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Descriptive essay on jealousy
The Portrayal of women within greek mythology
The Portrayal of women within greek mythology
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This book has many stories about the Greek gods as well as the heroes. Some stories you will find in this book are about Zeus, Poseidon, Athena and Hades. It also includes stories about heroes such and adventures Paragraph #2 The first chapter is an introduction to the book and about a summary of mythology. Chapters two and three tell stories about early gods and the Olympians such as Zeus, Hades, Poseidon
There were many Gods and Goddesses that appeared in stories told to. children. One story would be how Zeus lived as the only sibling to have not been swallowed by his father and the war between the Gods and the Titans. As a child “Zeus was tended by gentle nymphs and was nursed by the fairy goat Amaltheia” As Zeus got older, he saved his siblings and defeated his father making him the ruler of the Universe and the Titans didn't like that. They revolted leading to a war between Gods and Titans.
Mythology is often thought of as stories passed down from an ancient group of people. When explored deeper, they reveal the mindset, customs, and ideas of those who created it. Karen Armstrong, an author, phrases that myths are “... an artform that points beyond history to what is timeless in human existence, helping us get beyond the chaotic flux of random events and glimpse the core of reality.” The subjects of myths range from grands topics such as creation of the universe and humanity, to more trivial dramas with love and revenge. They are usually used to explain natural phenomenons or teach some kind of lesson.
In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” by Homer, all the gods are portrayed as being very near, and having a very close relationship with the mortals. The authors showed this through their interactions, even though each epic portrayed a unique mode of interaction between the gods and the mortals. For instance, in the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” this interactions are mostly indirect, whereas in Homer’s Odyssey, they are direct. Another thing the authors tried to show is that the gods are limited in their powers, at least some of them. The authors portrayed this through the gods favoring or disfavoring certain mortals.
Mythology is the collection of myths that denotes commonly cultural and religious beliefs of ancient human beings. The elements of it were usually the involvement of god, goddess and heroes. In addition, it was based on a man’s desire, beliefs and ideas. It also told the natural occurrence and its main purpose was to teach people moral lessons. One of the example of Greek mythology is the divine hero of ancient Greece his name was Heracles, but people knew him as Hercules.
For centuries, mortals have scoffed at the actions of the gods, often comparing them to little children arguing over toys. As Honer states, “We men are wretched things.” (Homer) However, what humans fail to realize, is exactly how similar the actions of the immortals are to that of man. The concept that allows readers and audiences to relate to the gods so fully is the fact that they are so similar to humans.
These concepts can even be applied to ancient societies in Greek mythology. Many gods were blinded by the desire of having authority over others or being feared by their competitors and fellow civilians. The god’s persistent angst over this idea of sovereignty consumed them and morphed them into beings filled with vain. The gods are figures of tyranny because of their obsession of power leading to the perpetration of sociopathic acts such as Cronus killing his father, Uranus, Athena challenging Arachne causing Arachne’s death, and Aphrodite scheming against Psyche. One god that made it his cardinal ambition to achieve and maintain high power was the son of Uranus and Gaea, Cronus.
This shows that the people who believed in these gods, knew that they too, were not perfect. The Greek creation myth is a great example of this because all of the gods they believed in were flawed. Prometheus for example, loved his creation too much, by doing so, he let his own feelings get in the way of his task; in fact, he loved man so much, that he stole for them. Zeus had anger issues, and threw a fit when things didn’t go his way.
Mythology Assessment Tales of Greek mythology often bear lessons to be learned within their stories. Much wisdom is shared from taking the fantastical mythologies and analyzing the true meanings behind them. A modern audience can find great moral guides through these myths. A notable myth, and a favorite of mine, is the tale of Athena and her confrontation with Arachne. The gods do not settle well at the thought of another being, especially a mortal, doing well at their own skills.
These almighty figures are the world’s greatest thing because they never harm humans, they don’t desire sexual needs from mortals, and they don’t expect endless gifts and sacrifices. According to the Christian bible, one of the most despicable acts a person can indulge in is adultery and lust, but when analyzing the poem, we can see that many Greek gods and goddesses partake in this shameful behavior. The eagerness of lust that Greek gods and goddesses experience humanizes them, making them closer to
Like in other myths we have studied, the Greek creation story indicates it originated from chaos, a yawning void. Additionally, floods are also a similarity, as they were mentioned in previous myths, like in the Chinese and Middle Eastern myths. I also think that in many of the myths, there are also indications of gods making sacrifices for humanity, such as Prometheus giving humans fire and having to pay the consequence of being tortured for thousands of years by having his liver pecked at and regrown constantly. The biggest difference is that many of these myths discussed in this section had more human involvement than in previous sections. There seemed to be more focus about how the gods interacted and treated the humans.
They are allowed to interfere with humans in certain ways to certain extents, they have rules, and by punishing/rewarding humans, they create an order of morals/hierarchy so they serve a purpose as well. This presentation of the gods reveals that the Greeks see them as powerful, smarter, and "magically" significant beings. I think that the story shows that they see the Gods to be like us, but with power and authority.
The Greeks could have been punished by a natural disaster or an unleashed evil from the underworld. Zeus’s power was so influential as described by Hesiod, “for easily he makes them strong and easily he brings them low” (Works and Days lines 3-7). The fear of Zeus’s strong authority and ability to induce these terrors on the Greeks must have played a strong role in how they responded to Zeus’s sexual escapades. In addition, aside from their religion the Greeks, as humans, recognize the realistic quality of their lives and are aware of the uncertainty they endure. Despite their optimism they are cautious of, “ the horrible disasters that a vindictive god or fate may dispense at any moment” (MLS p. 141), which are quite possible concerns for the mortals.
The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s
The Iliad, written by Homer, is an ancient Greek epic about the Trojan War, which the divine certainly influences. Unlike how most gods might act or behave in books nowadays, the gods in the Iliad share some uncommon traits. For example helping their favorite morals, the idea of justice and harmony is surely excluded in the portrayal of Greek gods. The divine in the Iliad are characterized as very emotional and somewhat manipulative. Regardless of what occurs, it 's all the doing of the gods.
