Greek Myths and Monsters
Name:
_____________________________________
Teacher:
_____________________________________
Lesson 2: Describing Scylla
Name: ________________________
Task one: Read the extract and then answer the questions on the PowerPoint.
The Scylla was a sea-monster who haunted the rocks of a narrow strait opposite the
whirlpool of Charybdis. Ships who sailed too close to her rocks would lose six men to
her ravenous, darting heads. The poet Homer describes Scylla as a creature with twelve
dangling feet, six long necks and grisly heads lined with a triple row of sharp teeth. The
mythology says that her necks would extend out to passing ships and grab sailors,
crushing them against the rocks she sat on before devouring them. Her voice sounded
like the yelping of dogs. In classical art she was depicted as a fish-tailed sea-goddess
with a cluster of dog heads surrounding her waist. As a sea monster, however, Scylla
could not move from her rock, so she was forever stuck on the Straight of Messina as a
monster, instinctively devouring anything or anyone edible that sailed by.
Scylla wasn't always a monster though. According to certain stories in later Greek
mythology Scylla was actually a beautiful sea nymph (similar to a fairy) who the sea
god Glaucus fell in love with. When Glaucus went to the witch Circe to ask her to cast a
love spell on Scylla, Circe became jealous of his love and instead cursed the sea nymph
into becoming the ferocious sea monster.
Task two: What would we describe?
Task three: Describing Scylla
Articl
e
(the/
a)
Adjective
(describin
g word)
Noun
(object)
Verb
(expressing
action)
Adverb (-ly
word describing
action)
,
The
savage
Scylla
struck
hungrily
,
Present
participle
(-ing verb)
ripping
Continue writing, using
whichever structures and
words suit.
Lesson 3: Describing Scylla
Can you upgrade this paragraph by slowing down the narrative and including ambitious adjectives,
vivid verbs and additional adverbs?
Once you have upgraded by adding in your own ideas and vocabulary, continue writing
descriptively concentrating on a slow description of Scylla and then the moment she attacks!
The boat was rocking from side to side. I held onto the handrail. I felt afraid. The wind was whistling and
the sails were snapping. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was a very dark grey. I thought it might
rain. Suddenly, there was a crack of thunder. The men on the boat were shouting out to one another. We
began to drift into the shadow of the big cliffs above. It was very dark. I felt cold. I began to feel even
more afraid. I could hear a mysterious noise. I peered through the mist ahead…..
A shadow appeared to be moving. My knees shook.
I could see……….
Planning Space
Lesson 5: Medusa
King Polydectes, the king of
Seriphos, loved to insight fear into
his people. He was obsessed with
the beautiful Danae and wanted to
make her his queen – this love was
not returned.
Danae’s son, the strong Perseus, was
a threat to the king. Polydectes
decides to take Danae’s son out of
the equation and lead him into an
inescapable trap.
Vindictive [verb]
Being incredibly harsh,
aggressive and cruel.
Word Bank
Poverty [verb]
Being of a poor status and
unable to afford things.
The king behaves in a
vindictive way by pushing
Perseus into a trap.
The king is aware of Perseus’
poverty and uses it against
him.
Intentional [adjective]
Meaning or intending to
cause harm.
King Polydectes intentionally
pushes Perseus into a trap.
Perseus and Medusa
There was once a king called Polydectes who ruled on an island called Seriphos, and he fell in love
with a woman who happened to live in his palace. This woman was called Danae, and she had been
found washed up on the shores of the island along with a young son called Perseus, who now served
Polydectes as a soldier.
Now although Polydectes loved Danae, who was still very beautiful, Danae did not quite feel the
same way about Polydectes and the guilt of this unrequited love was slowly eating away at her. The
king was a tyrant (violent ruler), who took pleasure in watching his people cower at his presence
and avoid his eye contact. Left to himself, the king would have forced Danae to marry him, but of
course there was Perseus to consider.
Perseus was a strong boy, afraid of nothing and very quick-tempered – in short, just the sort to let
fly with a sword if anyone laid a finger on his mother. Worse still, he was very popular on the
island, and there would have been an uproar if something horrible had ‘accidentally’ happened to
him. Ultimately, he posed a threat to the great king.
Riddled with hate, the king pondered the thought for some time until, at last, he came up with a
plan. He deliberately announced his marriage but pretended that he was going to marry another
girl, the daughter of a friend of his. He then threw a great banquet and invited everyone in the
neighbourhood.
Of course, everybody brought gifts. Everyone but Perseus. When he showed up at the wedding, he
turned up empty-handed. Despite being very young, bold and strong, Perseus was also very poor;
he desperately tried to hide this flaw of his, but events like this exposed him.
When he saw Perseus, King Polydectes pretended to be furious. He threw his arms up in a rage, swearing
and spitting abuse at Perseus for this act of disrespect. However, on this inside he was secretly pleased,
for he has known all along that Perseus wouldn't be able to afford a present. His plan to humiliate the
poor boy in front of everyone had succeeded.
“What, no present!” he shouted. There were gasps of surprise around the banqueting tables.
“Don't you know that it is a tradition to bring your king a present when he decides to get married?”
“I’m sorry but I don't have any money, sire,” Perseus explained, head down and looking at his feet.
The king spat back, “No money! That’s what comes of being a lazy good-for-nothing!”
All these words were intended to rattle Perseus so he would lose his temper, and they worked. Building
with rage, his eyes began to twice and his face grew redder and redder. When he lifted his head to meet
the king’s eyes, Perseus’ hatred was written across his face. He had lost it.
“How dare you call me that!” Perseus blurted, “I am not, sir! And to prove it, you can have anything you
want for your wedding present. You only have to name it.”
