Mythological Allusions4th Grade- McMillen

How Can Something So Old Still Be Used Today????

What Is an Allusion?

An allusion is any indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. This reference is one others recognize, such as a reference to a mythological character, historical event, hero or famous individual.

Example: He’s a real Michael Jordan; I know he’ll get a scholarship.

Adonis

• An extremely beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

•Allusion: an “Adonis” is any handsome young man.

Amazons• A nation of warrior

women descended from Ares, the God of War. The Amazons burned or cut off their right breasts so that they could use a bow and arrow more efficiently.

Figuratively: An “Amazon” is any large, strong, aggressive woman.

Cupid The Roman name of Eros, the god of love. In the

story of Cupid and Psyche, he is described as a

magnificently handsome young man.

Today Cupid is often symbolic of Valentine’s Day and is depicted as a chubby, winged infant who shoots arrows at people to make them fall in love.

Midas A king who was granted one wish by the god Dionysus.

Greedy for riches, Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He soon regretted his request. When he tried to eat, his food became inedible metal. When he embraced his daughter, she turned into a golden statue. On the instruction of Dionysus, he washed in a river and lost his touch of gold.

“A Midas Touch”

Today, a person who easily acquires riches is someone said to have the “Midas” touch.

Midas Now

Midas Then

Nemesis

The Greek goddess of Vengeance

Today, a “nemesis” is an avenger. One’s nemesis is that which brings on one’s destruction or downfall

The Labyrinth A vast maze on the

island of Crete where the King of Crete kept the Minotaur, half bull-half man. Very few people escaped from it. Only Theseus used a ball of string to find his way out of the maze once he’d killed the deadly Minotaur.

“Boy, this is complicated!”

A labyrinth can be literally a maze.

Or… it can be figuratively any highly intricate construction or problem.

Pandora The first woman,

created by Hephaestus, given treacherously to Epimetheus along with a box in which Prometheus had confined all the evils of the world; as expected, Pandora curiously opened the forbidden box and thus released into the world all troubles of mankind. By the time Pandora manages to close the lid, luckily only HOPE remains.

“What Have You Done???”

Today, a Pandora’s box is a prolific source of troubles or problems.

If one’s opens a Pandora’s box, he has created all kinds of problems for himself.

Phoenix A mythical bird of great beauty, the only one of its kind, fabled to live 500 or 600 years, to burn itself on a funeral pile, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years

“Rising Out of the Ashes”

Today, a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity can be called a phoenix.

Will New Orleans Rise from the Ashes?

America is a phoenix rising from the ashes of the 9/11 terrorists’ attack!

Hercules A mythical Greek hero

renowned for his great strength and for performing the 12 labors. Hercules performed these labors as retribution or payment for the slaying of his family while under Hera’s spell of madness.

Today, any act of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty is said to be Herculean.

Achilles In mythology,

Achilles was the greatest Greek warrior at Troy; he was also slayer of Hector, the Trojans best warrior.

Today, one’s Achilles’ heel is his weak point or character weakness.

The Trojan War and “Greeks Bearing Gifts”

The Greeks sneak into Troy in a “gift” meant to end the 10 year Trojan War, a wooden horse hiding sneaky Greeks.

Today, a “Greek bearing gifts” is one who is acting like they can be trusted when they cannot.

Tableau

• What is Tableau?

• Get into groups of 4-5.

• Choose your Greek Allusion.

• You have 4-5 minutes to practice.

• Perform for the class.

• Fairy Tale Tableau Example

The End!!

• For another presentation on Greek Allusions, go to our class website under student resources for the Prezi.

• http://mcmillen4th.weebly.com/