Introducing the Myth

Literary Focus: Myths and Heroes

Reading Focus: Summarizing

TechFocus

Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

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Theseus retold by Edith Hamilton

What makes someone a

hero?

Theseus Introducing the Myth

Click on the title to start the video.

Theseus retold by Edith Hamilton

Long ago in ancient Greece, the young man Theseus sets out to meet his father King Aegeus for the first time.

Theseus Introducing the Myth

To prove his courage and worthiness, Theseus takes the dangerous land route to Athens.

In Athens, King Aegeus assigns his son Theseus a terrible task.

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Theseus Introducing the Myth

Theseus must travel to the Labyrinth in Crete and defeat the Minotaur, a half-human monster who devours people.

Will Theseus succeed?

In ancient Greece, as in other places in the world, myths were the primary story form.

Theseus Literary Focus: Myths and Heroes

Recounted over time, these traditional stories about gods and heroes were more than a source of entertainment.

• They were part of the Greek religion.• They embodied the values of the

people..

• often has supernatural powers but is recognizably human in the myths

Theseus Literary Focus: Myths and Heroes

• gains self-knowledge and/or self-control on the quest

• embodies qualities that the ancient Greeks valued

In a typical hero myth, a young man is sent on a quest to find something of great value or to attempt a dangerous feat.

The Greek hero

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When you summarize a narrative, you briefly retell it in your own words.

Theseus Reading Focus: Summarizing

• Significant details are sometimes included.

• Connections between events, as well as results, belong in a summary..

In a summary, you include only the key points and events.

Summarizing helps you recognize which parts of the story are most important to the plot.

Theseus Reading Focus: Summarizing

A summary confirms your understanding of the story.

Into Action As you read, jot down the principal events of the myth in a graphic organizer like the one below.

Theseus Reading Focus: Summarizing

Theseus finds his father’s sword.

He goes by land to meet his father.

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TechFocus As you read the selection, ask yourself which scenes or parts of the story would best lend themselves to a short film.

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Theseus

Find It in Your Reading Hamilton uses complex sentences and formal diction in retelling this myth.

Theseus Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

As you read, copy examples of formal diction into a notebook.

Diction is a writer’s or speaker’s choice of words.

Formal: Give me your attention.

Informal:Listen up.

Formal: He grew listless.

Informal:He got tired.

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Vocabulary

TheseusVocabulary

acknowledged adj.: admitted; recognized to be true.

afflicted adj.: upset; saddened.

prosperous adj.: wealthy.

endear v.: inspire affection.

consent v.: agree.

The word acknowledged can be used as an adjective to mean “recognized as true.”

TheseusVocabulary

Does it take a crown or a medal to be the acknowledged leader in a particular field?

Why or why not?

How might someone recognize that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln were acknowledged leaders in their time?

TheseusVocabulary

Helpful individuals are likely to endear themselves to people who benefit from their assistance.

TheseusVocabulary

a. Keep six barking dogs in a small yard.

b. Pick up litter on neighborhood walkways.

c. Post complaint signs on people’s doors.

The neighborhood association wanted to name a Humanitarian of the Year. Which action would most likely endear one resident to the whole neighborhood?

TheseusVocabulary

a. Keep six barking dogs in a small yard.

b. Pick up litter on neighborhood walkways.

c. Post complaint signs on people’s doors.

The neighborhood association wanted to name a Humanitarian of the Year. Which action would most likely endear one resident to the whole neighborhood?

TheseusVocabulary

Someone who is afflicted is likely to be . . .

saddened

disturbed

frustrated

hurt

distressed

upset

TheseusVocabulary

What would be likely to leave the adults in a community most afflicted?

TheseusVocabulary

a. Finding a large number of rodents in town.

b. Being forced to pay a rat-catcher’s bill.

c. Discovering that their children had vanished.

What would most likely leave the adults in a community most afflicted?

TheseusVocabulary

a. Finding a large number of rodents in town.

b. Being forced to pay a rat-catcher’s bill.

c. Discovering that their children had vanished.

The word prosperous suggests a comfortable lifestyle with plenty of time for leisure.

TheseusVocabulary

A person doesn’t need to live in a palace to be considered prosperous.

When you think of the word prosperous, what other words come to mind? Word: Definition:

Image:Sentence:

rich

well-off

successful

wealthy

Examples: prosperous adj.: wealthy.

TheseusVocabulary

comfortable

Most people in a prosperous country have comfortable

homes.

Consent can be a verb meaning agree.

Besides shaking hands, what other body language might indicate consent?

TheseusVocabulary

Based on their expressions and body language, which people below consent and

which ones disagree?

TheseusVocabulary

consent consentdisagree disagree

The End