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Theme Of Theseus In The Great Gatsby

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Fitzgerald’s quote can relate to almost every hero story ever made. In most hero stories, there is some drama which results into the hero going on a journey or quest to prove him/herself. For example in the story Theseus in Edith Hamilton’s edition, a young man must prove to his father that he is his. When the young man grows up he lifts a rock and retrieves the sandals and sword that his father had left for him, and sets out on his journey to find his father. Although, the sandals and sword proved the young man’s origins, the king and his wife were still skeptical about trusting this boy. The queen then tried to poison Theseus and was banished by her own husband. Already the story has the theme of a tragedy, but more is to come. Another way this story proves Scott Fitzgerald’s quote is when Theseus volunteers to go to the Labyrinth. …show more content…

Even when Theseus arrived at The Labyrinth, drama and scandal continued to follow him. The mistress of the Maze fell madly obsessed with the young man and wanted to help him only if he agreed to marry her after he defeated the Minotaur and escaped. All throughout the text are examples of what make up a tragedy and a great hero story. Every story in mythology has some type of tragedy or scandal that makes the hero go on their quest and captures the reader or audience. We can see this theme in both Norse and Greek mythology which is why F. Scott Fitzgerald’s quote really describes all hero stories the

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“A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” This quote articulated by famous Greek philosopher Aristotle provided the basis for another category of heroes: tragic heroes. Throughout literature’s history there have been various tragic heroes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby in the novel The Great Gatsby to Oedipus Rex in Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King. William Shakespeare created tragic heroes in his plays as well, one of the most famous being Macbeth in the title play Macbeth. In another of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet, Prince Hamlet cries out, “To be, or not to be: that is the question:/” which appears similar to the question some readers still ask, “Is or is not Macbeth a tragic hero?” (INTEXTDOCUMENTATION).

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The symbols in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald is a highly symbolic book on 1920s America, in particular the fall down of the American dream in a period of materialism and idealism. And also, which was known as the Roaring Twenties. The book basically talks about a tragic story between Gatsby, a “New Money” gentleman and Daisy, a noble girl from “Old Money”. And also, the author tries to transform some ideas to the readers by using some symbolic examples, such as, the green light, Doctor T.J.Eckleburg’s eyes and Gatsby himself.

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The American Dream suggests that every American citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. One of the major ways that Fitzgerald portrays this is by alluding to outside events or works of literature specifically from that time period. Another major relationship that develops in The Great Gatsby is between Tom and Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald alludes to things such as the World’s Fair and “The Love Nest” to display the eventual dismantling of Tom and Daisy’s relationship. Both of these separate plots consolidate under the idea of Gatsby trying to become the epitome of the American Dream, as seen through his strive for a “perfect life.”

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Throughout the novels Night by Elie Wiesel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee and Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, there are clear themes of rebellion, revolution or both. A rebellion is defined as an effort by many people to change the government or leader of a country by use of protest or violence. It may also be defined as open opposition towards a person or group in authority or the refusal to obey rules or accept the normal standards of behavior. A revolution is defined as a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system. It may also be defined as a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure; it is usually sudden and accompanied by violence.

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Heroes have always stood out in time as wondrous beings. In literature they possess certain special traits. These traits are ones such as courage, strength, selflessness and intelligence. Theseus an Athenian hero possess some of these great qualities,“... he was as compassionate as he was brave and a man of great intellect as well as great bodily strength” (133).

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