Mythological Allusion Assignment

Cassandra/Alexandra
Cassandra is the daughter of Priam, the last king of troy during the Trojan war. She was the
most beautiful of his daughters, but had no special abilities of any sort. Cassandra and her twin
brother Helenus fall asleep in Apollos temple as children, and both gain the gift of prophecy.
Later on, Cassandra once again falls asleep in Apollos temple where the god falls in love with
her. Cassandra refused Apollos love and Apollo was enraged. The god cursed Cassandra so
that her prophecies would always be true, but no one would ever listen to her. She foresaw the
fall of Troy, the gift of the Trojan Horse, and the death of Agamemnon, but no one heeded her
warnings. After the war, Cassandra was given to Agamemnon as a wife and forced to give birth
to his twins Teledamus and Pelops. Soon after, Agamemnon and Cassandra, as well as their
twins, were murdered by Agamemnons ex-lover Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.
Morals/Themes:
With power comes responsibility
Stay true to your promises
Listen to others
Examples in other forms of literature:
In the Harry Potter series Professor Trelawneys first name is Cassandra, a reference to
the myth of Cassandra in greek mythology. Professor Trelawney taught a class on
fortune-telling, and everyone else ignored her prophecies because they were often
ridiculous.
In Watership Down by Richard Adams, the first chapter started with an epigraph from
Agamemnon about Cassandra. The author uses Cassandra as inspiration for Fiver, a
character which receives visions of disaster. However,

in W
atership Down, the other
characters listen to Fiver and escape.
In the poem Piedra de sol by Octavio Paz, Cassandras death is alluded too along with
Agamemnons as the speaker attempts to figure out why people die. He alludes to
Agamemnon and Cassandra as examples of famous people who were murdered. Also in
the list is Lincoln (16th president of the US), Trotsky (Soviet revolutionary), and Madero
(33rd president of Mexico).
Cassandra is most often alluded to in text as a person who continually predicts misfortune and
is never believed. The character is most often related to dramatic irony because no one will
believe them, despite speaking the truth. In literature, the allusion to cassandra is most often
identified with prophecy, a loss of favor within authority, twins, and bad news.

Hermes
Hermes is the greek god of Trade, Eloquence, Boundaries, Transitions, and was the messenger
of the gods, sending messages to the mortals from gods, and messages to the gods from other
gods. He is also the protector of travellers, herdsmen, thieves, poets, and athletes. Hermes
was known for being quick, cunning, and mischievous; often playing tricks on other gods for the
good of mankind or for his own amusement. He is most often associated with a winged hat,
winged sandals, a caduceus (a winged staff with two snakes wrapped around it), tortoises, a
lyre (a small u-shaped harp), and roosters.
His most famous myth is called Hermes and the Cattle of Apollo. When Hermes was still an
infant, he snuck out of his cradle and went to Northern Greece, aiming to steal Apollos cattle.
Once he discovered them, he took off the cows hoofs and put them back on in reverse order,
as well as his sandals. He hid the cattle inside a cave before returning to his crib, and sleeping
soundly. Apollo, being the god of prophecy, soon found out who stole his cattle and immediately
took Hermes to be judged by Zeus. Hermes had to confess, but Zeus found it amusing so he did
not punish the young god, instead asking him to return the herd. As an apology, Hermes gave
apollo his herd back, as well as his lyre which he had made from a tortoise shell. In exchange,
Apollo gave Hermes a caduceus to lead the herd with.
Morals/Themes:
It is always easier to forgive than to hold a grudge.
Just because you can do something, doesnt mean you should.
Dont underestimate children.
Examples in other forms of literature:
In Book 4 of Paradise Lost by John Milton, they allude to Hermes as a messenger who
took Japhet (a son of Noah) to the underworld (as he was the only god able to bring
souls to the Underworld) and call it a sad event. They are relating this to the sad event
of Eve ensnaring Mankind with her good looks.
In Age of Iron by J M Coetzee, the author alludes to Hermes as a messenger of news
and truth. The character Vercueil has disappeared, and the protagonist is lamenting that
no messenger came to tell her the truth of where he went.
In The Clouds Three by Aristophanes, Hermes is alluded to as a mischievous and
cunning god, in the form of Strepsiadess subconscious. The character is trying to get
revenge for himself after his son beat him, using Socartes logic to justify it. So,
Strepsiades looks to a statue of Hermes for guidance and ends up burning down
Socrates school.