Perseus and the Gorgons
Why did Perseus accept the challenge of defeating Medusa a Gorgon?
Perseus longed to prove that he was the bravest and most courageous of all.
Vocabulary - Provide a definition for each word.
alleviate
perilous
conceited
alleviate - to give relief, reduce pain or discomfort
perilous - full of danger or risk
conceited - excessively proud of oneself
Vocabulary - Provide a definition for each word.
persuasion
adorned
endure
persuasion - The ability to make someone believe something.
adorned - To make beautiful or to decorate with things of beauty.
endure - To last or survive through something difficult or unwanted.
Vocabulary - Provide definitions for each word.
dwell (verb)
dexterity
audacity
dwell - To think about something at length, usually about a negative thing.
dexterity - Skill with performing tasks using your hands.
audacity - Acting with rude or disrespectful behavior.
The king of all of the gods and goddesses.
Zeus
Tell what happened to the evil king at the end of the story.
The king did not believe that Perseus killed Medusa. Perseus pulled out the head of Medusa and the king looked at Medusa's face - this caused the king to turn into stone.
Provide 3 characteristics that describe Phaeton.
embarrassed, conceited, boastful, stubborn, demanding, determined, confident, and more if appropriate.
Zeus ordered his son, Hephaestus, to create a woman. Tell how this woman, Pandora, was created. Provide 4 details.
Precious metals were used to create her body.
The Four Winds breathed life into her.
Each god gave her a gift - great beauty, musical talent, power of persuasion, clothing of silvery robes, and a golden crown.
Which god or goddess taught mortals how to weave?
Athena - goddess of wisdom
The god who pulled the Sun across the sky.
Apollo
Vocabulary - Provide the definition for each word.
barren
writhing
ominous
barren - lifeless, empty, having no value
writhing - twisting or squirming
ominous - the feeling that something bad is going to happen.
Tell how the devastation created by Phaeton was corrected and who was involved.
Zeus saw the devastation and use a great lightning bolt to knock Phaeton off the chariot. The horses then turned upward - cooling the Earth.
Why was Zeus concerned that Pandora "was perfect"?
What did he do to correct this?
Zeus said that only the gods and goddesses could be perfect. Pandora was not a goddess. He gave her the gift of curiosity and a sealed jar that she was not allowed to open.
When Athena dressed as an old woman, she asked Arachne if she got her skill from the goddess Athena. How did Arachne respond?
Arachne said that her weaving skills did not come from Athena. She also said that "Athena's weaving cannot be as fine as mine" and that Athena "could take lessons from me" (Arachne).
The god with winged sandals.
Hermes
Provide 4 details to describe the monsters known as Gorgons.
Half woman - half dragon
Bodies covered with scales
Hands made of brass
Faces beautiful and sinister
No hair, instead had snakes on their heads
Bright eyes that would turn you into stone
Apollo gave Phaeton "warnings" as he prepared to drive the golden chariot. What were the 3 warnings?
Spare the whip.
Keep tight hold on the reins.
Stay in the center of the path so that the sky and Earth receive equal heat.
What happened when Pandora's curiosity got the best of her? Provide details.
She peeked inside the jar, tugging off the lid.
A buzzing swarm of evils burst out into the world to include - disease, envy, spite, revenge, anxiety, and misfortune. Zeus also included a tiny bit of hope.
Arachne continued to state that her weaving was more beautiful than Athena's weaving. How did Athena react or respond to Arachne's statements?
Athena took off her costume and revealed that she was the goddess Athena. Athena then stated there would be a weaving contest between herself and Arachne.
The goddess of growing things.
Demeter
The following gods gave gifts to Perseus to help him defeat the Gorgons. Tell what gift was given by each god.
Mercury, Pluto, Minerva
Mercury - Winged sandals
Pluto - Golden helmet of invisibility
Minerva - Shiny shield that acted as a mirror
What were the consequences of Phaeton's lack of skill while driving the chariot? List four.
The horses sensed a new master and didn't stay on the path. He lost control of the reins. The sky monsters grabbed at him and he swerved downward. The clouds began to smoke. The fields became parched. The rivers and seas started to evaporate.
Explain why you think Zeus gave Pandora the jar.
also
Do you think he accomplished his goal?
Accept reasonable answers - they should include some of these details.
He didn't want her to be perfect like the gods.
He knew she would open the jar leaving out the evils, but he also gave hope to help with the evils.
Why did Arachne lose the weaving contest? What happened to Arachne after the contest?
Arachne presented the gods as angry and vengeful in her woven piece.
Also, Arachne was very disrespectful of the gods.
Athena turned Arachne into a spider so that she could practice her weaving the rest of her life.
The king of the Underworld.
The queen of the Underworld.
King - Hades
Queen - Persephone