Monsters Created by Uncontrolled Emotions: Examples of the Greek Mythical Characters Thesee, Oenone and Phedre

Popol Vuh and The Odyssey are epic stories that are considered, “cultural touchstones; they dramatize the life of a nation and help bind it together” (Lawall, 3076). The two stories both form a connection to the culture of Mayan, Popol Vuh, and Greek, The Odyssey, partly through the monsters that preside in each epic. Because of the detailed descriptions of monsters or evil people and the known information pertaining to each story’s culture, the two can be connected. Therefore, Popol Vuh and The Odyssey are comparable by cultures through the monsters that each story depicts.

One of the most interesting qualities of Greek mythology is probably the depiction of monsters in the myths. However, these monsters are not all unique. In fact, they all fall into very distinct categories, making them almost the same. Most monsters in Greek mythology look and act in the same ways. Several monsters from these myths look the same in that they have very similar qualities such as being large, snake or human like. However, they are also very alike in that they behave in very similar ways, from guarding something or roaming freely and causing chaos. Generally, the monsters in Greek mythology follow this outline and are depicted in a way to show these qualities.

Oedipus is the king of Thebes and unknown to him he is married to his mother Jocasta queen of Thebes. He does not realize that many years ago he had killed his real father without knowing it. Oedipus is seen as god like to the people of Thebes because it was him who solved the sphinxes riddles. In the play he is accused by Teiresias of killing the king and Oedipus blames his brother in law and kreon of trying to over throw him. Then his wife Jocasta comes into the scene and tells a story of how the king was killed. It is then that Oedipus learns of his childhood and becomes more suspicious then ever. He then calls a shepherd and a messenger to help answer questions. The people tell him to stop asking about the death because he may not like the answer but Oedipus makes the ultimate sacrifice and continues to

In Blake and Cooper’s “Haunting Boundaries”, they argue that monsters come in many shapes and sizes, yet have an identifiable difference which separates them from humanity, while at the same time showcasing the diversity of humankind. Firstly, they utilize the etymology of the word monsters to demonstrate that there was a time when monsters were used for more than fear in stories. The Latin word monstrum, which means monster and a portent, derives from monere, or to warn. In mythology and religion, monsters functioned as warnings, such as in Greek mythology, monsters warned of the power of the gods. As warnings, Blake and Cooper state that monsters can be beneficial to humanity by teaching moral lessons through their stories. Scholars also connected monsters to miracles by

The definition of arrogance is overbearing pride. I see arrogance almost everywhere I go: the store, church, school, and on the street. Arrogance could be disguised as self reliance, but you need to be able to know when you need help, and be able to accept it. Those who do not accept help and are too arrogant, which is a sin. Many of the Greek myths, some of my family members, and myself sometimes have arrogance.

Orpheus was the Beethoven of the Greek world, everybody loved his music. Everywhere he went, people listened to his music and loved it. Eurydice was Orpheus’ number one stalker/fan. They fell in love but Eurydice died one day, from a snake bite. Orpheus’ mad love for Eurydice ended up sending him to Tartarus and all he had to do was to bring Eurydice out of the underworld without looking at her. However, he was filled with doubt and he turned to look at her, losing her forever.

In The Odyssey, monsters like the Sirens, Scylla, and Polyphemus provide “new and interconnected methods” of defining what it means to be human (Cohen 7). The Oxford English Dictionary defines a monster as a “creature which is part animal, part human.” According to this definition, Odysseus becomes monsterous when he gives into the animalistic part of himself. When Odysseus meets the Sirens in Book 12, they immediately sense his presence and knew everything about him. They know how to draw on his insecurities and how to tempt him to come closer. He is also distracted by his sexual desires when he is first introduced to Circe. She draws out more sensual and carnal qualities of him, which is arguably more animalistic. All along the way, Odysseus is hesitant to explore new places because of his inherent biases and fear of the unknown. The monsters in this epic help reveal all of these aspects through Odysseus, As a human, he is always subject to weaknesses like fear, distractions from women like Circe, and bias which causes him to have preconceived notions of the foreign.