Unable to hide his growing smirk, the king replied, “Anything?”
“Anything” Perseus said.
“What I would like for my wedding present is a Gorgon’s head. If you’re so clever and can bring me
anything, bring me a Gorgon’s head.”
Immediately, several of the courtiers lost their appetite with sheer terror. They knew what was awaiting
for Perseus.
“Very well, sire.” Perseus said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “if the head of a Gorgon is what you
want, then a head of a Gorgon is what you shall have”.
Perseus trotted out of the room, head held high and proud of the strength he showed in front of the
guests. Little did he know the fear they all felt for him, and the challenge that was awaiting him.
The Gorgons
Of all the monsters and beasts in Ancient Greece, the Gorgons were perhaps the most gruesome. Men
were petrified by them. The three Gorgons had once been very attractive girls, until they challenged
Athena. Medusa was besotted with herself and could not pull herself away from admiring herself every
second. When Athena overhead Medusa shunning her, she decided to teach her a lesson and make her
and her sisters the ugliest creatures to ever exist.
Instead of teeth they had sharp tusks like wild boars that snapped viciously at anyone bold enough to
stare. Their hands were made of bronze and they had wings on their shoulders. The most remarkable
feature about these horrors was their hair – it was made of living hissing snakes, slimy green and silver
snakes with spitting tongues and gleaming eyes. Sprouting out of the Gorgon’s skulls, there were dozens
of them, writhing over their foreheads, curling round their necks and twisting over their shoulders.
Everyone who saw the face of a Gorgon turned to stone. Cunningly, the king knew that Perseus would
never get near them. Even if he found them, he could not look at them; one look and he would be
doomed. As soon as Perseus set off on his seemingly hopeless mission, the coast was clear for Polydectes
to get to Danae.
Perseus travelled far but he found no trace of Medusa and her sisters. Worried, he began to contemplate
if it was a mistake to agree to the king’s request. Just when he was about to turn round and admit defeat,
a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, stepping out of the flames of his bonfire. It was a woman, tall
and beautiful and with bright eyes. On her head she wore a helmet, and she carried a spear and a
gleaming shield. It was Athena, goddess of wisdom.
“I know who you’re looking for,” she said boldly, “the only way to find Medusa is to ask the Grey Ones.
But anyone who sees Medusa turns to stone. Listen carefully, Perseus. Your life will depend on it…”
A short while later, Perseus crept up the Grey Ones who were sitting beside a bog arguing. They were
always arguing. They had been born with only one eye between the three of them. Perseus crept up
behind them as they argued and, before they could stop him, snatched away the eye.
“I’ve got your eye,” Perseus demanded “and I won’t give it back until you tell me where I can find
Medusa”.
The Grey Ones, alarmed by his presence, stamped their feet and bellowed, “Who is it?” “Can’t see him.”
“Bite him!”
“If you don't tell me,” Perseus continued, “I’ll throw your eye away and you’ll never see anyone again.”
“Agreed,” the Grey Ones ground their teeth, “there’s a big cave in the valley down there.”
They chuckled, “And make sure you get a good look at Medusa”
“Look her straight in the eye. You’ll never forget your first sight of Medusa.”
Perseus gave them back their eye and left them, their laughter piercing and cackling in his ears.
Athena had not only told Perseus how to kill Medusa, she had given him the means. He now carried her
brightly polished shield in one hand and his sword in the other. He knew that he must be getting close to
Medusa’s cave. The valley in which he stood was filled with stone people, some trapped as they turned to
run, others frozen in horror, their mouths open, the screams still on their lips.
Now Perseus saw the mouth of a large cave, yawning darkly at him. Holding the shield tightly, he climbed
up the gentle slope and, taking a deep breath, entered the gloom.
“Medusa!” he called out. His voice sounded lost in the shadows. Something moved at the back of the cave.
“Medusa!” he repeated. Now he could hear hissing. “I am Perseus!”
“Perseus!” came a deep, throaty voice from the back of the cave. “Have you come to see me?”
The Gorgon stepped forward into the light. For a dreadful moment, Perseus was tempted to look up at
her, to meet her eyes. He felt drawn to it. The urge to see what was so fearsome about this beast was
pushing him closer.
With all his strength, he kept his head turned away and instead of looking at Medusa, he looked at her
reflection in the shield. Peering closely, he could see her rotting green skin, her poisonous red eyes and her
yellow gritting teeth, all reflected in the polished bronze. He lifted the sword.
“Look at me! Look at me!” the Gorgon demanded.
Still he kept his eyes on the shield. Now the reflection was huge, the teeth snarling at him out of the shield. The snakes
writhed furiously, hissing with the sound of red-hot needles being plunged into water.
“Look at me!”
How could he find her when all he could see was the reflection? Surely it would be easier to kill her if he took just one
quick look at her, just to make sure he did not miss…
Knowing the temptation was becoming too much, Medusa sneered, “Yes. That is right. Look at me!”
Perseus felt a wave of danger ripple through his body – he knew this was a trap! With a despairing cry, he bellowed,
“No!”
Perseus swung wildly with his sword. He felt the sharp steel bite into flesh and bone. The Gorgon screamed. He heard a
thump. The snakes exploded around her as the whole thing flew from her shoulders, bounced against the cave wall and
rolled to the ground. A fountain of blood spouted out of her neck and her body crumpled. At last, it was over. Still not
looking at it, Perseus picked up the grim trophy of his victory and dropped it into a heavy sack. He had done it.
Perseus’ Success
By the time his search for the Gorgon was over, a whole year had passed. When he returned, the first person he saw
was a fisherman.
