeds. Chose a Greek Myth that focuses on a goddess, god or creature (Links to an external site.). Thoroughly read it so that you internalize the story and can then easily introduce the story in an opening paragraph and then provide your thoughtful insights of the story by answering these prompts:

Think about the lesson or the “moral of the story” and how it relates to the human condition. Here’s some questions to get you started (answer only the ones that apply to your chosen myth). Is the myth concerned with human frailties and strengths? Is it concerned with explaining nature or any other aspect of reality? Does the mythological creature express some aspect of human nature? Is there a psychological explanation for the myth? What kind(s) of symbols and/or metaphors are used to express the myth’s meaning? How do you understand them? In addition to any generally accepted interpretation, do you have your own interpretation?
Does your chosen myth reveal anything about how Greek society was structured as far as gender roles, social classes, political structures, etc. For example, the myth of Demeter and Persephone may provide clues to how women were viewed and treated. This prompt may not apply to every myth so use your own judgement.
Is there any meaning associated with the name of your myth? For example, Aphrodite means “she who rises from the foam”.
Find out of there was a festival and/or ritual associated with your myth. If so, what was the festival and/or ritual (describe it for us) and find out of it represented any customs/beliefs of ancient Greek society.
Not required but encouraged – Has your myth been used as a part of some other later cultural expression? For example, how has the myth been used in poetry, music, opera, painting, film, advertising, sculpture, philosophy, or any other form of expression that is appropriate. Include an image or write about how it has been used in later cultural expression.
WRITING DIRECTIONS
Your paper should be double-spaced.
Your paper needs to be formatted according to MLA style. Some of this includes using a 12pt. font and setting 1” margins all the way around. There are many good online resources for formatting papers according to MLA (see Start Here Buttonmodule for the some good writing resources).
Be sure to submit the paper before the deadline (see syllabus policy).
Type up your answers using one of these file formats – .doc, .docx, or .rtf