Summary: Evaluating The Minotaur Myth

Pan’s Labyrinth is of a young girl named Ofelia and her expectant mother Carmen who arrives at the premises owned by her mother's new husband, who’s an army officer named Captain Vidal. Upon their arrival Ofelia notice an ancient maze called Pan’s Labyrinth that struck her curiosity. Later, Ofelia returns to Labyrinth with the guidance of a fairy that introduce Ofelia to the Faun, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess. But, for Ofelia to return to her kingdom she must complete three dangerous tasks. The first task was to bury three magic stones deep down inside the belly of an ancient fig tree. Where Ofelia was met by a giant toad who she fed the magic stones to and retrieved a key. After retrieving the key Ofelia discover that her dress had been ruined as it laid in the mud because of the bad weather that suddenly came about. As Ofelia returns from the woods she later discovers that her mother health is steadily declining. So, the faun gave Ofelia a magical root to place under her mother’s bed in a bowl milk with two drops of blood. The magical root was to ensure the survival of Ofelia’s unborn brother. For Ofelia’s next task, she must go in the underground chamber with a horrifying creature called the Pale Man to retrieve and item using the key she found in the fig tree. But, the only way to access the underground chamber is with drawing of a door using chalk. However, there is a catch, Ofelia mustn’t remain in the chamber too long or eat any of the food in the chamber. So, that the creature wouldn’t be disturbed from its slumber.

Theseus’ quest hoped to end the unnecessary sacrifices, but caused another. Theseus’ father, Aegeus was the King of Athens. Aegeus put a sword and shoes in a hole under a boulder, when Theseus could lift the stone, he was old enough to become the heir. Theseus was successful and traveled to Athens by land, a perilous route, killing all the bandits. Upon arrival at Athens he was praised and invited to the King’s dinner. Aegeus recognized his sword in Theseus’ hand and declared Theseus as his son and the heir. Every nine years the Minotaur took fourteen victims into his Labyrinth and Theseus was determined to end the cycle. He offered to be a victim, with a plan to kill the beast. In exchange for a marriage, Theseus received a ball of yarn along

The Minotaur, meaning Minos bull, was “a monster of dire appearance, having the body of a powerful man and the head of a bull” (Seltman 98). Against his newfound father’s request, Theseus leaves Athens in hopes of returning victorious against the bull-headed beast. In a heroic fashion, Theseus leaps over the next step in Campbell’s hero journey and never refuses his call to adventure. The next step to any hero’s journey is an encounter with a super natural aid, but Theseus’ story takes a moral mentor to gather resources needed for the rest of his journey (Robertson 269). Theseus encounters his unlikely mentor upon arriving to Crete; Minos daughter, Ariadne, instructs Theseus to take a ball of linen with him into the labyrinth in order to trace back his steps after defeating the Minotaur (Martin 129). Crossing the threshold, Theseus ties one end of his ball of linen to the front door and journeys into the unconquerable maze and towards the beast (129). Theseus passes through his first trial of navigating the labyrinth inwards with ease straight into danger. Walking

The Minotaur, half man half bull, lived in Crete. Trapped in a labyrinth, constructed by the great Daedalus, the king of Crete, King Minos, demanded a tribute of seven boys and seven girls from Athens to satisfy the Minotaur’s savage hunger. But one year, Minos was deceived, for a new hero arose, Theseus, son of Aegeus, Prince of Athens. He won over the heart of Minos’s daughter, Ariadne, and used her ball of string to venture into the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur. After a hard-fought grapple within the lair of the minotaur, the beast fell to the sword of Aegeus, which Theseus had smuggled into the maze. Using the string, he found his way back out. The Labyrinth went underground, void of life, never to be seen again.

Theseus is not a hero due the following flaws he had in life. “His idea of dealing justice was simple, but effective: what each had done to others, Theseus did to him…Sinis, who killed people by fastening them to pine trees bent down to the ground and letting the trees go, died in that way himself.” (Hamilton 210) Heroes forgive and don’t revenge others because if doing so it won’t bring back the dead. However, Theseus’ ‘justice’ is to pay back the villains and let them die the same way they make others die. This clearly shows he isn’t a beneficial role model and would lead others to learn from him, to take revenge.

One day the Minotaur was out walking around the labyrinth. When he came across a room in a very far off passage that hasn’t been used. When the Minotaur went and checked it out he had found nothing but evidence that something was living in the room. So the minotaur decided he would come and check on the room every day to find out what was living in there. Each day he would come at a different time to try to catch it.