The man burst into tears, “Oh, master Perseus! It was your mother the wicked king wished to marry. Once you were gone,
he tried to force her and when she refused, he made her the palace washerwoman. For a whole year she has been
scrubbing floors. It’s terrible.”
Perseus’ stomach dropped. His success seemed like a distant memory now.
Trying to not reveal his fury, he gritted his teeth and said, “I will put a stop to this – watch me!”
Enraged, he strode into the palace, where King Polydectes was sitting on this throne.
“Greetings, sire!” he called out to the astonished monarch, “it is I, Perseus, returned after twelve long months. I bring with
me a present that you asked for.”
“A Gorgon’s head?” Polydectes sneered. “highly unlikely!”
“Don't you believe me, sire?” Perseus queried, returning the sneer.
“Certainly not,” the king said.
“Would you believe your own eyes?”
“Have you got it there?” the king pointed at the sack, in disbelief.
“See for yourself.” Perseus ordered.
Just as the king peered inside the sack, Perseus lifted the Gorgon’s head out of the sack and held it up for the king to
see.
“That’s not the …” King Polydectes got no further than that.
Suddenly, there was a stone statue leaning out of the throne, a stone sneer on its stone face. Medusa’s curse had come
into use. The king’s betrayal of Perseus spread around the kingdom and Perseus became king. For a long time, the
people had longed for a caring leader who would hold their best interests at heart. As for the tyrant, Polydectes, he was
put in the palace garden, and is still there to this day.
Lesson 6: Analysing Medusa
Task One: Read the Extract
The Horrible Tale of Medusa
Medusa is known as a monster, but what led a beautiful and faithful servant girl to turn into
a snake monster?
One of the most popular beings from Greek mythology is not even a god or a monster; she
is actually a cursed woman who is a victim to a horrendous crime. Her name meant
"guardian" and "protectress." Her tale shows the cruelty of the Greek gods and how
mankind is nothing but items to the gods. Medusa is known as a woman with snakes for hair
and a gaze that turns men into stone. But who knows the truth behind this woman? This is her
story.
Medusa was a priestess to the goddess Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom and battle.
One requirement to be a priestess for Athena is that the young woman must be a virgin and
give her life to the goddess. One day, Poseidon, the god of the Sea and rival to Athena,
saw Medusa and decided to humiliate Athena by attacking the priestess on the steps of
Athena's temple. Poseidon vanished after he was done and left Medusa vulnerable and
weak.
Medusa prayed to Athena for guidance and forgiveness. After all, in those days, the gods
claimed their mates as their partner forever, and Medusa was now Poseidon's wife. Athena
looked down in anger and cursed Medusa for betraying her. Medusa was sent to a faraway
island and was cursed so that no man would want her. She was given chicken legs, giant
metal wings, cracked skin, madness, and her signature snake hair and stone eyes. Medusa
was now a monster woman.
Medusa was banished from civilization to an island by herself. She was alone and only saw
men chase her, trying to kill her. She looked at them in fear and saw them turn to stone in
front of them. She was scared of her powers and angry at the gods for cursing her. She took
her revenge on the men that were sent to kill her. Anybody who took one step on her island
were marked now for death at the hands of the Gorgon Medusa.
Years later and many men later, Perseus came to the island with a shield from Athena, flying
shoes from Hermes and a sword and crown from Zeus. He outsmarted Medusa and cut off
her head to take back with him to save his mother from marrying a jerk. From Medusa's
body came a winged horse, Pegasus, and a golden warrior named Chrysaor. Many years
later, Perseus presented the head of Medusa to Athena, who took the severed head and
turned it into an ultimate shield with a metal head of Medusa terrifying many enemies with a
single look.
Medusa was a loyal woman who spent her youth training to become a priestess to a
goddess she worshiped and believed was the strongest of all the Olympians. Athena also
liked Medusa because Medusa was a beautiful woman who chose the goddess instead of
any man. Medusa, after being attacked, was cursed for betraying her goddess. Medusa's
destiny was a harsh one she had no control over. This is one story that shows the cruelty of
the Greek Gods.
Task Two: Answer the Following Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
What was Medusa before she was known as a monster?
What did Medusa’s name mean?
What does this tale claim to teach its readers?
Which Goddess did Medusa give her life to?
What punishment did Athena give Medusa?
Find 3 details about how Medusa looked once she had been cursed.
How did Medusa feel about her powers?
How did Medusa get her revenge?
What happened to Medusa after she was killed?
In the final paragraph, what 2 adjectives are used to describe Medusa?
What do you believe is the purpose of this myth?
Is this myth historical, psychological or aetiological? Or none? Explain why.
Task Three: Villain or Victim
Quotation to prove she
is a monster
How is this effective?
Quotation to prove she
is a victim
How is this effective?
Lesson 7: Using Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs to Describe
Task One: Annotate the extracts for any interesting verbs used to describe Medusa.
1. Highlight the example of a verb, adjective or adverb
2. Label what this tells us about Medusa
3. Annotate why this is effective
Of all the monsters and beasts in Ancient Greece, the Gorgons were
perhaps the most gruesome. Men were petrified by them. The three Gorgons
had once been very attractive girls, until they challenged Athena. Medusa
was besotted with herself and could not pull herself away from admiring
herself every second. When Athena overhead Medusa shunning her, she
decided to teach her a lesson and make her and her sisters the ugliest
creatures to ever exist.
