Abstract This paper discusses how Greekmyths are seen by western civilization as great works of art and beauty. It attempts to analyze why there is a continued fascination with them. It looks at how myths are the basis of our societal and religious practices and are therefore intrinsically treasured institution. It shows how philosophy has contributed to the understanding of the myths by interpreting them as universal allegories about humanity and existence, thus ensuring the continued fascination. It also examines how through psychoanalysis the characters in myths serve as examples of the human's unconscious desires. Myths are true works of art that can infinitely adaptable and infinitely important as we change our values.
From the Paper "Psychoanalysis is another field that has adopted the universalthemes and stories of the myths this time to explain the inner workings of our consciousness and thought processes. Sigmund Freud and then later Carl Jung both used the Greek myths to elaborate on their own theories of the mind. Myths according to the strain of psychoanalysis preached by Freud can explain unconscious desires; the characters in myths serve as examples of the human's unconscious desires. The Greek myths served as a good universal basis for the experience of the human condition, thus allowing them to be useful in psychoanalysis."
Abstract This paper examines three different Greekmyths--the stories of Prometheus, Pygmalion and Endymion. It discusses the content of each myth and the lessons that can be learned from it. The paper aims to demonstrate how the Greeks used personified tales in order to explain the world and its processes and compares this to the way that stories are related in religion.
From the Paper "While all three myths do mimic the function of religious stories, there is a clarification that needs to be made. The Greeks did not believe in the myths as a religion. That might sound shocking. The myths did, however, provide the functions of religious beliefs/stories, but the Greeks only used their myths as a means to explaining the natural phenomena of the world. One might say that the myths were their only available "beliefs." This is crucial to understanding this entire paper, because people often think that the Greek myths were believed as a religion, when they were not. They were stories that provided explanation, meaning, and prescription, and while these three things mimic religious stories, as I have proved in this paper, this does not mean that the Greeks used their myths as a religion."
Abstract Richard Wagner, the monumental composer, dramatist, philosopher, and poet of nineteenth century Germany transformed the tradition of German music and art through the unique genius of his work. Wagner believed that art, in order to be powerful and fundamental to a nation, must be founded upon a myth that is shared by all those that encounter the art. Dissatisfied with the already developed tradition of Greekmyth from Homer and onward, Wagner believed that somewhere in history, the myth fundamental to the distinct German spirit could be found and developed.
The Greekmyth Hippolytus provides the basic framework for Eugene O'Neill's "Desire Under the Elms". This paper compares and contrasts the plot, characterization and theme of the play and the myth.
Abstract The paper begins by looking at the characters who are similar to the Greek characters, but have differences as well. According to the writer, the plot differs from the Greekmyth, but captures many of the same archetypal premises set forth by the story of Hippolytus and Phaedra.
From the Paper "O'Neill's play is set in rural New England during the 1850's. The main characters are Ephraim Cabot, his son Eben Cabot, and his two brothers Simeon and Peter. The Cabots work a farm and Simeon and Peter grow wary of laboring through the stone-plodded fields of New England. Eben, the youngest of the three has vowed to himself that he will one day take back the land that once belonged to his mother, who is dead. Eben believes that his father intently overworked his mother, creating her death so he could have say so over who will be heir to the farm. When Ephraim goes out of town for a spell, Eben offers Simeon and Peter three hundred dollars a piece to leave town. The elder brothers decide to take the money and run to California to work in the gold mines. Half of Eben's equation is solved, but Ephraim returns home married for the third time to a lady named Abbie."
Abstract This paper takes a look at Benjamin Thomas' book "La Revolucion: Mexico's Great Revolution as Memory, Myth & History", which contends that the revolution which Mexico celebrates is a deliberate creation, something often going beyond actual events. The paper points out that, according to Thomas, although the story of the revolution is partly based on fact, the nation created its own past through retelling its history. To conclude, the paper praises Thomas' work as a valuable book beause it is not merely on history, but on how history is created.
From the Paper "Thomas notes that Carranza was more adept at seizing power than wielding it. He alienated the Zapatistas by murdering their leader. He allowed only limited land redistribution, the key demand of the country's poor. (Thomas 33-34) He claimed to be carrying out Madero's revolution, but Villa and Zapata both denounced him as a traitor to Madero's memory (Thomas 53), and he consolidated power relentlessly in the "War of the Winners" of 1915. (Thomas 26) He successfully created a story of la Revolucion glorifying his own role by drawing on strong support among the intellectual, social, and political elites of Mexico City. (Thomas, 52-54, 57, 60-69) By crushing his rivals, he won the right to create the story of his triumph."
