Heroes and Monsters. Annabel Orchard

Transcription

1 Heroes and Monsters Annabel Orchard

2 Heroic narratives Heroes of Greek myth? Heroes of our culture? Odysseus & the Sirens, Athenian redfigure stamnos C5th B.C., British Museum: Superman S symbol, not subject to copyright, Wikimedia Commons:

3 Themes and patterns in heroic biography Lord Raglan, The Hero, 22 categories Joseph Campbell s monomyth : The Hero with a Thousand Faces

4 Themes and patterns in heroic biography Helpful? Identifies common aspects suggest common preoccupations Shortcomings? Reductionist Overlooks individual tendencies: intellectual, physical, emotional

5 Themes and patterns in heroic biography Close to the gods Living on the margins Quest pattern Confrontation with death Rite of passage

6 Through birth Close to the gods Through affinity Through divine gifts and accoutrements Hephaistos gives arms and armour to Thetis/ Late Archaic Attic Red Figure Kylix: ca BCE, Antiken-museen, Berlin, Germany Catalogue No.: Berlin F2294

7 Living on the margins Parentage: often human/ divine Aspire to status of gods Myths show human norms/ human limitations Bellerophon Bellerophon on Pegasus spears the Chimera, on an Attic red-figure epinetron B.C. Marsyas Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License

8 The quest pattern Typical element of hero myth Journey over land or sea/ journey into unknown Often sent on journey so that they will be killed Face danger, monsters etc. Bring back object, person, knowledge

9 The Heroic Quest Individual quests/ collective quests Jason and the Argonauts The Trojan War Jason & the Dragon, Athenian red figure kylix C5th BCE, Gregorian Etruscan Museum, Vatican City.

10 Rite of passage? A narrative representation of a coming of age? Heroes usually young males Hero faces death, overcomes it: death to childhood, rebirth as adult Sexual maturity: hero rescues/ abducts/ destroys females Theseus carrying off Antiope with Peirithoos. Detail from an Athenian red-figure clay vase, about 490 BC. Paris, Musée du Louvre G197

11 Confrontation with death Facing lifethreatening challenges Communion with the dead Homer, Odyssey 11. Literal journey to Underworld (and back) Athenian red-figure clay vase, about 490 BC. Paris, Musée du Louvre G197 Herakles and Cerberus. Archaic Attic black figure hydria, ca BCE, oledo Museum of Art,

12 Herakles as Hero Definitive or unique?

13 Birth of Herakles Persecuted by Hera Early attempt on his life Childhood strength The baby Hercules wrestles with the snakes Hera has sent. Photograph by Maria Daniels. Louvre G 192, Attic red figure stamnos, c BCE:

14 Heroic career of Heracles Praxeis (deeds done by his own free will) Parerga (incidental episodes) Athloi (12 labours)

15 12 labours A penalty for the murder of his children If he performs labours, he will achieve immortality Athene aids him

16 12 labours A reconstruction the metopes from the temple of Zeus at Olympia

17 Death and apotheosis Brought to Olympos, marries Hera s daughter Hebe Athene brings Herakles to Zeus on Olympos, Early Archaic black figure kylix signed by the Phrynos Potter: ca 560 BCE, British Museum, London, United Kingdom: Catalogue No.: London B424

18 Further reading Sophocles, Women of Trachis Euripides, Heracles Herakles on the Perseus Project: The Heroic Quest

19 Mythic Monsters Name some monsters from Greek myths

20 Hybrids Centaurs Minotaur Chimaera Harpies Sirens Odysseus & the Sirens, Athenian red-figure stamnos C5th BCE, British Museum

21 Amazons race of warrior women Appear in earliest sources of Greek myth, e.g. Iliad Foreign, barbarian Theseus carrying off Antiope with Peirithoos. Detail from an Athenian red-figure clay vase, about 490 BC. Paris, Musée du Louvre G197

22 Amazons Historical reality? Feminist icon? Male fantasy? Monstrous inversion? 3/3f/Xena_Logo.jpg

23 Crossing Boundaries Outdoor ad for Toohey s five Seeds cider, Feb 2012 accessed 20 March 2012: Image:

24 Who are the monsters in our culture? And what does that say about us? Next lecture: The Heroic Quest!