            To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play “Antigone”, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: “Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to misery because of a fatal flaw or mistake on his part. To be a true tragic hero he must also elicit a strong emotional response of pity and fear from the audience. This is known as catharsis or purging of emotion.” In most cases the tragic hero begins

In the Poetics, Aristotle provides an outline of how the artist is to portray or represent the perfect Tragedy. A Tragedy, of course, was nothing more than a drama, in which the characters appeared "better" than in real life (in a comedy, they appeared "worse," according to Aristotle). Aristotle's Poetics makes several references to other dramatic works to illustrate his points, but he most commonly calls upon The Odyssey to support his argument for how a dramatic structure should be designed. However, along with the Odyssey, Aristotle extensively references Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Both poetic works were enormously popular in their time (the former had been passed down orally for generations, and the latter won the top prizes at the dramatic festivals). Therefore, Aristotle is comfortable using both to support his viewpoint concerning Tragedy and the Tragic Hero. This paper will analyze the standards that Aristotle sets out concerning the definition of the Tragic Hero and show how Sophocles' Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle's definition of a Tragic Hero.

Euripides and Sophocles wrote powerful tragedies that remain influential to this day. The vast majority of work recovered from this time is by male authorship. What remains about women of this time is written through the lens of male authors’ perspective and beliefs about the role of women in Greek culture. The works of these two playwrights frequently characterize women as unstable and dangerous. Agave, Antigone, and Medea are all undoubtedly the driving force behind the tragic action in these plays. It is their choices that lead to the pain and death of the people around them. Through an examination of the evidence from three separate works, Antigone, The Bacchae, and The Medea, the role of women in ancient Greek tragedy becomes clear. The actions of Agave, Antigone, and Medea repeatedly prove their characters instability and danger.

In mythology, monsters provide a challenge that humans must overcome. Heroes try to gain fame by defeating them and townspeople are afraid of them. Monsters spread fear for men to conquer. They give the opportunity for heroes to prove themselves. According to Mr. Thomas Bullfinch, “monsters are unnatural in proportions and parts and are employed for the injury and annoyance of men (Bullfinch 1).” Monsters do have strange parts and a common purpose. In Greek mythology, monsters have striking similarities. They fall into distinct categories based on form and duty. Monsters may be part snake, lion, or human. Some have multiple heads. Most monsters’ duties include guarding something for another being. Other monsters have no responsibilities

Oedipus the King contains many different characters. The main character and protagonist is Oedipus who is also the king of Thebes. Oedipus has a wife, Jocasta, who is also his mother and Creon’s sister whom is Oedipus’s brother-in-law. Antigone and Ismene are Oedipus’s and Jocasta’s daughters which also means they are Oedipus’s sister. There is also Tiresias who is the blind soothsayer of Thebes. Oddly, the antagonist is not a person, it is actually Oedipus’ own fate. Oedipus struggles with his fate throughout the play in many ways. For example, when he is told that he is going to kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus moves away to avoid

The tale of Oedipus and his prophecy has intrigued not only the citizens of Greece in the ancient times, but also people all over the world for several generations. Most notable about the play was its peculiar structure, causing the audience to think analytically about the outcomes of Oedipus’ actions and how it compares with Aristotle’s beliefs. Another way that the people have examined the drama is by looking at the paradoxes (such as the confrontation of Tiresias and Oedipus), symbols (such as the Sphinx), and morals that has affected their perceptions by the end of the play. Nonetheless, the most important aspect is how relevant the story is and how it has influenced modern ideas like that of Freud and other people of today.

By using these guidelines, Shakespeare created one of his greatest Aristotelian tragedies. This is because he applied the Poetics’ guidelines to complex plot, the tragic hero, and the establishment of pity, fear, and catharsis of the audience’s emotions. The complex plot follows Othello and his transformation from nobleman to monster through the exploitation of his tragic flaw. As the plot moves from exposition, complication, challenge, conflict, climax, and finally to dénouement, Othello goes through a recognition scene which leads to a reversal in his fortune and his scene of suffering.

Essentially, the play opens with the destruction of a family because of Phedre’ s emotions. A secret love affair between Phedre and Theseus’s son, Hippolytus, saw him