Abstract This paper discusses how the whole universe follows through a cycle of creations, causing a cycle of life and death. It looks at how concepts provided by myths can be applied to most of these issues at hand and how myths can be analogously related to almost all topics. It questions the universality of myths through an analysis of the myths of "Gaia and Ouranos" and "Rhea and Kronos" from Hesiod's "Theogony", along with comparative collections from the "Enuma Elish". The universality of these myths is addressed by applying Richard Caldwell's psychological approach in the areas of decomposition, symbolism, projection, symbiosis, and individuation.
From the Paper "Psychoanalysis states that every thought is composed of hidden or unconscious reflections, which can be displayed in ones actions, which agrees with the universal fact that we quickly judge people by their actions whether conscious or unconscious. By decomposition we can derive the main latent content and relate it to several actions in the manifest. Several latent thoughts can be encompassed in a single manifest act, although there may be several ways of grouping them. These latent thoughts can contain a theme such as wishes or fears or both. In the myth of "Gaia and Ouranos", Ouranos fears that he might be killed by his son or his son-in-law. His hidden or unconscious thoughts are manifested by the act of hiding his children in Gaia's womb."
Abstract This paper discusses three of the monsters of Greek mythology:the Gorgon Medusa, the Minotaur and Scylla and Charybdis. The paper also looks at the role that they play in this culture. The paper explains that among the most grotesque of the Greek monsters was the Gorgon. The paper suggests that the Gorgon is a representation of a human head undergoing decay, more common to the Greeks than to modern peoples, but still distasteful. The paper then points out that just as the Gorgon reflected something the Greeks had seen in real life, the Minotaur may have reflected their revulsion with human sacrifice as carried on by the Minoans of Crete. In conclusion, the paper shows that the Greeks tried to explain their world and to do this they created a series of myths and legends that have vastly enriched the world's lore and literature ever since. While some of their stories seem more than fantastic, on examination, most have a reasonable explanation.
From the Paper "Medusa was eventually killed by Perseus. He was the product of one of Zeus' many dalliances. Perseus and his mother, Danae, came eventually to the land of Seriphos, where the king fell in love with Danae. Wanting to get Perseus out of the way, the king tricked him into going on a quest for the head of Medusa. (Hard, 239)
"Perseus received help from the gods Hermes and Athena, who sent him to the Graiai, the three "old woman," sisters of the Gorgons, who knew their secrets. The Graiai gave Perseus winged sandals with which he could fly, a cap of invisibility which would let him approach Medusa unseen, and a metal satchel in which he could safely store her head."
Abstract This paper first discusses real-life, Ancient Greek marriage rituals and Greek attitudes towards marriage in order to demonstrate how many of the aspects of marriage in Greekmyth paralleled aspects of marriage in real life. The paper then discusses three different Greek works and compares each one's depiction of marriage.
From the Paper "Indeed, many of the things we see in Greek myths happened in real life as well. For example, the Greek girls usually married quite young, around the age of 14, which was meant to ensure that the girl was a virgin and pure in mind and body. "Marriage to a family member was an acceptable alternative and occasionally encouraged in order to consolidate family wealth" - if we look at many of the marriages between gods (taking only this example), we will notice that many of them were affiliated. Remember, for example, that almost all of the Olympian Gods were in some way related, most of them being brothers and sisters, and that many of them were married, like Zeus and Hera, for example."
Abstract This paper analyzes the connection between Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and the myth of Prometheus (due to her subtitle of the novel, "The Modern Prometheus"). It examines the text of "Frankenstein" and explores, in detail, the foundations for the myth of Prometheus, as written down in ancient Greece and subsequently passed on through the generations via the Greek oral tradition.
From the Paper "Once again, we can sense the presence of Prometheus as he breathes life into the lifeless clay of the earth which lies before his feet. Incidentally, Victor describes his newly-risen Creature as having yellow skin, black hair and lips and pearly-white teeth, colors which are most closely associated with the earth, such as in yellow ocher clay used for modeling purposes by sculptors. In addition, this creation scenario is replete with regeneration, meaning that the Creature, composed of dead body parts from the graveyard, is much like the liver/heart of Prometheus which regenerates itself on a daily basis so that the eagle can feed on it as Prometheus lies bounded to the rock."
Abstract This paper discusses the application of myth in the tales of Hercules. The paper looks at some of the tasks that Hercules was given to accomplish, noting that they illustrate the many-faceted mind and personality of this great Greek hero. The paper also looks at other events that occurred in the tale of Hercules. The paper concludes that the myths associated with Hercules contain many elements that modern readers can relate to.
