Myth Archetypes

1) Hero overcomes monster (who is the hero, who is the monster, what happens, how does the hero overcome the monster)

Perseus —> Gorgon Medusa

• Perseus is tasked with Bringing Medusa’s head to Polydectes

• With help from Athena and Hermes, Perseus use a reflective shield to avoid direct eye contact, beheads Medusa, and escapes using the helmet of invisibility and

2) A hero rescues a maiden in distress (name of hero and maiden, explain the nature of the distress and rescue)

Perseus → Andromeda 

• Andromeda is chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster because her mother claimed, sea nymphs and Poseidon mad, people of Ethiophia dying

• Peseus slays the sea monster and frees Andromeda, later marrying her

3) Wit succeeds in overcoming strength (name smarter character and stronger character, how wit overcame strength). 

Odysseus  → Cyclopes 

• Odysseus blinds Polyphemus with a sharped stake, and tricks him by saying his name is “Nobody” so the Cyclops cannot call for help effectively

Odysseus —> The trojan horse

• Odysseus’s idea

• After a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse

• The greeks built a giant wooden horse, pretended to leave Troy, hid soldiers inside, and managed to trick the Trojans into bringing it into their citywalls, leading to Troy’s downfall in the Trojan War

4) Divine Intervention

Perseus was helped by Athena and Hermes in his journey to , given gifts

Achilles was killed by Paris with Apollo who guides the arrow that pierces his heel, his only weakness

5) Maiden helps hero

Theseus 

• Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of thread to navigate the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. Theseus kills the Minotaur and escapes the Labyrinth using the thread.

6) Impossible task

Heracles’ 12 labours

• Hercules was tricked by the goddess Hera (who was jealous of his affinity with her husband Zeus) into murdering his wife and family. 

• After consulting with the Oracle of Delphi, Hercules approached King Eurystheus, who assigned him the 12 labors to atone for his sins.

• Completing 12 seemingly impossible tasks, such as slaying the Nemean Lion, capturing the Golden Hind, and cleaning the Augean Stables in a single day. Heracles uses his strength, wit, and divine help to complete all tasks.

7) Journey to the Underworld

Orpheus and Eurydice

• Orpheus wished to retrieve his wife Eurydice from the Underworld. Orpheus charms Hades with his music, and Eurydice is allowed to leave on the condition that Orpheus does not look back at her until they reach the surface. Orpheus looks back, and Eurydice is lost forever.

8) Transformation

Daphne

• Apollo pursues Daphne, who prays to her father, a river god, for help. She is transformed into a laurel tree to escape Apollo just before he is about to kiss her. Apollo wears a laurel wreath in her honour.

9) Sacrifice for the greater good

Prometheus 

• Prometheus steals fire from the gods and gives it to humanity, defying Zeus. He is punished by being chained to a rock, where an eagle eats his liver daily, but humanity gains the gift of fire and civilisation.