…
Instead of teeth they had sharp tusks like wild boars that snapped viciously
at anyone bold enough to stare. Their hands were made of bronze and they
had wings on their shoulders. The most remarkable feature about these
horrors was their hair – it was made of living hissing snakes, slimy green and
silver snakes with spitting tongues and gleaming eyes. Sprouting out of the
Gorgon’s skulls, there were dozens of them, writhing over their foreheads,
curling round their necks and twisting over their shoulders. Everyone who saw
the face of a Gorgon turned to stone. Cunningly, the king knew that Perseus
would never get near them. Even if he found them, he could not look at them;
one look and he would be doomed. As soon as Perseus set off on his
seemingly hopeless mission, the coast was clear for Polydectes to get to
Danae.
…
With all his strength, he kept his head turned away and instead of looking
at Medusa, he looked at her reflection in the shield. Peering closely, he could
see her rotting green skin, her poisonous red eyes and her yellow gritting
teeth, all reflected in the polished bronze. He lifted the sword.
Task Two: Complete the table analysing the words you have chosen
Quotation
Word Class
Why is this effective?
What does this reveal about
Medusa?
Lesson 8: Describing Medusa
Task One: Annotate the image of Medusa planning out what you will describe about her appearance.
Task Two: Plan out your description of Medusa
Adjectives used to describe her
Verbs used to describe how she
moves
Appearance
Movement
Adverbs used to describe how she
moves and speaks
Lesson 9: The Greek Story of Betrayal
Theseus and the Minotaur
King Minos, the king of Crete, had a monstrous son
called the Minotaur – he would only eat human flesh.
King Minos had to find a way to feed his son.
When King Minos takes seven men from Athens,
Theseus must find a way to stop this murderous beast.
Theseus is pushed to lie to Ariadne, the Minotaur’s
sister, to save himself, the other kingdoms and stop the
beast.
Betray [verb]
Being disloyal and going against
what you have said.
Word Bank
Deceive [verb]
Lying to someone to make
them think a certain way.
Unintentional [adjective]
Not meaning or intending to
cause harm.
Theseus betrays Ariadne so he can
save himself.
Theseus deceives Ariadne and
makes her think he loves her.
The Minotaur unintentionally
murders people – he must eat.
Minos, king of Crete, had a monstrous son with the body of a man and the head of a bull. He was called the
Minotaur. He was kept in a maze of tunnels, a twisting labyrinth underneath the king’s palace. The creature
would only eat human flesh. The king knew that, if he were to feed the monster with his own people, they would
rise up against him and overthrown him. But the creature was his own son, of royal blood. He could not let him
starve to death. What was he to do?
One of his advisers said, “Many nations fear you, your majesty. You must demand that each kingdom send
seven young men a year.”
The plan was set. Each kingdom of Greece was forced to send seven young men, seven young men who would
never be heard of again. They would feed his beastly son. Like wildfire, rumours travelled from Crete with
trading ships, rumours of a flesh-eating beast beneath Minos’ palace.
When the turn of Athens came, the city’s king could not bring himself to send seven young Athenians to a
horrible death. He delayed and delayed. Eventually King Minos, furious, set sail himself with a fleet of ships
and, when the people of Athens saw the ships of King Minos slicing through the waves, every man woman and
child shuddered in fear. They knew what was coming. They had heard stories about Minos’ monstrous son and
the word ‘Minotaur’ had been whispered from mouth to ear.
What was more, the last time Minos had visited the city he had taken the inventor, Daedalus, and the boy,
Icarus. Father and son had never been seen again. They knew the myth and they knew to avoid the king at all
costs. As soon as the ships reached the quayside, King Minos and his soldiers leapt ashore, preying on the
people.
They marched through the streets and, wherever the king saw a young man of noble bearing, he would bellow,
“I order you to seize him now!”
Six young men had been taken when they reached the palace of King Aegeus, the king of Athens. Standing
behind the king’s throne there was a beautiful young man with a crown of laurel leaves on his head. He looked
like a god. He could almost have been Ares, the beautiful god of war.
King Minos lifted his arm, pointed and declared, “He will be the seventh!”
Distraught, King Aegeus fell to the ground at Minos’ feet and begged, “Please, he is my own son, my only son,
Theseus. I beg you, spare his life!”
Minos, looking down at the king, kicked him aside, “Seize him.”
The two words sliced through King Aegeus. He felt defeated. His sole duty was to protect his kingdom and his family
– he had failed. King Aegeus flinched and hunched over as he watched his beloved son being dragged away. He
was numb with pain.
The seven Athenian youths were bundled aboard a Cretan ship. For three days and nights they sailed, unable to think
about anything other than what awaits them at King Minos’ palace. When they reached the island of Crete, they
were led to the king’s palace by a glittering procession. They were invited to sit down to a feast, but as they tasted
the savoury meats and sipped the sweet wines, they could hear the sound of keys turning in locks and they knew they
were trapped. This was it.
That night they slept on silken sheets under purple blankets, but the next morning there were only six of them at the
breakfast table. As they ate, they heard the distant sound of screaming from somewhere far below. Five pushed their
plates away but Theseus chewed his food and listened, a strange half-smile playing across his face.
King Minos entertained his guests, attempting to make himself feel better for the murder he had arranged for each
one of them. The finest Cretan runners, leapers, wrestlers and archers were invited to compete with the Athenians.
Theseus defeated every one of them. And in the evenings, the king’s beautiful daughter, Princess Ariadne, would
dance for them. She wore a crown that burst into flickering flames if stone was struck against iron. It made the
shadows of the hall dance alongside her. She brought light to their dreadful situation.
One morning, there were five of them at the breakfast table, and then there were four. Ariadne couldn’t take her
eyes off Theseus. She was infatuated. When he was running or wrestling, she would be watching him in admiration.
