Transcript Theseus and the Minotaur

Theseus and the
Minotaur
A brave feat…
…and no more young
Athenians for feasts!
Characters
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King Minos (son of Zeus and Europa)
Queen Pasiphae (daughter of sun-god
Helios)
Daedalus (an Athenian architect)
Poseidon (god of the sea)
Minotaur (a monster born to Pasiphae)
Ariadne (King Minos’ daughter)
More Characters
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Aegeus (king of Athens, father to Theseus)
Theseus (hero from Troezen)
Princess Aethra (Theseus’ mother)
Medea (sorceress who married Aegeus)
Dionysus (god of wine)
Icarus (son of Daedalus)
King of Sicily
City of
Athens
City of
Troezen
Island
of
Naxos
Island of Sicily
Island of Crete
Aegean Sea
Who is Theseus’ father?
King Aegeus of Athens
 Theseus must move a large rock and find
the sandals and sword beneath it and
bring them to his father
 Some say
Poseidon is
his father…
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http://www.heritage-history.com/books/hawthorne/tanglewood/zpage032.gif
What is the Minotaur?
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half man, half beast (bull)
The minotaur lives
in a labyrinth built
by Daedalus, an
Athenian architect,
under the palace
of Cnossus on the
island of Crete
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Theseus_Minotaur_Mosaic.jpg
How many boys and girls will be
sacrificed to the Minotaur?
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7 girls, 7 boys
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/Francois/FRDa
nce.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/Francois.htm&usg=__jurpcC6GmNlvZ
wqdM74Ye6V9xDY=&h=270&w=500&sz=34&hl=en&start=40&zoom=1&tbnid=Geye4uEbV1sw
TM:&tbnh=70&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dathenian%2Byouths%2Band%2Bminotaur
%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D1%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/images/mlw_0001_0004
_0_img0191.jpg
Who does Theseus fall in love
with?
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Ariadne, King Minos’ daughter
Upon returning to Athens, Theseus leaves
Ariadne on the island of Naxos where she
marries Dionysus, the god of wine
http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Ariadne-L.jpg
Why does Aegeus kill himself?
Theseus, while hurriedly leaving Crete,
forgets to hoist the white sail of victory
after killing the Minotaur
 King Aegeus sees
the black sail and
jumps off a cliff
to his death
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http://www.dl.ket.org/latin1/gallery/myth/heroes/images/theseus_.jpg
Plot Graph
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Introduction:
Version #1: Medea, King Aegeus of
Athens, Theseus, Princess Aethra
Version #2: King Minos of Crete, Queen
Pasiphae, Daedalus, Poseidon, the
Minotaur
Complicating Incident:
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Version #1: Theseus arrives at King
Aegeus’ palace with the sandals and
sword; Theseus almost poisons him but
realizes he is his son
Version #2: Poseidon offers a bull to
Queen Pasiphae for her to sacrifice, but
she wants to keep it; Poseidon is angry
and punishes Pasiphae by causing her to
give birth to the Minotaur
Rising Action, Crisis, Climax
Crisis: Theseus kills Minotaur
Crisis: Ariadne aids Theseus with ball
of twine if he will marry her
Theseus offers to fight
Minotaur
Theseus comes to Athens & brings
sword & golden sandals
Minos demands 14 Athenians fed
to Minotaur every 9 years
Son of Minos visists Athens and is killed
King Minos wages war with islands for
prisoners as good
Daedalus creates labyrinth
Complicating Incident: Pasiphaie gives birth to the
Minotaur