Medusas Head

Literary Focus: Mythic Heroes

Who is your favorite superhero? Superman? Wonder Woman? These superheroes have powers to do things humans cant do. In very old stories from Greece, mythic (MIHTH ihk) heroes are like superheroes. Mythic heroes are powerful people who perform tasks that real humans cant perform. Sometimes Greek gods help mythic heroes in these stories.

Reading Skills: Dialogue with the Text

Having a dialogue with the text means noticing the questions that flash through your mind as you read. Questions like these can help you understand what you read:
What will happen next?

What does that word mean?

How do I feel about what just happened?

Into the Greek Myth

The mythic hero in the following story is named Perseus (PUR see uhs). Perseuss task is to cut off the head of Medusa (muh DOO suh). Medusa is a mythical creature called a Gorgon. As you read the story, look for Perseuss heroic deeds. What can he do that other people cant? What help does he get from Greek gods?

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by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Based on the Greek Myth Retold by

Olivia Coolidge
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by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

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King Acrisios

1 of Argos2 was a cruel, selfish man.

The oracle3 of Apollo4 had told the king that his daughter, Danae,5 would have a child who would kill Acrisios. To avoid this fate, the king locked Danae in an underground room.
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The gods plans can never be changed. Zeus,6 king of the gods, pitied Danae. He changed himself into a shower of gold dust. Then he poured himself through a tiny hole in her cell wall. Acrisios soon learned that Danae had given birth to a son.

DIALOGUE WITH THE TEXT

In lines 58, I think Zeus pitied Danae because Acrisios was going against the will of the gods.
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He didnt dare murder them both. Instead, he put Danae and her baby, Perseus, inside a huge wooden chest. Then he threw the chest into the sea. The gods made sure the chest landed on an island. A fisherman, Dictys,7 found the chest. He took Danae and the

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baby to his brother Polydectes,8 the king of the island. Both Dictys and Polydectes fell in love with Danae. Though she preferred Dictys, she was afraid of offending Polydectes. To avoid a conflict, she pretended to care only for her son, Perseus.

DIALOGUE WITH THE TEXT Re-read lines 2026. Do you think Perseus will return with the Gorgons head? Why or why not?

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As Perseus grew up, Polydectes became jealous of Danaes love for her son. So he sent Perseus on a dangerous mission. Perseus was to return with a Gorgons head. The Gorgons were three monster sisters with brass hands and gold wings. Two of the Gorgons had scaly heads and

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fangs. The third one, Medusa, had a beautiful face but snakes instead of hair. Anyone who saw her face turned to stone.
1. Acrisios (uh CREE see OHS). 2. Argos (AR guhs). 3. oracle (AWR uh kuhl): a person or place that tells the future. 4. Apollo (uh PAHL oh): handsome god of prophecy, medicine, music, and the sun. 5. Danae (DAN ay ee). 6. Zeus (zoos). 7. Dictys (DIHK tuhs). 8. Polydectes (PAHL ee DEHK teez). Medusa's Head adapted from Greek Myths by Olivia Coolidge. Copyright 1949 and renewed 1977 by Olivia E. Coolidge. All rights reserved. Retold by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Perseus prayed to the goddess Athene9 for help. She offered him a silver shield to use as a mirror. That way he could see Medusa without turning to stone. Athenes brother
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Hermes10 gave him a magic sword to kill Medusa. Athene said, The sisters called Phorcides11 will tell you how to reach the nymphs.12 The nymphs will give you anything else that you need. Perseus soon found the Phorcides. They were three old women who shared one eye. They continually passed the eye from one to another. Perseus grabbed the eye. He refused to return it. Desperately, they told him where to find the nymphs, so he returned their eye. The nymphs were happy to help Perseus. They gave him a hat to make him invisible, winged sandals to let him fly, and a sack for Medusas head. Then Perseus started out to find Medusa. Finally Perseus came to a great ocean. On the shore, he saw stones shaped like men. They were the men who had looked at Medusas face. Perseus took out Hermes sword and dropped onto the shore. The Gorgons lay asleep on the heaped stones. Two of the Gorgons had nightmare faces. Snakes hissed around the lovely face of the third Gorgon, Medusa. Perseus lifted his sword and stared at her image in his shield. Then he closed his eyes and struck. She screamed and hissed. Perseus grabbed the head by its snaky hair and put it in his sack. Then Perseus flew away, safe from the furious Gorgons. Perseus flew to the distant west. There he saw the giant Atlas holding the heavens on his shoulders. Weary Atlas begged Perseus to show him Medusas head. Perseus
9. Athene (uh THEE nee): goddess of wisdom and the arts. 10. Hermes (HUR meez): messenger of the gods, usually wears winged shoes and a cap. 11. Phorcides (FAWR suh deez). 12. nymphs (nihmfs): minor goddesses of nature.

MYTHIC HEROES

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In lines 3941, I can tell Perseus is a mythic hero. He is given gifts that make him invisible and allow him to fly.

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MYTHIC HEROES In lines 4953, circle the sentences that tell you Perseus is a mythic hero.

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DIALOGUE WITH THE TEXT The goddess Athene helps Perseus. Other magical beings help him, too. Do you think he deserves their help? Why or why not?