When she was dancing, her eyes were fixed on him, hoping he was watching her every move. Theseus felt the weight
of her gaze and smiled to himself – he knows what to do to get himself out of here. Then there were three of them at
the breakfast table. And then two.
When no one was watching, Theseus seized Ariadne’s hand and said, “Ariadne, from the moment I first saw you I
have loved you.”
She looked at him and tears trickled down her cheeks. She shook her head, pulled her hand away and ran out of the
hall. The next morning, Theseus found that he was alone at the breakfast table. He waited for his chance and then
approached Ariadne again. He had to make him love her – his life depended on it!
He whispered, “Ariadne, is there nobody who could help me? If I could escape, I would take you with me.”
He gulped, trying to not reveal his lies, “We could live a happy life together!”
Ariadne could not help herself. She melted into his arms; she pressed her lips to his lips.
“Yes, yes. There is someone!” She replied.
That night she crept out of the palace and placed, just inside the maze, the things Theseus would need to kill her
monstrous brother, the Minotaur. Then she tiptoed into Theseus’ bedchamber. She leaned over the bed, gazing at his
godly face.
“My love, when they take you to the labyrinth, feel amongst the shadows to your left. You will find my crown to light
your way; you will find a ball of golden thread so that you will not get lost; and you will find a bronze sword for my
brother. I will be waiting for you outside.”
She kissed him and slipped away. The next morning King Minos was amazed – he had done it! Theseus came out of
his bedroom of his own free will – no need to drag him screaming. Surely by now he understood his fate? He was
cracking jokes with the guards. The guards muttered to one another, mocking Theseus for his arrogance.
Down to the maze they went where the darkness swallowed him, and there was silence. Theseus felt among the
shadows, his fingers closed around Ariadne’s crown. He lifted it onto his head. He felt for the iron and stone and
struck them together. The crown blazed with light and now he could see. He tied the end of the ball of golden
thread to a snag of rock. He picked up the bronze sword. He began to make his way into the labyrinth,
unravelling the thread as he went. He wound to the left and to the right. Above his head, the shadows danced.
Below his feet, there were shreds of rag and splinters of bone, picked clean.
Suddenly, he could hear it, grunting and snorting. Then, he could smell it, the sour smell of stale sweat and the
sickly sweet stench of rotten flesh. He rounded a bend and saw it – the human body, the great bull head: the
Minotaur.
The monster was filled with terror. His night sight had never endured such brightness before. He lurched and lost
his balance, blinded. Theseus laughed. This was easy! He plunged his sword into the beast’s belly, watching with
delight as it staggered and fell. The Minotaur, defeated, dropped to his hands and his knees, felt something
pierce his skin over and over. He wanted to beg for mercy but no one had taught him the words with which to
speak. He screamed, again and again, looking around the room desperately for help. Theseus stabbed the
Minotaur. He stabbed its neck, its arms, its thighs, its chest. He opened a constellation of wounds.
It sank to its knees. He seized one of its horns and he hacked off its head. Then he wound in the golden thread
and followed the tunnels to right and left, dragging the head behind him. All he could feel was courage – he had
done it.
At last he saw the entrance. He crouched and waited until the night came. Apprehensively, Ariadne was waiting
outside. When the stars were shining, Theseus came out of the labyrinth and lifted the great bull head. He thrust
it onto a stake. Then he seized Ariadne’s hand and they ran to the harbour. They jumped onto the deck of a ship;
they cut the ropes and sailed away. Before they left the harbour, they set fire to the fleet of Cretan ships so that
a black pall of smoke rose into the sky, extinguishing the lights of the stars.
Ariadne had never felt happiness like this – she felt complete. Every night, Theseus would whisper promises into
her ears, reassuring her of the life he wants with her by his side. Little did she know, it was all part of his plan.
“Such wealth, such happiness will be ours when you become a queen of Athens,” he assured her lovingly.
After several days they came to the island of Naxos. Theseus suggested they go ashore for fresh meat and fresh
fruit. That night they lit a fire on the beach. They ate; they talked; they laughed; they danced in the firelight.
Then they slept in the warmth of the embers.
In the middle of the night Ariadne woke and reached over to snuggle into her lover. To her surprise, she was
alone. She sat up and looked about herself, contemplating where Theseus could be. Not once did she feel
anxious – she knew Theseus’ love for her was too strong.
By the light of the moon she could see the ship. She could see the anchor chain was being lifted. She could see
the sails were being unfurled. Urgently, she ran down to the water’s edge.
“Theseus!” she howled desperately.
From the deck of the ship came the sound of laughter – cold, hard laughter. It pierced through her.
“Sister of a bull, these were all you gave me that were worth anything. Take them back.”
There was a thud behind her, and then another, and then a third. She turned and saw her crown, the ball of
golden thread and the bronze sword, lying on the sand.
“Sister of a bull, ponder this as you wander the coast of Naxos, bellowing and blaring. I never loved you. I never
ever loved you, and now I am free to forget you.”
The wind filled the sails, the prow of the ship sliced through the waves, and Theseus was gone. Ariadne dropped
to her knees, feeling like she had been ripped in half. She buried her face in her hands and trembled with sobs.
Everything had been taken from her. Betrayal.
However, nothing is hidden from the eyes of the mighty gods. Dionysus, the god of drinking and drunkenness,
wild music and wild dancing, he saw her and he felt pity stirring in his heart. He came striding down from the
heavens and lifted her to her feet.
“Ariadne,” he said, “forget Theseus’ empty promises to make you a queen of Athens. I will make you a queen of
the heavens.”
