Introduction
A
Although his decision was unwise, Phaëthon was still remembered for his courage. Being
remembered for your good qualities is something people today value. It’s not as entertaining to
watch people fail, as it is to see someone make something good happen. You don’t get the same
feeling. You don’t get the feeling Phaëthon had when the wind was racing by him, the feeling I
get when I fake someone out, brake-away from the defenders and have a shot on goal. It’s the
wonderful feeling that fuels people like Phaëthon to just do it.
B
As a young girl, I discovered the wonders of exploring the hidden corners of my
backyard. Curiosity was my leading benefactor and it plays a role in my life even today. Much
like this is the character Orpheus and his adventures involving curiosity. Once I discovered the
myth of Orpheus, I knew he had a great affect on Greek culture and my psyche through his
characteristics.
C
The New Oxfordian Dictionary describes a hero as “A person, typically a man, who is
admired or idealized for courage.” That is exactly what I idolize Icarus for. He may have failed,
but for a brief moment he was on top of the world, and he was remembered for it. I can
personally connect well with him as a person who tried to do everything possible even when
warned against it. He was a very well crafted character and I found myself thinking deeply about
what he did and how I can be great like he was.
Hero Paragraph
D
The myth’s hero also affects the other aspects. In this story the hero is Phaëthon.
Phaëthon is a young boy who is bold, courageous, daring, and yet naïve. The Greeks valued
these and saw them in themselves, as well as the psyches of others. Phaëthon, who is a perfect
model of imperfection, shaped this myth around the fact that he was naïve. He did not believe
that the road of the sun was too high, and the descent too steep. This shows that the Greeks
accepted failure as a learning process, even if you’re not around to learn from it. Phaëthon, the
hero, also shaped the culture of Greece. The culture is much like the psyche in that they both
depend on each other to exist. Greek culture relies on heroes to model the right way to behave,
think, and decide. And as strange as it may seem, the hero shapes the Myth too. The myth is
changed to fit the Needs of the Hero. In this myth, Phaëthon has the myth shaped around his
character, as his character is shaped around this myth. He is a daring, naïve boy who will stop at
nothing to take a challenge, much like the human spirit.
Values Paragraph
E
In American culture, we value justice greatly and that value is shown in Hercules.
Americans want people to be punished for committing crimes in everyday life, but at the same
time are outraged when someone is falsely accused. Also, American culture wants men to be
strong and good looking, which is the description of Hercules in the myth. In the book, Hercules
always wants to make up for what he did and I think that shows honor. Honor may be one of the
biggest American values because people always want you to do the right thing, no matter what it
is. After Hercules accidentally killed his wife and three children he decided to avenge them in
some way. The best way Hercules thought would avenge his family’s death was to commit
suicide, but luckily Theseus helped him find a better solution. The solution that Theseus came
up with was to complete twelve labors for Eurystheus in order to avenge his family’s deaths.
These labors were known to be impossible, but Hercules did them anyway in order to avenge his
family. The last value that is shown in this myth is the value of forgiveness. American culture
shows forgiveness for almost any mistake people create. Forgiveness can also be seen in modern
American culture. For example when the NFL quarterback Michael Vick murdered dogs illegally
people hated him for it, but now that he has been doing extremely well on his new team people
forget what he has done and are now praising him again. This is just like when Hercules kills his
family. After he killed his family he went to Athens to redeem himself, but the citizens in
Athens had already forgiven him for his actions.
Conclusion
F
Even though in many ways Pygmalion isn’t viewed as the typical hero, his tale of him
and Galatea really shows his heroic identity. He was trusting and taking a leap of faith because
he thought his art was his only love—in this same way he forgave himself because he was a
woman-hater and changed his ways when he created Galatea, his winsome sculpture in the myth.
The culture he was influenced by also influences me, because love is something that affects
everyone. All in all, Pygmalion is a true hero because he learned to get past his own troubles and
focused on someone else for once, which is one thing that made him my role model. He showed
to me that I have to be steadfast with my emotions, and being a girl, my psyche is full of
emotions. True love happens when it is suffered for and earned from longing and pain. Love
becomes passionate and worth waiting for when the one you are devoted to devotes themselves
to you completely. Love doesn’t appear everyday, it isn’t a common thing among humans.
Pygmalion learned to love, and in the end love that is suffered for turns out to be the greatest
love ever experienced.
G
The choice that Phaethon made to drive the Sun-god’s chariot changed his life forever.
While the Greeks writing the myth in their ancient time period based it on their cultural values
way back when, the myth whispered into the very inner corners of myself, teaching me things
that wouldn’t have come to me otherwise. While the qualities of Phaethon that were crystal clear
throughout the entire myth were the ones that brought the hero to his death, they were also the
ones that he would be remembered by. If this myth has clearly spoken into my heart, there’s no
doubt when I think about the impact this myth has on society. Society must learn that when
power is given to you on a silver platter, you must consider all of its side dishes, whether they be
as delectable as crème brulee or unpleasant as broccoli. But most importantly, this myth has
taught me that the true essence of someone will brought out in the best possible way by just
being yourself.