1. The Greek character I have chosen would have to be Aphrodite. The reason for my decision, is the way Aphrodite was represented as the most kind of like modern, she represents desire so she always acts on her urges, of course so does a lot of the gods, however Aphrodite is what drives that desire her pure existence is desire, she is known as Golden Aphrodite or the laughing goddess, which is a great designation on how Aphrodite acted, very much not serious at all, she is always depicted laying around or standing in a very lazy manner, which is I enjoy about Aphrodite her personality is completely leisurely she really represents pleasure. The reason Aphrodite is one of the most important characters in Greek mythology, well for one she was practically one of the most important characters …show more content…
Alice Liddell from Tim Burtons rendition of Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, the reason I chose Alice is becasue she does go on a quest in a mythical place meeting all of these mythical beings, just like most of the heroes from Greek myth however most of the creatures Alice meets does not want to kill her all the time, but she does go on a journey trying to find her way home just like Odysseus in the Odyssey traveling from place to place never finding his way home just like Alice, a characteristic of a life of a Greek hero is that the hero is separated from his/her familiar surroundings and goes on a journey alone which is exactly what happened to Alice she went on the journey alone and she came back alone. Another way Alice relates to the heroes is by having a deeper understanding after the journey ends before Alice went on her journey in the movie she was dealing with some issues with her mother and the society she was born in and the norms that she must follow according to her society she then goes on this adventure gaining the knowledge she needed from her experiences on her adventure and after she got back to her life she shared the new views on life to her
In movies, novels, and life, people are named as heroes. The heroes we establish and the heroes we recognize, however, may not meet the criteria for a mythic hero. A mythic hero ventures forth on his journey, and comes forth from the hero’s path to greatness. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist who studied many of the great human myths and religious tales, realized, in studying these myths and tales, that there were certain steps that every hero went through. Campbell called this “The Hero’s Journey”; it is based on Carl Jung's idea that all human beings have an archetype. After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative. One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby.
Readers tend to idolize protagonists of stories. Atticus Finch, Huckleberry Finn, Harry Potter – they are all characters that possess a positive tone from the author. In pieces of writing associated with fantasy, however, it would only be more suitable to call these characters, heroes. Particularly in high fantasy, the hero ventures on an aptly named “hero’s journey.” However, the hero will always discover the “call to adventure” at the beginning of the story. At that point, the protagonist realizes that he or she possesses a unique ability. In high fantasy, that ability generally involves magic. Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea serves as a prime example of this notion. The protagonist, Ged, goes on a journey to quench his thirst for better understanding of wizardry. Another example of fantasy would be L. Frank Baum’s “The Dummy that Lived,” in which a fairy’s mischievous acts lead to a chain of trouble for the victim. Both Le Guin and Baum use magic in high fantasy literature to symbolize the need for maturity in a protagonist, or the creature casting the spell, and therefore promote the importance of responsibility to those who hold great power.
Epic heros can be found in many different narratives. They illustrate the obstacles that we may face in life and guide us to the right path that will help us on our own perilous journey. In The Wizard of Oz and The Odyssey, the heroic main characters faced dangerous challenges, however with determinations and a goal they overcome all the challenges. Dorothy and Odysseus both show their determinations and faithfulness as they navigate through their perilous
Athena and Calypso are the most significant goddesses presented in The Odyssey. While Athena embodies both feminine and not so feminine traits, Calypso embodies the sexual nature of women and the thought and feelings of sexualized women. Calypso, for example, sheds light on the double standards that exist between gods and goddesses: “Hard-hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when
In conclusion, no matter how big or small, positive or negative, contributions are made by the hero’s leading lady regarding their quest. Perseus’s leading lady Andromeda contributes both positively and negatively to Perseus’s quest. Hera, the leading lady in Hercules’s story makes a negative contribution to Hercules quest affecting him greatly. Finally Theseus’s leading lady Ariadne make both positive and negative contributions regarding Theseus’s quest. All three of these stories also prove how small women’s’ roles are in Greek mythology and how little they are valued in Greek society. Overall, leading ladies in Greek mythology contribute immensely to the hero’s quests.