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uncovered the head, and Atlas was changed to a mountain. The wind took Perseus south to Ethiopia.13 Below, he saw a young girl chained to a rock. He landed and learned her story.
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She was Andromeda,14 the daughter of Cepheus,15 the King of Ethiopia. The queen had angered the sea god, Poseidon.16 Poseidon flooded the land and sent a monster to destroy the coast. To save their country, the king and queen chained Andromeda to the rock as an offering to Poseidon.

DIALOGUE WITH THE TEXT In lines 7073, why was Polydectes turned into stone?

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She was waiting for the monster to kill her. As the monster neared, Perseus showed it Medusas head, and the monster turned to stone. Perseus and Andromeda were married. Then they sailed to Polydectes kingdom.

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Perseus was angry with Polydectes for treating Danae badly. He said, You asked me for the Gorgons head. Look at it! Then he took out Medusas head and turned Polydectes into stone. Perseus left Dictys to be king of the island. Next, he

VOCABULARY

What does prophecy in line 83 mean? The next sentence says that Perseus killed his own grandfather. Hey! I remember that Acrisios heard an oracle at the beginning of the story. The oracle told what would happen one day. Thats probably a prophecy words that tell what will happen in the future. I checked a dictionary, and I was right!

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returned his gifts to the gods and went to visit his grandfather. King Acrisios heard Perseus was coming. The king fled in terror to the land of Larissa.17 As it happened, an important athletic contest was taking place in Larissa. Perseus competed at discus throwing18 there.

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His discus flew high into the air. A wind carried it to Acrisios. The discus fell on Acrisioss foot. The shock killed the weak, old man. The prophecy had been carried out. Acrisios had been killed by his own grandson. Perseus and Andromeda became

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king and queen of Argos. They ruled long and happily.

13. Ethiopia (EE thee OH pee uh): ancient African country. 14. Andromeda (an DRAHM uh duh). 15. Cepheus (SEE fee uhs). 16. Poseidon (poh SY duhn). 17. Larissa (luh RIHS uh). 18. discus throwing: sports contest to see who can throw a flat, heavy, flying disk farthest.

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Medusas Head

Mythic Hero Web

Mythic heroes are powerful people who do things that real people cant do. In Medusas Head, Perseus is a mythic hero. What makes him a mythic hero? Fill out the following chart to find out. First, fill in the circles on the left-hand side of the page. Write down what made Perseus a special baby, a special youth, and a special king. Then, fill in the circles on the right-hand side of the page. Write down three of Perseuss heroic deeds. One circle has been filled in for you.

A Special Baby
Perseus is Zeuss son.

A Heroic Deed

A Special Youth Perseus, the Mythic Hero

A Heroic Deed

A Special King

A Heroic Deed

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Medusas Head

Page 88

Where the Heart Is

Page 98 Main Idea

Page 97

Page 90 Dialogue with the Text

Sample response: I think Perseus will return with the Gorgons head. The Gorgons sound dangerous, but Perseus is special. Hes Zeuss son and the gods have been protecting him. Ill bet the gods will help him get the head.

Sample response: I think the article is about a lost dog that finds its way home.

Main Idea
Underlined main idea should include the final sentence.

Page 91 Mythic Heroes

Circled sentences: Perseus lifted his sword . . . in his shield and Then Perseus flew . . . from the furious Gorgons.

Page 99 Graphic Organizer: Main Idea

Sample responses are provided. Main Idea We should return wild cats to life with humans. Main Idea Answer provided. Connected Idea Pets and people share a special bond with each other.

Dialogue with the Text

Sample responses: Yes, he deserves the help because Polydectes put him on an almost impossible mission; no, he doesnt deserve the help because its as if hes cheating. He should do it himself.

Page 92 Dialogue with the Text

Sample response: Polydectes was turned to stone because he looked at Medusas face.

Brother

Page 100

Page 103 Description

Underlined description should include like a vinegar barrel or a sour angel.

Page 93 Graphic Organizer: Mythic Hero Web

A Special Baby Answer provided. A Special Youth Response should include one of the following storyrelated events. Athene provided Perseus with a silver shield. Hermes brought Perseus a magic sword. Perseus held the Phorcides eye until they told him where to find the nymphs. The nymphs provided Perseus with a magic hat and sandals. A Special King Response should include one of the following storyrelated events. As according to prophecy, Perseus became king of Argos after killing Acrisios. Perseus ruled long and happily. A Heroic Deed Each response should include one of the following story-related events. Perseus killed Medusa. Perseus, out of kindness, used Medusas head to turn Atlas into a mountain. Perseus used Medusas head to save Andromeda from a monster.

Finding the Main Idea

Answers may vary widely. Sample response: I think the main idea is that, for Maya, Bailey was the most important person in the world.

Page 104 Graphic Organizer: Description

Each answer for Detail that we can see and Detail that we can hear should include at least one appropriate descriptive detail from the story. Answer for Detail that we can touch has been provided.

Page 105 Graphic Organizer: Vocabulary

A. 1. a 2. c 3. b B. 1. grating 2. loot 3. outrageous C. Answer should list students chosen Word Bank word. Sentence should use Word Bank word appropriately.

Bringing Tang Home

Page 96 Main Idea

Page 94

Sample response: The writer says that its better to trap and tame wild cats than it is to kill them.

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Copyright

by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.