Monster Of Greek Mythology

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Jorie Singer Accelerated English December 12, 2010 Monsters of Greek Mythology Ancient Greek culture has significantly affected the development of western civilization and influenced modern society. Homer’s The Odyssey weaves the tale of a journey of personal transformation through danger, temptation and self-examination. The monsters of ancient Greek mythology test the bravery and cleverness of Homer’s heroes. Arguably, the most infamous journey is Odysseus’s travels to Ithaca. For about twenty years he fought to overcome monsters and reach his destination. Similar to contemporary odysseys, his destination is only reached once he learns the lessons along the way. As Odysseus recounts his travels from Troy we are introduced to several monsters. In modern society monsters represent terrifying, horrible creatures, but in Greek mythology these fantastic creatures come in all shapes and sizes (Monsters and Imaginary Beasts). Sometimes they are fabulous beauties and other times they are horrible demons. According to Arthur Cotterell’s Classical Mythology, “monsters symbolize the dark and unresolved forces in life and human nature” (56). The monsters in the Odyssey serve as warnings and lessons that haunt people. Homer uses the one-eyed Cyclopes to symbolize the narrow mindedness of people who view the world through a single lens. In her book, Mythology, Edith Hamilton describes monsters as living beings unlike anything else known to man. The giant Cyclopes, with one enormous eye in the middle of its forehead and great physical power, easily captures Odysseus and his men when they focus simply on the destination, rather than the journey. Odysseus realizes that with just one eye, the Cyclopes can only see what is in his view. He devises a plan to take advantage of the monster’s vulnerability and escapes. Even today we focus solely on the destination, forgetting
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