Perseus and

Medusa
Ellyn Carroll, Lauren Toddy,
Kirsten Smith, Julian Thomas
Hour 5
 Perseus

• Son of Zeus and Danae

• married to Argos and
also father of Electryon
• most gods loved him
• killed his father
• once was a mortal, but
turned immortal
 Medusa

• Chief of the Gorgons

• daughter of Phorcys and Ceto
• once beautiful
• only mortal out of the three
sisters
• also she is the youngest
• turned people into stone when
they looked into her eyes.
minor characters

• King of Acrisius-warned by an oracle that he would be killed

by a son born to his daughter Danae.
• Danea-mother of Persues. was locked up in a tower.
• Dictys-a fishermen, his brother wanted to be with Danea
• Athena-goddess of crafts and war.
o disliked Medusa for many reason
o helped Persues on his mission to chop of medusa's head.
• Atlas-gave directions
• Graeae-old sea hags
• nymphs
• Hermes
• Medusa's sisters
• Peqasus- a horse that was born from the bleeding neck of
medusa
 Creative Retelling

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/religion/myths/perseus2.ht
m
Metaphysical
Related-
• When Danea got locked up in the tower and Zues got in anyway
disguised as a golden shower, and as a result perseus was born.
• Perseus had an ally Athena, the goddest of craft and war.
• The Gray Sisters will help you and tell you who holds the heavens
on his back.
• Athena lent Perseus her mirrored shield.
• The God Hermes helped by providing a special cutting implement.
• Athena immortalized Perseus and placed him in the sky as a
constilation.
Lesson-
• Don't trust everything you see or hear because it could be a trap.
• Even if you feel alone you always can find someone to help you like
Perseus did with the God Athena, the Gray Sisters, Nymphs, and
Hermes.
• If you do something great you will be remembered for it like
Perseus. When people look in the sky the see him.
Cosmological
Related-
• Acrisius dumped the chest into the sea expecting it to sink
but it floated to an island called Seriphos.
• Perseus said that he would scour the sea, he would quest to
the ends of the earth.
• When Perseus chopped off Medusa's head a Pegasus was
born of her blood.
• Perseus killed the sea monster with the sword.
Lesson-
• Dont underestimate nature like Arcrisius did thinking the sea
would kill his daughter and infant.
• To protect someone you love you will even face nature at its
best.
• Even from the blood of something gross and evil something
majestic and beautiful can be born from it.
• Even the biggest and badest things of nature can be slain.
Psychological

Related-
• When Perseus had to go get Medusa's head, he was afraid
but he had to do it because he needed to save his mother.
• Perseus questioned himself as to how much protection he
needed to escape Medusa and her sisters.
• Perseus debated whether he should go see the beautiful
maiden or not.
Lesson-
• Do what's right and face your fears because sometimes if
you don't, bad things will happen.
• You can never be over prepaired for a dangerous situation.
• Sometimes letting yourself fall into temptation can lead to
beautiful things.
Sociological
Related-
• So Acrisius straightaway stuck daughter and infant into a
chest and pushed it out to sea.
• Dictys... adopted a protective attitude toward [the chest's]
contents. [the daughter, Danae and infant, Perseus]
• Dictys' brother took fancy to Danae and pressed his
attentions on her. Perseus didn't like that so Polydectes
(Dictys' brother) grew subtle in the means of achieving his
desires.
• When Perseus came back with Medusa's head, he asked if
Polydectes wanted to see it. Polydectes said yes, and was
turned to stone.
Lesson-
• Pushing aside problems, instead of dealing with them, can
find a way to get back at you.
• Getting what you want can really be what's worst for you.
Allusions: Perseus
-Perseus by Hitomi Shimatani song
-Perseus by Robert Hayden poem
Her sleeping head with its great gelid mass of
serpents torpidly astir
burned into the mirroring shield--
a scathing image dire
as hated truth the mind accepts at last
and festers on. I struck. The shield flashed bare.Yet even as I lifted up the head
and started from that place
of gazing silences and terrored
stone,
I thirsted to destroy.
None could have passed me then--
no garland-bearing girl, no priest
or staring boy--and lived.
Allusions: Perseus ART

"Perseus" by Cellini

PC game: F.E.A.R Mission

Perseus
Allusions: Medusa
Medusa, by Louise Bogan
I had come to the house, in a
cave of trees,
Facing a sheer sky.
Everything moved, -- a bell hung
ready to strike,
Sun and reflection wheeled by.
When the bare eyes were before
me
And the hissing hair,
The stiff bald eyes, the serpents
on the forehead
Deep on the ground. And I shall
stand here like a shadow
"Medusa" by:Matthew WhitakerI song
With gaping mouths the serpents wave
poemMadly in the shadows of a darkened cave
Hanging there like snakes upon Medusa’s
head
So Medusa’s gonna turn them into
statues today!
Medusa’s gonna turn you into limestone
tonight And you feel like you’re a
mountain
Like a hundred thousand people here
before
And you know that in the morning when
you wake up
You’ll be stone for ever more
Medusa petrifies your children
Allusions: Medusa ART

Medusa Lounge pop culture

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