Theme Of Pride In Greek Mythology

Fairy tales have always displayed countless morals, and in the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Gaston, the village Prince Charming, has a perfect life. Everyone either wants him or wants to be him, everyone except Belle. When Gaston attempts to kill the Beast and fails, the Beast spares him. However, Gaston’s pride pushes him to fight again, stabbing the Beast. As this occurs, Gaston slips off the roof, ultimately falling to his death. Pride creating devastating consequences is common in fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and Greek Mythology, as illustrated by Bernard Evslin’s Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths. The myths in this anthology illustrate pride as a destructive force rather than a force of virtue.
Greek Mythology

Mortals who display exceptional talent in a field the gods consider their own invoke hatred and jealousy in the gods, who often see their skills as a threat to their power. In the tale of Marsyas, a skilled satyr, Apollo’s pride and jealousy of his musical aptitude cause the death of the famed musician. Marysas “had the misfortune to be an excellent musician - a realm Apollo considered his own - and where he would brook no rivalry” (37). Apollo’s jealousy of the satyr develops until he challenges him to a musical competition. Marsyas plays the flute, and Apollo plays the lyre; after the first round, Apollo declares to play the instrument upside down and sing while playing, which is impossible with a flute. Apollo then collects his award and flays Marsyas alive. The injust challenge demonstrates how Apollo’s pride pushes the god not to rest until any claims to his rule of the musical realm diminish, even if it includes ridding the world of a proficient musician who did no wrong. Twin to Apollo and his pride, Artemis’ pride and jealousy of Atalanta and Meleager’s hunting skills cause the death of hundreds and the destruction of the Calydon countryside. Word spread of Atalanta’s strength and skill, and “people were saying she was Artemis herself come to Earth. The goddess grew very angry. ‘I’ll show them there is only one Artemis,’ she cried. ‘I will set them a hunt they will never forget’” (177). Artemis creates a huge, bloodthirsty boar and sets it loose in the Calydon countryside to ravage and rampage entire towns, destroy crops, and kill anyone in its path. Her jealousy of Atalanta’s talent and her pride in being the best huntress cause the destruction of a peaceful kingdom and the death of thousands of innocent lives. Likewise, had they not met a terrible fate by Artemis’ boar’s wild hooves and tusks, many of the great heroes of Greece might live to seek more