Argumentative Essay On Medusa

Greek goddesses are usually seen as attractive women with wisdom that led Greek heroes to their victory, demonstrating how The Greek valued appearance so highly. Then there is Medusa, a beautiful woman turned ugly by disloyalty to Athena; and is now the absolute embodiment of ugliness; ugliness, being a capital punishment shows how important of outward appearance is in Greek culture. As stated on “Medusa”, Medusa and her three sisters were born by the Sea god Phorcys and Ceto, Phorcys’ sister. According to Theio.com Medusa was related to two other sisters and are collectively called the Gorgons. Medusa was mortal, while the less famous duo ,Stheno and Euryale, were immortal; Medusa was not. (Atsma) He also suggests that the family of Phorcys had many interpretations by the Greeks. Some believed that they were a group of ferocious savage women; others believed that they were animals with long hair, who were so terrifying that men were

Kirk Summers explains in the book Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology that Perseus was sent on a quest to retrieve Medusa’s head as a wedding present for King Polydectes and princess Danae, but this was all a ploy to get Perseus, her son with Zeus, out of the picture. (580) Perseus, ordered by King Polydectes; equipped with a mirror shield, wing boots, a crooked sword, and Helm of invisibility, was to retrieve Medusa’s head. Perseus decapitated her with the sword and two creatures; Pegasus, a winged horse; and Chrysaor, a giant; poured out from the wound. On Theoi.com I was able to find that after her death Perseus flew over the Libyan Desert to return Medusa’s head to King Polydectes. The drops of blood that rained down from her head fell to the ground to produce these serpents. Which is why , according to legend, there’s so many snakes in Libya. How her death was seen as a celebration and a heroic act shows this terrible trait of dislocating the beautiful from the ugly in Greek