Overall, I enjoyed the reading. I admire how the author put his readers into a different perspective on this Greek myth. To see how the minotaur lived in the labyrinth before Theseus came

He truly follows and believes in his sworn oath as a knight. For instance, at the beginning of the story he accepts the challenge from the widows and goes after creon to exact revenge. “So far as it should lie within his might, he would take vengeance on this tyrant King”. He couldn’t refuse them because he felt as if his control was being threatened and wanted to bring peace to the civil unrest. Another trait of Theseus is his ability to think before ruling. He doesn't simply spit out laws and consequences, but relates and connects to the situation, which allows him to find the best solution to these problems. Theseus’s main goal when solving his situation is to bring justice without threatening the protection of his kingdom . An example is shown when he allows Arcita and Palamon to fight for Emily, but under his supervision and circumstances. Theseus want to able to end the conflict between Arcita and Palamon, by letting them settle it out under his rules and supervision he is able to find a resolution to this disorder while still being able to maintain control. All of these examples support the parallel of Theseus to Jupiter. Chaucer even compares Theseus to a god on the morning of the battle. He writes, “ Throned in a window giving on a pleasance, Sat theseus like a god in panoply”. Chaucer recognizes Theseus’s actions and purpose and relates them to a figure of higher being. Although Theseus’s power to control is limited he does all in his ability to bring peace and order into his

Heroes need sidekicks, whom they rely on for multiple reasons, but end up with all the credit; just like how Theseus obtains all the glory for Ariadne's thinking and how Odysseus attains almost all the credits for Athena’s work. Ariadne tells Theseus the way to get out of the Labyrinth where the Minotaur stays, “ She would bring about the escape if he would promise to take her back to Athens and marry her ” (“Theseus” Hamilton 207). The only reason Theseus is able to slaughter the Minotaur and escape the maze is because of Ariadne. Theseus leaves Ariadne to die on an island. Even if she dies because of a disease, he should have at least informed the people of Athens that she is a huge reason for his success. At the end he gains all the glory and becomes known for single handedly defeating the Minotaur. Moreover, Athena releases Odysseus, after many arguments with the gods and sends him on a journey, which makes him a legend. “ The Olympians were moved by her words… Zeus spoke for them all when he said they must put their heads together and contrive a way for him to return” (“The Adventures of Odysseus” Hamilton 287). Athena releases Odysseus from his punishment after having many debates with the gods. Not only that, but she also helps him by giving him a boat to travel back to his homeland. After a long journey, he returns home and takes his kingdom back and becomes a legend, but not many appreciate Athena for Odysseus’ success.

the Minotaur and the challenges they present to the children. Also, simply based on the title, the

In ancient Greece, Theseus would be considered a hero because he was courageous while also being kind. Even as a small child, Theseus showed great courage. For example, when he was a young boy and was looking for his father, he chose travel by land instead of by sea because the land was more dangerous. The land was more dangerous because there were many bandits along the way, but Theseus wanted to become a hero as quickly as possible, so he traveled by land and killed every bandit along the way. Greeks would have valued this courage because in ancient Greece, people greatly admired brave and powerful heroes who wouldn't back down from any challenge. Although Theseus was brave, he was also kind to others. This is why he convinced Hercules not to kill himself after he murdered his family under the influence of Hera. Many other people would’ve agreed with Hercules ending his own life for what he’d done, but Theseus knew that it wasn’t his fault, and that suicide was not the right way. The ancient greeks would have valued this because ancient greece was a violent and dangerous, so someone who was kind and gentle and was also strong was person to be respected.

Over the course of the novel, Green's characters set out to answer this problem. While the problem is catalyzed by Alaska, she doesn't answer the question alone. Indeed, after her death (accident? suicide?), Pudge and the Colonel are left alone to try and answer the question for themselves. However, before Alaska goes, she does leave some clues as to what she believes the labyrinth is, and how she thinks you have to escape. " 'It's not life or death, the labyrinth" [said Alaska]. 'Um, okay. So what is it?' [said Pudge]. 'Suffering,' she said. 'Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That's the problem.

But there are many ways one could interpret myths, Bronislaw Malinowski, an anthropologist, believed that myths tell people about the origins of the early world and that it gives them a reality of how things are to repeat. Malinowski believed that myths weren’t kept alive because of interest, or because they are true tales, but because they give people are a reality of how mankind is to be determined. Malinowski even gives us an example of a grandmother and granddaughter that realize that although everyone still has that youth they once were, they have to come to the realization that everyone gets old and

And then move on to a better way of thinking and acting." And I like what Richard said, "I'm beginning to think there is more to this than I thought. I like the idea of letting go of old behavior instead of letting go of the relationship. Repeating the same behavior will just get you the same results." I have always thought that that is the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. If it isn’t, it’s pretty close.

Uncertainty of what seemed the clear distinction between the simulated and the real: No clear line between the artificial and the real