9/26/19 Paulina Mastryukov PD1

9/26/19 Modern Mythology 2020 Paulina Mastryukov 

Aim: How can we create and define the value of ancient mythology in contemporary society?

Do Now: Read the story of Daedalus and Icarus(pgs 193-195). What lessons are being clearly elucidated by this story?

The story of Icarus and Daedalus goes that Daedalus, the architect of the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, showed Ariadne how Theseus could escape it; for the latter, the King of Minos improved Daedalus and his son Icarus in the Labyrinth. The two escaped by flying away on wings they constructed themselves. Daedalus warned his son to fly at middle course over the sea. However, Icarus upon experiencing the sensation of flight, it went to his head. Ignoring his father’s words, he flew too close to the sun, causing his wings to burn and for him to fall into the sea. With a heavy heart, Daedalus made it safely to Sicily. The lessons that were elucidated here is 1) to not have too much arrogance, and 2) to listen to the warnings of your elders.

Big Motifs in Greek Mythology

• Hamartia: tragic flaw
• Hubris: Excessive pride(pride can exist in many forms: vanity, stubbornness, etc.)

After the Do Now discussion, we looked at what was apparently a very old painting. In the painting, a man in the foreground is tilling the land by the cliff with a horse, below him being a Shepherd with his flock, and what appears to be a fisherman by the water. On the water itself, are several boats, the one closest having enormous sails. In the distance there being a large coastal City. We discussed what we all thought, some of the class saying that a man was drowning from falling off the ship, to commenting on the odd-shaped Stone in the water, to thinking that the figures in the foreground are boat passengers disembarking.

Turned out this painting is called “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Peter Bruegel the Elder. We then discussed with this in mind how we interpreted the painting. The most important thing that everybody said is, whether through some Divine influence or not, how all the people in the painting are completely blase to the drowning Icarus. In the end, we came to the conclusion that the moral the painting was trying to express is how if you let your arrogance take control of your actions and destroy you, you will pay the price dearly, with nobody paying you mind.

Group Work: Poems about Icarus

With our groups, we read and annotated the poems of Auden and Williams. While we did not get around to discussing them, the questions for them are as follows:

• Stylistically, how do they differ? Do the styles change the meaning?
• What sentiments do they echo in respect to Breugel’s painting?
• Do they resonate any relevance to the original story of Icarus?

• Who is the monster in the poems and is there only one?

What did I learn? I learned that even centuries or millennia after their first mention/publication, Greek mythology, and ancient myths in general, still hold valuable lessons in the modern world.
Why did I learn it? I learned this because Ms. Fusaro had heavily emphasized during discussion how the lessons elucidated by the myths connect to a broader picture.
How will I use what I learned? I will use what I have learned to keep a more open mind about Greek mythology and the lessons they teach so I will be able to excel in this unit.