10/28/19 Taya Podvorchan PD 7

Taya Podvorchan Period 7

Aim: How can we evaluate the evolution of the hero from The Quest of the Golden Fleece
through contemporary time? 

Do Now: List all of the ways Jason was a hero, without the aid of others:

Kelly mentioned it was Jason’s agreement to such a difficult quest from Peleus
without the help of others that made him a hero. Steven talked about the fact that he
had the willpower, courage, and determination through hardships during his quest, and
that’s what truly made him a hero. Billy mentioned that as a leader, he was a hero, but as
a stand-alone dude, he eased his way through the quest. Cornelia added on that while he
was a leader, it was Medea’s help that truly helped him be successful, which brought up the
point that women were always behind the scene in Greek life, and were never heroes. We can
also see this through Hera, when she gives the Argonauts the elixir that made them fearless.

The class then moved onto the attributes of a classic Greek Hero:

• Is noble of birth or is a demigod
• Performs extraordinary feats
• He is of noble character which is close to ideal, but has a fatal flaw
• The suffering of the character is physical
• Death must occur in an unusual way
• The hero fights for his own honor, his deeds belong to the community only after death
• Assistance from the divine.
• 
  

After reading through these characteristics and seeing how Jason applied to them, we were then asked

as a class if we could ever be a Greek hero. The answer? Probably not. What separates a Greek hero

from us is the fact that those heroes were destined to be great since birth, whether it was through divine

intervention or a birthright.

What about modern-day heroes, like Captain America. How did he compare to Greek heroes?

Modern-day heroes, unlike Greek heroes, are more selfless than the Greeks. They’re also not destined
to be something, but are generally good people. In the case of Captain America, Steve Rogers had a
wonderful personality and was incredibly selfless, and was a hero before he was a superhero.

We then discussed the many different types of heroes, from medieval heroes (like King Arthur)
romantic heroes (Edward from Twilight), Anti-heroes (Deadpool), and vigilantes (Green Arrow)

Student reflection of the day's lesson: 

What did I learn?

The most important thing I learned today was the different characteristics of Greek heroes and
how they compared to contemporary heroes, as well as other types of heroes. I was also able to
relate this back to the story of the Quest of the Golden Fleece and it’s characters. While Jason is
a classic Greek hero, Medea can be seen as an anti-hero, as she follows a code of ethics but is not
considered to be an overall good person. 

The most interesting thing I learned today was the fact that anti-heroes and vigilantes appeal
more to us because we relate to them more. Greek heroes are nearly untouchable beings that always
seem to win out in the end, while anti-heroes are allowed mistakes and try their best to do what’s right.

Why did I learn it?

As we see from nearly every lesson in this course, Greek mythology applies to everyday aspects
of our lives. Looking at the difference between Greek heroes and modern heroes, we can see how
drastically the standards have changed to be considered a hero. In the beginning of class, many of
us said that Jason was a hero because of his bravery or leadership skills, not noble birth or divine
intervention

How will I use what I learned?

I will probably use this information in the future to characterize any other heroes we read about
and so how they compare on the spectrum from Greek hero, to vigilante. Heroes are seen in every
aspect of literature and contemporary media, like movies and TV shows, so this is something that I
can apply to everyday aspects of my life.