Myths
In which Greek myth does a father warn his son not to fly too close to the sun?
Icarus and Daedalus
In which myth is the main character granted the power to turn anything he touches to gold?
King Midas
In Crime and Punishment, what concept from a famous Greek tragedy is used?
Oedipus complex
The Greek myth of Medusa explains how a once beautiful woman shifted into a monster-like creature with hair of snakes and eyes that turn people to stone following an assault in Athena’s temple. Much later, the hero Perseus is sent to kill her and use her head to defeat her, displaying what theme?
Revenge/Betrayal/Transformation
In which Greek myth does the fulfillment of an initial prophecy lead to the blindness of the main character?
Oedipus Rex
This character from Greek mythology is invincible, except if he is struck in one particular place…hint: it is a body part
Achilles
What character in Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man references a famous Greek mythological figure (1), and what figure is it (2)? (100 pt per part)
Daedalus and Stephen Daedalus
Athena’s aid to Odysseus on his journey home is an example of which common Greek theme?
Divine Intervention
Which well-known Greek myth depicts the senselessness of conflict after a prince abducts the wife of a king, leading to a 10-year war?
The Trojan Horse/War
What figure eats pomegranate seeds, and as a result has to spend a certain number of months in the Underworld?
Persephone
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, these characters famously recite “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble…”. What entity are these characters (1), how many are there (2), and what mythological figures do they represent (3)? (100 points for each answer part)
Witches, three, the Three Sisters of Fate
Narcissus’s obsession with his own appearance in a pool of water eventually led to his death, showing what theme?
Vanity/Self-Destruction
In which Greek myth does the main character blind Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops, instigating wrath on his journey home?
The Odyssey
Who aids Odysseus in his journey back to Ithaca? Hint: It’s a popular goddess.
Athena
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gatsby sees Daisy in an idealized manner. His obsession with his own past is similar to which mythological character’s infatuation with self-image?
Narcissus
Hercules is an embodiment of what main themes?
strength/perseverance/heroism/redemption
In Pandora’s Box, what does Prometheus specifically steal, prompting Zeus to create Pandora and give her a jar filled with various evils for humanity?
Fire
Who challenges the goddess Athena to a weaving contest and gets turned into a spider for her disrespect?
Arachne
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley emphasizes how characters chasing unrealistic utopian ideals often face dangers, just like which character’s fall after chasing excess?
Icarus
The three sisters Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos are representations of what theme? Hint: they weave the threads of human destiny
Fate/Inevitability/Unchanging destiny