He lifted up her crown and it burst into flames, scattering firing light around the sky. He reached high above his
head and set it in the heavens as a constellation, a circlet of shining stars. Then he led her up to his palace, on
the high slopes of Mount Olympus, where she became his consort, his queen. Ever since then, we’ve been able to
see her crown in the sky. Sometimes we call it the Pleiades – the stars.
Lesson 10: Exploring Techniques in The Minotaur
Task One: Using three different colours, spot the similes, metaphors and personification used.
Down to the maze they went where the darkness swallowed him, and
there was silence. Theseus felt among the shadows, his fingers closed
around Ariadne’s crown. He lifted it onto his head. He felt for the
iron and stone and struck them together. The crown blazed with light
and now he could see. He tied the end of the ball of golden thread
to a snag of rock. He picked up the bronze sword. He began to
make his way into the labyrinth, unravelling the thread as he went.
He wound to the left and to the right. Above his head, the shadows
danced. Below his feet, there were shreds of rag and splinters of
bone, picked clean.
Suddenly, he could hear it, grunting and snorting. Then, he could
smell it, the sour smell of stale sweat and the sickly sweet stench of
rotten flesh. He rounded a bend and saw it – the human body, the
great bull head: the Minotaur.
The monster was filled with terror. His night sight had never endured
such brightness before. He lurched and lost his balance, blinded.
Theseus laughed. This was easy! He plunged his sword into the
beast’s belly, watching with delight as it staggered and fell. The
Minotaur, defeated, dropped to his hands and his knees, felt
something pierce his skin over and over. He wanted to beg for
mercy but no one had taught him the words with which to speak. He
screamed, again and again, looking around the room desperately
for help. Theseus stabbed the Minotaur. He stabbed its neck, its
arms, its thighs, its chest. He opened a constellation of wounds.
It sank to its knees. He seized one of its horns and he hacked off its
head. Then he wound in the golden thread and followed the tunnels
to right and left, dragging the head behind him. All he could feel
was courage – he had done it.
Task Two: Go back to the quotations you have found. How are they effective? What do they tell us
about the characters or setting? Annotate your quotations.
Task Three: Why use a technique? Complete the following table to show your understanding.
Technique
Quotation
How does this present the
setting/character/atmosphere?
Why is this effective?
Lesson 11: The Minotaur Planning Sheet
Name: ___________________________
Words to show how big/strong
the Minotaur is.
Words to show how sharp its
fangs and horns are.
Words to describe its hair
Words to describe how it/its
breath smells
Words to describe the sounds
that it makes
Words to describe it overall
Have you used these techniques?
Tick
Have you used these sentence types?
✔
Verbs
Topic Sentence
Adjectives
Short sentence
Adverbs
Simile
Compound
Metaphor
Minor Sentence
Personification
Complex Sentence
Five Senses
Show, Don’t Tell
Simple Sentence
Tick
✔
Lesson 12: Describing Your Own Greek Monster
Name: ___________________________
What type of body does it
have?
Does it have any dangerous
features? i.e. snakes, horns,
fangs
How does it look? What does
its hair look like? What does its
skin look like?
How does it move?
How does it sound? How does it
smell?
Words to describe it overall
Have you used these techniques?
Tick
✔
Verbs
Have you used these sentence
types?
Topic Sentence
Adjectives
Short sentence
Adverbs
Simile
Compound
Metaphor
Minor Sentence
Personification
Complex Sentence
Five Senses
Show, Don’t Tell
Simple Sentence
Tick
✔
Lesson 13: The Greek Story of Strength
Hercules is one of the best-known
heroes in Greek history. He was the
son of Zeus, ruler of all gods, but not
of Hera. To punish Zeus for his
infidelity, Hera decides to destroy
Hercules.
Hercules is given many traps by Hera
and unfortunately, she succeeds. To
make amends, he is ordered to
perform the 12 heroic labours for the
king, Eurystheus.
Resilience [noun]
Remaining strong and focused in
times of difficulty.
Hercules remains resilient despite
the many challenges he faces
Word Bank
Triumph [verb]
Achieving a great victory or
success.
Hercules triumphs in every
challenge her faces.
Hercules and the Twelve Labours
Infidelity [noun]
Going against marriage vows
and having an affair.
Hera decides to punish Hercules
for Zeus’ infidelity.
There was once a baby born who was so remarkable that the gods themselves stared down at his cradle in
admiration. For he was strong – fantastically strong – stronger than hundreds of others put together. He
was called Hercules, and he was the son of Zeus, the King of the Gods, but not of Hera, the Queen of the
Gods.
Jealous of Zeus’ infidelity, Hera sent two enormous snakes to destroy him and hurt Zeus. Deliberately, each
snake was several times larger than Hercules, with ferocious teeth and a spitting, poisonous tongue. The
thought of the snakes wrapping themselves around the helpless Hercules lit up Hera’s eyes – revenge was
sweet.
When the snakes slithered into his crib and began to wrap themselves around him to strangle him, Hercules
jolted up and knotted them as if they were pieces of string. Effortlessly, he threw them out of his crib and
resumed his nap.
Hera, completely perplexed by Hercules natural strength, decided to watch and observe him as he grew
up so she could spot his weakness. She remained his mortal enemy for life and – when he was older –
drove him mad. In his madness, Hercules thought he saw six of his worst enemies and immediately killed
them all, only to find that they weren’t enemies at all but his own children. Hera had done it: she had found
his weakness.
Hercules was an outcast, hated by everyone and most of all by himself. For his crime, the Oracle at Delphi
sent him to Argolis, to work for twelve years under the orders of King Eurystheus. Eurystheus was a mean,
spiteful man – whose kingdom was overrun by a great many problems – and he decided to set Hercules
twelve of the most difficult labours he could think of. These tasks were labelled the Twelve Labours of
Hercules.