As mentioned earlier, there were several tragic heroes. A few of these were Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia. Ophelia was a very prominent hero, second only to Hamlet. She showed that loyalty to three different men was not always possible, no matter how much she truly loved each of them. Although most tragic heroes were guilty to some degree, Ophelia was totally innocent. It is because of her innocence that she is considered a tragic hero.
HEPHAESTUS AND APHRODITE APHRODITE Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures of Greek mythology. Because Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture,1 she was desired by. nearly all of the Greek gods. Aphrodite was one of the twelve main gods on Mt. Olympus,2 and she was the most powerful goddess when it came to members of the opposite sex of the sex.
The archetypal hero’s journey starts in their ordinary world, where they are usually sheltered and safe, but an event that disrupts the hero’s society will prompt him to leave his world and start the journey. Diana, an example of an archetypal hero, felt as if she was personally obligated to go and help end the war, and by doing so she
The image that has been produced over time about the Goddess of Desire, the renowned Aphrodite, is one of a longhaired beauty, riding atop a scallop shell to bestow her beauteous wonders upon the mortal earth and Olympus. This is an icon of femininity and perfection, the most stunning of the already statuesque gods and goddesses. Doves and sparrows are her counterparts as is the sweet and playful Cupid in later Roman myths. However, this seemingly flawless picture of delicacy and sensual delights is far from perfect. In fact, when looked at a little more closely, the mien of Aphrodite becomes distorted, her beauty playing out to actually be her curse. In the next pages we will delve into the true nature of the Love Goddess, contemplate the source of her ‘deeds’ and then determine how high a pedestal she actually rests upon.
Thus dominant role of women portrayed in Ancient Greek mythology and artwork is in direct contrast to the more subservient role of women during the classical era in Greece.
The Odyssey was a great story with so many interesting characters and it was hard narrowing it down to just one character. The character that stood out the most to me is Prince Telemachus because of his ways. Telemachus, one of the major characters from the Odyssey, stays the same throughout most of the story by being timid and spineless, but he also grows and becomes courageous after meeting his father. His father has had a lot of impact on his life in just that little time they shared together because Telemachus matured from a boy to a man.
The Aphrodite of Melos (Venus de Milo) is a statue discovered by Oliver Voutier and Julius Dumont d'Urville in 1820, on a tiny Greek island named Milos in Cyclades, Greece. Out of fear that the French would seize or take the statue by force, the Turkish government allowed the French naval officer and farmer to buy it. While being in the aids of the French, the Aphrodite of Melos ends up in the hands of Louis XVIII, who donates the statue to its current location, the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, in 1821. This sculpture reflects the Greek Hellenistic Age, along with the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Laocoön and His Sons.
Every culture has some form of higher being, to be a model for their behaviour, as well as to look up to. In Greek times, these were the gods and goddesses who made their home on Mount Olympus. Women identified with the goddesses because they shared some feminine attributes. Goddesses were a “symbol of motherhood and fertility, but also of strength, wisdom, caring, nuturing, temperance, chastity, cunning, trickery, jealousy, and lasciviousness” (Clarke, 1999). However, not all of the goddesses possessed all of these attributes. The goddess Aphrodite, for instance, was not nurturing, nor was she very caring.
Today we look at Aphrodite as a goddess of love, desire, and beauty, but in ancient Greece she was an Olympian who was worshipped on many other occasions for a great array of reasons. Her powers carried weight in the many realms of love, protection, desire, and even war.
But due to Athena’s masculinity, she was discussed almost as an exception to this belief, but only enough to be considered a step above women and below mortal men. While Aphrodite who embraced her femininity and sexuality, was seen as one of the most inferior immortals by other immortals and thus by myth writers.