From the Paper "Even in ancient Rome, the eternal city on the Tiber which was allegedly founded by twins Romulus and Remus, the legend and myth of Hercules was rampant. Many Roman poets saw him as a compliment to the artistic Muses and categorized many natural things as being sacred to Hercules. In fact, some of these poets wrote very long poetical sonnets in honor of Hercules which were read by the ordinary people of the city and by those in higher social positions. Thus, as another archetype, the heroic exploits of Hercules were symbolic of all people from all walks of life and often influenced them to strive for better things and to do good deeds for people and for society as a whole. In today's world, this symbolism can be found everywhere which is one reason why the Roman poets and those in Greece chose the myth of Hercules as representative of man and his various cultures."
Abstract This paper deals with how Ayn Rands? two main characters in her novella, "Anthem", compare to the Greek Gods which they got their names from. It includes detailed information about the myths of Gaea and Prometheus and a general outline of the novella, "Anthem". The paper explains why Ayn Rand chose the names of the two Greek Gods for her characters. The paper includes two pictures of the gods Prometheus and Gaea.
From the Paper "In her novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand chose the names of two very popular and important Gods from ancient Greek myths for the names of her two main characters, Equality 7-2521 also known as Prometheus or the Unconquered, and Liberty 5-3000, also known as Gaea or the Golden One. Prometheus, the Greek God, was known as "The Rebel God". He was the wisest Titan and the son of Iapetus and Klymene. His name means "forethought", because he was able to foretell the future."
Abstract In this article, the writer examines the similarities between the ancient Greek and Egyptian religions, but notes that there were also some differences between the religions. The religions' similarities regarding their creation myths, their pantheon of Gods, their ritual sacrifices performed to honor Gods, and their views of how humans and Gods interacted are all discussed by the paper. The writer concludes that while having some differences, the similarities between ancient Greek and Egyptian religion are many. This paper includes an annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "The question of where humans and life came from is on that all religions try to answer. Greek and Egyptian religions were no exception to the rule. Both cultures believed that a God was responsible for the creation of the Earth. In Egyptian creation story explains that Atum, the son God, existed alone in the universe. He then created his brother and sister, Shu, the air and life God, and Tefnut, the moisture and order God. This is similar to Greek beliefs that Gaia sprang from nothing and was alone in the universe as well, until her siblings came to be, representing various elements as well. They included Erebos, the God of nights, and Tartarus, the God of underground."
Abstract This paper discusses the similarities between certain wedding and funerary rituals of Athens by analyzing the iconography of ancient Greek pottery and relating these ideas to those found in the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter". The paper includes direct quotes from the hymn, as well as images of ancient vases that correspond with the text.
From the Paper "Before the Common Era, citizens of Ancient Greece created an identity for themselves based on their polytheistic religion. The Greeks' entire existence revolved around paying worship to the multiple gods and goddesses whom they trusted to take care of them in this world and the next. Political, economical, agricultural, and social aspects of Greek communities all received strong influence from religious conceptions. Without widely spread literacy, most knowledge passed from person to person through oral communication. Myths, stories explaining relations of gods with humans, nature, and each other, frequently served as an easy way to spread ideas amongst citizens of all ages. Records of ancient festivals and customs suggest that "Greek ritual is borne out and reinforced by what we find in a myth." Because so many artifacts and literary sources have been recovered in Athens, the city plays an important role in helping us analyze the extent to which mythological tales affected everyday life in the Classical period."
Abstract A discussion of how the myths "Gilgamesh" and "The Odyssey", by Homer deal with men who cheat death. Odysseus and Gilgamesh both battle the Gods and win. Gilgamesh, himself is part God, explaining his ability to defeat a God. Odysseus, the archetypal Greek hero, defeats various gods with the help of other God. It shows how Odysseus is granted the help of Zeus and Athena after he demonstrates his bravery by visiting the underworld and escaping. It concludes that both men learn about the proper way to live on earth after visiting the underworld and the visits make them great leaders.
From the Paper "Gilgamesh was one third man and two thirds god. Due to his special abilities, Gilgamesh felt he was worthy of everyone's praise, and therefore bossed everyone around. The citizens of Uruk were displeased with Gilgamesh's behavior and asked the gods for help. The gods responded by sending a man named Enkidu, who was a double of Gilgamesh. Enkidu lived in the forest with all the animals, and was a wild savage. One day Gilgamesh sent a hunter and a beautiful woman to the forest, planning to distract Enkidu from the animals. The hunter left, and Enkidu and the woman became good friends. Enkidu was turned into a man, and he left with the woman for Uruk."
