The Quest for the Golden Fleece

The Golden Fleece Dream by William Prosser

Essential Question

• What does it take to be a good leader?

• Why are mythical and real-life quests important? What can we learn from them?

• What are some famous quests?

• What is the Golden Fleece?

• What makes a hero? • Does being a hero automatically make you a

good person?

Exposition or the background of the story

• A Greek king was going to sacrifice his son Phrixus to save his people from a famine. When the boy was on the altar to be killed, Hermes sent a ram with a fleece of pure gold to pick up both he and his sister and carry them to safety. (Yes, it was a golden flying ram.)

Background, continued…

• Phrixus’s sister, Helle, fell off the ram over the strait between Europe and Asia and drowned. That strait now bears her name: the Hellespont. Phrixus landed in modern Turkey, were he was taken in by its king, Aetes. Phrixus sacrificed the ram to Zeus (remember who gave it to him…) and gave the fleece to Aetes.

Background…

• Meanwhile, back in Greece, Phrixus’s uncle was King. A guy named Pelias usurped the throne. The ousted king’s son was Jason, which makes Pelias Jason’s uncle, and Jason the rightful heir to the throne.

• Why would Pelias offer Jason this means of reclaiming the throne???

The prophesy….

• An oracle has foretold that Pelias would die at the hands of a kinsman wearing one shoe. Imagine his surprise when Jason walked in with one shoe on! Jason said he had come to claim the throne, and Pelias told him he would give up the throne and kingdom if Jason would go to Colchis (which is in Turkey) and bring back the fleece.

• Look for UNDERSTATEMENT in the play.• Look for SLANG in the play.• Look for VERBAL IRONY in the play.

Argonauts’ journey

The Argonauts

• Heracles (Hercules)• Castor• Pollux• Orpheus• Achilles’ father Peleus• Atalanta

• Jason has a “sponsor” in his quest for the fleece. Name this goddess.