Group 2
Intro:
We have talked about in class how myth is found in the the present even though it is only thought to be in found in the past. The problem is most people have forgotten about myth and they think it doesn't exist anymore. The problem with this idea is that myth is found in every day life and it has shaped the way we think.
Education , society and media has shaped the views of the world. History and mythology both tell us that our past creates our future, so how have we lost sight of that? If we don’t know anything about the past then we are doomed to repeat it.
People that are higher in the society are compared to the gods. Their positions in the community are looked at like being impossible to attain for the “normal” person. People such as athletes go down in history as immortals, but obviously they are just as mortal as the rest of us. There life is portrayed by the way they spend their time and what they accomplish in their lives. These athletes ways of living seems unattainable to the normal human being.
Infatuation is the belief that a person is no longer in control of a situation. This “obsession” with stereotypes have changed our perception of reality. We now don't think that mythology exists in present day life. Myth is the precedent behind every action, and all that is past possesses our present. Mythology is a big part of our past, present and future.
Ice Breaker: We are showing pictures of actors, actresses and athletes of today and we want to compare their stereotypes to the ancient greek gods and goddesses
Charlie Sheen: portrayed on TV as an alcoholic womanizer. We related Charlie Sheen to Dionysus. Dionysus is known for possessing the mind. This could be comparable to the affect drugs have on a persons brain. These figures are two completely different beings, but both are seen as immortals.
Michael Phelps: he is the god of the swimming pool. We compared him to Poseidon because he is the god of the ocean. Phelps a world record breaking gold medalist in the Olympics. The things he has accomplished in his life are thought to be impossible for the normal person to attain.
Elizabeth Taylor: We compared Taylor to Aphrodite. Aphrodite is known as the goddess of lust and love. Aphrodite was married to Hephestus but had many affairs with Ares in particular. Taylor was known for being very lustful. She played characters that were always the center of every mans attention. In real life Taylor was married about eight times and during her marriages she had many affairs.
Usain Bolt: Hermes and usain bolt do have similar personality characteristics in that both are cocky, and work towards the benefits of themselves. Usain is the fastest man in the world right now and he keeps breaking his own world records.
Oprah: Queen of talk. We compared her to Zeus, the king of the gods. She is wise and very powerful. Both Zeus and Oprah are very powerful and have a lot of influence over the people that look up to them.
Our society has come up with these steryotypes based on what we learn in school and what the media tells us. These people have a big influence on how we act now. We learn from their mistakes and success. Historical figures have an even lager influence on our lives. These people have changed the way we act, say and think.
Andrew Jackson: Andrew Jackson- 7th president of the United States. He is know for his heroic acts in the war, especially the war of 1812. He was a tough man that had an aggressive personality that helped him defeat his opponents. He did not defer to Congress in policy- making but used his power of the veto and his party leadership to assume command. He was a very rich slave owner. His biggest feat was the indian removal act which was the plan to move all native americans west of the mississippi river. Thus, came the trail of tears. People advocated and supported the total extermination of the native americans. The Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4,000 Cherokees died.
Jackson was responsible for molding the modern presidency. He was the embodiment of the belief that the president was the only official who represented all of the American people.
Conclusion:
Over time the stories of historical people have changed. What we know of them now is only their stereotype that was created. Now all we think of when we think of certain people is just their stereotype. These historical and modern day people that we think of as god like are only known for what people want to remember them by. All these people are more than just their exemplified archetype.
The ancient gods and these historical and modern day people are all looked at the same. The gods are high beings but they mingle with the mortal beings on earth all of the time. It is the same with these historical figures. Time has only made us think of them as gods, but in all actuality they are just like the rest of us. They led regular lives just like everyone else. Before and after that person became president, queen, an actor or an actress they were just the same as every day people. Michael Phelps is only portrayed as god like when he is swimming during the olympics. But once that is over he is no longer a god, he is just an ordinary person, living an ordinary life.
Mythology is a huge part of modern day society because it describes why people do the things they do. Life is a cycle of separation, initiation and transformation. The point of life is go back to the beginning but the beginning is different than it was when the person separated. A person is transformed by they experiences of life when they make the journey back to the beginning. Someday people will realize that mythology lives on in the present, it is the precedent behind every action. We do the things we do because of Myth.