A giant lion was terrorising his kingdom, eating men, women and children. Hercules, riddled with
self-disgust and regret, was so miserable he did not much care whether he lived or died. He found the
lion’s den and strode in, with no weapon but his bare hands. When the beast sprang at him, Hercules –
effortlessly again – took it by the throat and throttled it. When it was dead, he skinned it and wore the
lion skin for a tunic. The people in the village celebrated Hercules’ success; Hercules retreated to his
room, head down and numb with loneliness.
Second Labour
If King Eurystheus was grateful, he did not show it. Instead, he simply set Hercules his Second Labour.
Next was the Lernaean Hydra. This water serpent grew two more heads every time one was cut off. By
the time Hercules came face to face with the Hydra, it had fifty heads, all gnashing their poisonous
teeth and spitting vicious venom.
Completely unaffected by this serpent, Hercules was quick with his sword and nimble on his feet. He
slashed through many vicious snaking necks without being bitten, but the struggle only became more
difficult – more and more heads grew every time!
The heads just multiplied. Beginning to panic, Hercules retreated and lit a fire. Then he heated his club
red hot and re-entered the fight. Hercules never felt fear – he had lost everything dear to him, so what
did he have to live for. This time, as he cut through each neck, he singed the ragged end with his
red-hot club, and the head did not regrow. At last the Hydra looked nothing more than a burning tree
stump. Once again, Hercules’ strength won.
There was no time to rest after fighting the Hydra. King Eurystheus sent him to kill a huge wild
Nermanthian boar. When Eurystheus was so scared when he saw the boar that he ran and hid in a big
jar, and ordered him to capture a stag with golden antlers, the Cerynian Hind. Hercules pounced on it
while it was asleep, snared the deer with nets and brought it back to the terrified king.
Fifth Labour
Hercules’ fifth labour was a particularly unpleasant one: to clean the Augean stables. King Augeas kept
one thousand animals in sties and stables stretching the length of a foul valley. The overwhelming smell
of stench spread around the room, suffocating everything in sight. He was too idle to clean out his
animals and too mean to hire farmhands. Nobody had cleaned the stables for thirty years, so the
wretched beats stood up to their bellies in their dung. People for miles around complained about the
smell. Hercules stood on a hilltop, looking down on the valley, holding his nose, desperately trying to
hold in the urge to vomit. He saw a river bubbling close by, and it gave him an idea. Moving boulders
easily as if they were pillows, he built a dam, so that the river flowed out of its course and down the
valley instead.
Startled horses and cows and sheep and goats staggered in a torrent of rushing water, but the dung
beneath them was scoured away by the pure river. Hercules only had to demolish the dam with one
blow of his club, and the river flowed back to its old riverbed. The animals stood shivering and shaking
themselves dry, in a green, clean valley. Finally, they were cleansed.
Eurystheus was ready and waiting with his next commands. Hercules was to destroy a flock of
bloodthirsty man-eating birds at the Stymphalian Lake, which he accomplished by shooting them all
with his Hydra-poisoned arrows. He then had to tame the mad bull of Crete, the father of the beast the
Minotaur in the Labyrinth he managed this with the help of King Minos of Crete, and travelled back to
Greece on the back of the bull as it swam across the Mediterranean.
By now the king had began to feel very nervous of his slave. He hid inside his big bronze vase whenever
Hercules came back from doing his work.
“Hercules,” said the King, “so far you have killed the Nemean Lion, The Lernaean Hydra and the
Stymphalian Birds. And you have captured the Cretan Bull, the Ceryneian Hind and the wild boar of
Erymanthus. Seven labours done. Now I want you to capture the four mares of the Thracian King Diomedes,
famous horses that could run faster than the wind”.
King Diomedes was in the habit of feeding his horses the flesh of people that got on his nerves. Hercules
turned the tables and fed Diomedes to his own horses. After that, the vicious horses calm down, and
Hercules took them away.
“Your horses, sir,”Hercules said.
King Eurystheus ignored him and commanded, “Bring me the jewelled belt word by the Hippolyta, Queen
of the Amazons!”
The Amazons either killed or got rid of any male children that came along and only raised the females. This
was one task for which Hercules did not intend to use his great strength. He simply went to the Queen of
those savage female warriors and explained gently why he was there.
However, Hera decided that this one was too easy for Hercules and appeared in the form of an Amazon
and rallied the warrior women against Hercules. Hercules, enraged with fury, thinks Hippolyta has betrayed
him and he kills her before sailing away with her belt.
Tenth Labour
By the time it got to the tenth labour, Hercules was feeling lonelier than ever. He could not feel the success
of overcoming his challenges. He did not feel proud. He felt nothing.
For his tenth labour, Hercules had to sail all the way to an island called Erytheia. On the island of Erytheia
there was a giant named Geryon, who had three bodies and three sets of legs all connected at the waist.
Hercules had to fetch Geryon's beautiful herd of cattle, which were coloured red by the sunset. To prepare
himself, Hercules borrowed a giant golden cup from the sun god Helios and sailed across the
Mediterranean to the island of Erytheia. Before he could take the cattle, Hercules had to kill the giant
Erytion and his two-headed dog who guards them. After that, Geryon himself came to fight him, but
Hercules killed the three-bodied giant with his trusty club. Then Hercules herded the cattle into his golden
cup-boat and sails back to Greece.
The Golden Apples
Eurystheus then ordered Hercules to go fetch golden apples from the nymphs known as the Hesperides, who
represented the sunset. These golden apples were Hera's wedding gift when she married Zeus. To get the
apples, Hercules enlisted the help of the Titan Atlas, who was doomed by Zeus to hold the sky up on his
back. Hercules told Atlas that he would hold the sky up for a little while if the Titan would not mind fetching
some of those lovely golden apples.
