Vocab and Allusions

apathy

lack of emotion or interest

ambiguous

vague, having more than one meaning, not a clear answer

fervent

passionate

vagrant

wandering homeless person, a tramp

undermine

to weaken, to wear down the foundation of

oblivious

unaware, unconscious

indifferent

not caring one way or the other, lacking a preference, neutral

obscure

unclear, clouded, partially hidden, hard to understand

objective

without bias (as opposed to subjective), facts only

revere

to worship

discriminate

to differentiate, to make a clear distinction, to see the difference (negative or neutral connotation)

embellish

to add details, to exaggerate, to adorn

denounce

to condemn, to speak out against

innovate

to introduce something new, to be creative

stagnant

not moving

candid

honest, frank

impartial

unbiased, neutral

discern

to distinguish one thing from another

ostentatious

showing off

contentious

quarrelsome, smth is up for debate

Prometheus

• Greek mythology

• clever Titan

• cared for humans

• symbol of intelligence, rebellion, and sacrifice (for humanity)

• reflects the tension between divine authority and human advancement.

• stole fire from Zeus in Mount Olympus to give it to humanity (for progress and civilization)

• Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock and an eagle ate at his liver every day but it grew back every night (torture cycle)

Pandora’s Box

• Greek mythology

• Pandora = first woman (created by the gods)

• gifted w beauty and curiosity

• given a sealed box/jar and told never to open it

• opened it out of curiousity and unleashed all the evils (sickness, pain, suffering, etc.) into the world

• quickly closed the box and the only thing left was hope

• explains why the world is full of problems but also why people still cling to hope

Icarus

• son of the master inventor Daedalus

• built wings of feather and wax for the two of them to escape imprisonment on island of Crete

• Daedalus warned him not to fly too close to the sun or the sea

• he was too prideful of his wings that he flew too close to the sun, and the wax melted and he fell and drowned in the sea

• cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and disobedience

reprove

to scold, to find fault with

pessimism

gloominess; belief that the bad guys always win

cursory

hasty, not thorough (eg. cursory glance)

profligate

extremely wasteful; wildly extravagant

miser

someone who hoards money

jocular

joking

fracas

uproar; brawl

caricature

a satiric portrait or representation

corroborate

to confirm

precarious

dangerously unstable

expository

explanatory

bolster

to support; to prop up

daunt

to intimidate; to discourage

inclined

tending toward one direction

uniform

constant; without variety

perceptive

having keen understanding; discerning

superficial

shallow; on the surface only

lucid

clear; easy to understand

immune

safe from harm; protected

aesthetic

concerned with art or beauty

Narcissus

• handsome Greek man

• rejected everyone who loved him

• saw his reflection in a pool of water and fell in love with it and wouldn’t leave it (didn’t realize it was himself)

• either drowned or wasted away

• after he died, a narcissus flower bloomed

• cautionary warning against vanity and obsession with oneself

King Midas

• wealthy Greek ruler (mortal)

• granted 1 wish by Dionysus (god) → he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold

• at first very happy, but then it became a curse → couldn’t eat bc his food turned to gold (in some versions he turned his daughter to gold when he hugged her)

• begged Dionysus to take the power away, so he instructed him to wash in the river of Pactolus (cleanse from the “golden touch”)

• cautionary warning against greed and unchecked desire

Achilles’ Heel

• greatest warrior of Greek Army in Trojan war

  • essential for Greece to have any chance at victory

• half mortal and half god (King Peleus and goddess Thetis)

• his mother Thetis dipped him in the River Styx to make him immune to harm (except his heel, which she held as she dipped him)

• “Achilles’ heel” = small but devastating vulnerability

• multiple versions:

  • 1) prophesied that he would die in Trojan War

  • 2) Apollo guided arrow of Prince Paris to Achilles’ heel and killed him

  • 3) friend/lover Patrocles fought in place of Achilles and dies 

• the legend of Achilles appears in Homer’s Iliad