Theseus Slaying The Minotaur

At the end of a day, Theseus became a very brawny and a savvy human being. He is the main character that changed throughout the story. Identically like other stories, they both have a nerve-racking villain, in this case, the two villains were called Grendel and Minotaur. Something unique about Theseus’s story is that Ariadne can be considered as an ally or lover.

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.

After capturing the Athens, Minos declared that every nine years, seven maidens and seven youths were sacrificed to the Minotaur however Theseus volunteers as a sacrifice to defeat the Minotaur. “As an Oak tree falls on the hillside, crushing all that lies beneath. So Theseus, he presses out the life, the Brute’s savage life, and now it lies dead” (Hamilton 207) The author uses a simile to compare the beating of the Minotaur with an Oak tree falling on the hillside to show the reader how powerful Theseus is. Even though Theseus used his physical power to kill the Minotaur, an innocent creature born into madness, it was for good reason.

One afternoon Theseus was in his room when a little note was slid under his door and it told him to go down to the courtyard the crack of dawn and so he did. It was princess Ariadne who was going to help him defeat the Minotaur, she gave him a magical string that would help find his way through the labryrinth, the giant maze made by Daedalus and a sword. The next morning they were going into the labryrinth. As soon as they were in, it was dark and wet with bones all around. Theseus told one of the Athenian children to hold one end of the string when he set off. Once Theseus was deep into the maze he heard a rumble and he knew that was Minotaur. He ran in to the Minotaur with sword at hand it gave out a big groan. Theseus cut through it a couple more times to make sure it was dead. With a sigh of relief he walked back. At the entrance Ariadne was waiting to open the door to let them out. When the Athenians got out and quickly got a ship to sail back, but Theseus forgot to fly white sails so once King Aegean of Athens through himself off a cliff because he thought his son had died. After his death they named the sea after him, the Aegean

Theseus must face seven of the most terrorizing adversaries on his way to Athens. His first enemy was Periphetes, a vicious, dangerous man that used his club to murder his victims. Theseus, as a hero, defeated him by using the club against Periphetes and kill him. The young hero’s second enemy was Sinis, remarkably robust and ripped the victim in two by bending two pine trees down and tying the victim. Theseus’ third opponent was a giant sow who was terrorizing the countryside, and he killed it. The fourth adversary was Sciron who made his victims fall off the cliff while he forced them to clean his feet. When he kicked Theseus, Theseus went quickly to the other side and the power of Scion's kick made him all off the cliff. Theseus’ fifth opponent

Theseus goes through great measures to travel to either meet his father or volunteer to participate in the fight against Minotaur in Labyrinth. Before Theseus' birth, his

Every time in the arena he is risking his life dancing with the bull. Days in the king of Crete, Minos, asks Theseus to do something for him. The king realizes that he himself is sick and is no longer fit to rule Crete. He wants Theseus to kill him, and become the next king. “Do it then, when I evoke the Mother” (Renault 275).

He trains them, strengthening their skill and power. He shows his true leadership, becoming a sort of teacher to them. When they arrive at Knossos, he tries to convince King Minos to let the tributes go. He is not only thinking for himself, but for his people. Minos refuses, but Theseus is still set on fighting the bull, not for the glory now, but so others will not have to be killed. His mindset has practically switched, instead of being self-pitying, he is now selfless. Theseus successfully slays the Minotaur, and takes his tributes and the two of Minos’ daughters home. He is so happy, “drunk with strength and joy,” that he forgets a promise he made to his father. When he was leaving Athens, he swore that if he killed the beast and made it back alive, he would change his sail from black cloth to white. Theseus forgets to change the black sail, and his father, under the assumption that Theseus is dad, jumps off a cliff, killing himself. This makes Theseus the king, and he unites many City-states in Greece, and eventually takes King Minos’s kingdom as well. He rules as a fair and wise king, and many people look up to and respect

of Theseus and more specifically the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. The

Furthermore, it is difficult for Theseus to be a hero as he portrays intelligence without anyone’s help. Theseus volunteers to be one of the sacrifices to the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. The Minotaur is a monster, half bull, half human, trapped in the Labyrinth. Theseus uses his intelligence to attack the Minotaur: “He came upon him asleep and fell upon him, pinning him to the ground….” (Hamilton,“Theseus,”207).

Now Theseus is older and is in his father’s palace in Athens, the fame seeking youth decided to set his sights on a new journey. A journey which would lead to him being loved and remembered by all the people of Athens. During this time Athens had a severe problem, the neighboring island Crete would attack them every so often. The king of Athens decided to try and compromise with Crete. He stated if Crete left Athens alone for nine years they would send fourteen Athenian youths seven male and seven females as a sacrifice to Minos to be fed to the Minotaur king Minos pet. The king of Athens goal was to build a strong navy, so they could defend themselves from Crete. Surprisingly the king of Crete Mino kept his word and never attacked Athens. Now nine years had come, and it was Athens turn to keep their word. The king of Athens was conflicted as he knew the value of keeping one's word. Theseus seeing this as the perfect opportunity to earn new fame and liken his image in Athens volunteered as the seventh male Athenian youth. Theseus’s goal is to slay the Minotaur and save his fellow Athenians. Theseus promises his father, he will return alive and when he does, he will change the color of the sail on the ship from white to black. In the event the sails stay black his father should assume Theseus has met his demise. After the Athenians arrive in Crete they are welcomed by King Mino’s and princess Ariadne, upon seeing

They would be released into a labyrinth to fight the Minotaur, half man half bull monster. With the help of the king’s daughter, Theseus defeats the Minotaur and sails home. Though both stories may seem different, there are similar in many ways. Unnecessary cruelty, fake love, and volunteering to fight are all elements that are connect the stories

Theseus makes his decisions based on his pride that he gained from killing the Minotaur. This pride leads him to making the poor decision of helping his friend, Pirithous, to steal the wife of Hades, the god of death. When they entered the underworld Theseus introduced himself as the bravest king in the world and says that they are there to take Hades’ wife. This makes Hades laugh and tells the two men to take a seat. The seat, however, is a magical one.

Theseus, born of Aethra and Poseidon, grew up secretly in Troezen keeping him protected from those who would harm him. Thus, claiming the items his father left him and setting out for Athens, he started on the path leading to many great and heroic adventures.