Atlas, who was seriously sick of holding up the sky, agreed. When he came back with the apples, however,
he suggested that Hercules keep the sky on his shoulders while Atlas delievered the apples to Eurystheus.
Hercules thought that sounded suspiciously like a trick. He agreed with Atlas but told the Titan to take back
the sky for a second while Hercules put a pad on his shoulders to ease his burden. When Atlas took the sky
back, Hercules headed off with the apples. After Hercules took the apples to Eurystheus, Athena returns the
golden fruit to the Hesperides.
For the twelfth and final labour, Eurystheus thought up the worst thing he can imagine: Hercules has
to bring back the three-headed hellhound, Cerberus, Hades' vicious beast that guards the gates of
the underworld. Hercules made his way down under to Hades, god of the underworld and the
dead. Hercules, sweating hands and twitching eyes, went before Hades and asked to borrow
Cerberus, so that the hero can complete his final labour. Hades agreed, as long as Hercules could
wrestle the three headed dog into submission without using any weapons. Once again, another
challenge for Hercules’ strength. He found Cerberus and squeezed the animal with his
muscle-bound arms. Cerberus viciously bit, scratched, and put up a ferocious fight, but Hercules
refused to let go.
Eventually, Cerberus realised he had lost against the mighty Hercules and began to retreat. Proud
of this accomplishment, Hercules took Cerberus back for Eurystheus to see and then returned the
hellhound to Hades. With that, Hercules' Twelve Labours were complete. He had finally atoned for
killing his children, but he still felt sickened with loneliness and regret. As a reward for completing
all of the tasks that Eurystheus assigned him, the gods did not forget him. They cut him out in the
stars and hung him in the sky, to rest from his labours for all time, among the singing planets.
Lesson 15: Story Openings
Task one: Read the opening to the Hercules Myth.
Annotate the extract using the success criteria
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Highlight the ambitious adjectives
Highlight the ambitious verbs
Highlight the adverbs
What devices are used?
Which kind of opening is it?
There was once a baby born who was so remarkable that the gods themselves
stared down at his cradle in admiration. For he was strong – fantastically strong –
stronger than hundreds of others put together. He was called Hercules, and he was
the son of Zeus, the King of the Gods, but not of Hera, the Queen of the Gods.
Jealous of Zeus’ infidelity, Hera sent two enormous snakes to destroy him and hurt
Zeus. Deliberately, each snake was several times larger than Hercules, with ferocious
teeth and a spitting, poisonous tongue. The thought of the snakes wrapping
themselves around the helpless Hercules lit up Hera’s eyes – revenge was sweet.
When the snakes slithered into his crib and began to wrap themselves around him to
strangle him, Hercules jolted up and knotted them as if they were pieces of string.
Effortlessly, he threw them out of his crib and resumed his nap.
Task two: What type of story opening has been used? Why is it effective?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Character
Introduce your main
characters by showing us
something interesting about
their appearance/
personality/feelings
Dialogue
Setting
You could start with a character
speaking. Make sure it reveals
something about them and the plot.
Sensory imagery - Where is
the story set?
What does it look like?
Zoom in on key unusual detail
Action
You could you start in the middle of an action.
Use a Rhetorical Question:
“Ever had the feeling your life’s been flushed down
the toilet?”
Lesson 16: Planning an Opening Worksheet
Opening type
Setting
Character
Mood/Atmosphere
Language Devices to use:
Vocabulary to use:
Lesson 17: Achilles
Read the following extract. How is Achilles presented?
Look at:
• The language used
• Any similes, metaphors or personification used
• The speech used by Achilles
• The reaction of the other characters
Lesson 18: How tension is created?
Read the following extract. How is tension created?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A dilemma is created
Short sentences used
Withholding information
Imagery created through devices and senses
Ambitious vocabulary
Ambitious punctuation
Lesson 21: Narrative Overview
What happens at
the start?
What problem do
they face?
What is the most
dramatic moment
in the story?
How is this
resolved?
What happens at
the end?
Lesson 22: Writing an Ending
Task: Read the extract.
As we read, annotate what type of ending it is.
• How is this ending effective?
• What language has been used?
Icarus laughed at the little figures shouting, pointing, far
below. A surge of wind lifted him higher. He lurched and a
feather fell. He looked up to see the bird that had shed it;
but above he saw only the fierce eye of the sun. A shower
of feathers was fluttering now. Ahead, Daedalus looked
back to check on the progress of Icarus and saw the boy
tumbling, flailing, screaming, breaking against the ocean.
Daedalus, cursing his cleverness, buried the boy’s body on a
rocky island that was named after him. It is called Icaria.
Lesson 23: Planning and Reflection Sheet
Planning your myth
Who is going to
be the focus of
your myth? What
is going to be
the moral of
your story?
What does
your setting
look like?
Who is your
main character?
What problem
will they face?
How will your
story end?
What will be
the moral?
Upgrade your Vocabulary
Scared
Dark
Have you used
these sentence
types?
Alone
Trapped
Topic Sentence
Tick
✔
Short sentence
Compound
Check you’ve hit the success criteria…
You have shown you understand the structure of myths by
including key features
Tick
✔
Have you used these
techniques?
Simile
Metaphor
You have used a range of devices/techniques to create
imagery in your work
Juxtaposition
You have used a range of sentence types
Adverbs
You have used a range of vocabulary and punctuation
Verbs
You have been creative and presented an imaginative myth
Personification
Adjectives
Tick
✔