zeus
posiedon
hercules
orpheus
cupid
jason
achilles
Inanna
odysseus
i need to write a 5 page paper about how mythology can be seen in today's society
if there are any other characters that can be seen in today's society, please let me know
2006-12-11 08:13:15 · 7 answers · asked by montclairstate10 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
First of all you have to make the distinction in your paper that today's society is not the same as the Ancient Greek pantheonic society. That aside...
Zeus can be seen as any person of political power that is quite popular. I might even use Bill Clinton as a representative of Zeus. Zeus was king of the gods and therefore the big guy in charge of the political structure in Olympus, much the same as a President if he were a respected dictator. Zeus also had a monogamy issue.
Poseidon is still reveared by sailors the world over in today's society, but not as the triton holding Seagod. Let's superimpose a female aspect over poseidon and call her a jealous sea or a jealous ship. There is so much ritual in sailing that is based on superstition from days long gone it is hard to identify why one does something that way.
Hercules is a little harder. I would dare say that the concept of Hercules attempts to sway every man over to bodybuilding. I guess Arnold Swarzenegger might be a decent avatar of Hercules assuming we are talking about 1980's 'Nold.
Orpheus is weird one. Orpheus was the god of music and had strong ties with Dionysis. Perhaps Orpheus was the first Rock Star of the Greeks.
Cupid survived into todays world by fatting up and becoming a festive little cherub with a bow. Shooting strangers in the figurative heart with love poison. Check him out at any website hosting Valentine Clip Art.
Jason has a great story associated with his name. An epic, a great detailed account very much like the stuff movies and plays contain with plot and motive and special effects. There have been many adaptations to JAson and the Argonaughts or the Golden Fleece or any other name the story is told under.
Achilles is another great story, rather simular to a sequel with new cast. Achilles is the son of one of the Argonaughts from the tale of Jason. A story of a man born of a slightly popular goddess or nymph and protected because of his future fate. It is another great movie of the greek time.
Inanna was a goddess of beauty and war. I pulled this description off a website. It might help give ya' a bit of identity to how she fit into the scheme of things. "Inanna's permanent status as "maiden" was irrespective of her behavior. The goddess of love and war, if she wasn't strapping on her battle sandals,[1] she was seen swaggering around the streets of her home town, dragging young men out of the taverns to have sex with her.[2]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanna
Odyesseus was probably the most famous of the heroes of greek times. He denied the gods their tithes and insisted man could live without the gods...where in he encountered problem after problem for being a sailor and not thanking poseidon for his seafaring bounty. I might equate a significant portion of the curious and guilty athieists to this identity. You know what I'm talking about. The athieist that deny any religious beliefs until they themselves begin to slip into Agnostism.
2006-12-11 08:57:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only did Disney do their version of Hercules, but there was a TV show, "Hercules : The Legendary Journeys" . Marvel Comics also has a version of Hercules and Thor, and the mythical gods in the Marvel universe live in another dimension . DC Comics features Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel who were granted their powers by the mythical gods . The mythical gods in the DC universe also live in their own dimension .
2006-12-11 09:34:48 · answer #2 · answered by I_hate_being_single 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hercules might be the most simple one...his counterpart is most obviously Superman...uber strong, family issues, not human...more than human in fact, possibly immortal, protecting mere humans from monsters that they cannot defeat, portrayed as a handsome, virile, strong young man...
Zeus...crazy horny thunder god, wildly egotistical...more of a shoot first and ask questions later...kind of a Captain James T. Kirk (the original Star Trek) kind of character...larger than life in everything he does, with big ol' guns and not afraid to use them...forever out seducing the ladies, brawling with the baddies and occasionally saving the world.
Orpheus...as a poet/musician/singer could be any of your favorite recording artists...keeping in mind that his is a tragic story with him losing his young wife, TWICE (Orpheus was supposed to have been able to play so beautifully that he won his wife back from the underworld...only to lose her again by looking back to make sure she was following, thereby breaking the deal he made with Hades) and finally ending with him being torn apart by the Maenads...One could look to Jimi Hendrix...seeing his impact on the musical world and the innovation, soul and depth of his work...his untimely death 'torn apart' by his personal demons.
Other characters...well the one that immediately springs to mind is Captain Jack Sparrow as a counterpart to Loki, the Norse God of mischief...a blatant anti-hero, drinking, fighting and stealing with an eye for the ladies and a penchant for thumbing his nose at athority. He's a cocky bugger, but you can't help but love the bastard!
Hope this all helps...and good luck on your paper!
2006-12-11 09:00:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well posiedon is portrayed in an excedrin commercial, disney made a movie and tv show about hercules, cupid is seen every valentines day. I will think of more and edit this response. Hope this helps
2006-12-11 08:23:04 · answer #4 · answered by Nelly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cupid can be found in the heart of the matchmaker trying to help her friend find love.
Jason is found in anyone who has ever moved to a new City or Town to find work.
Odysseus is like a the man who goes off to war only to find when he comes back another is trying to take his place.
The rest is up to you or the other good people here.
2006-12-11 08:42:40 · answer #5 · answered by Tedi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the Gatorade bottle is a lightning bolt which according to Greek/Roman mythology symbolizes the weapon that Zeus had used as a god.
2006-12-11 08:49:27 · answer #6 · answered by zummo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tantalus--was a former King whose punishment was to stand in the river Hades the fruit on the tree above him is always just out of reach and the water receded everytime he tried to drink.
2016-05-23 06:13:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