Myths: Types of Allegory and Historical Periods

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Knowledge, Belief, Myth, and Religion
Greek Myths
Allegory Myths
Medieval and Renaissance Myths
Works Cited

Knowledge, Belief, Myth, and Religion

Myths are traditional stories that include specific knowledge about nature or humans. Myths are often discussed in religions because they also contain a certain belief in gods and wonderful forces. Beliefs and myths are related to each other, and they differ mainly in the form of representation. Myths and religion are related to each other because they try to answer the important questions for humans, such as the story of world creation, which is presented in myths and religious texts (Coolidge, 2001, p. 12).

Greek Myths

Myth 1: Achilles	Literature it’s found in: Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
Myth 2: Sisyphus	Literature it’s found in: Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

Greek myths include the stories about heroes and gods associated with the world’s creation and development. Myths are associated with the struggles among gods and heroic actions of kings and gods’ children.

The pieces of literature are important to discuss the themes developed in the Greek myths from the modern point of view.

Allegory Myths

Physical Allegory Myths

Myth 1: Aphrodite	Literature it’s found in: Isabel Allende, Aphrodite
Myth 2: Daphne	Literature it’s found in: Ovid, Metamorphoses

Physical allegory myths are associated with the idea of transformation and embodiment. Thus, Aphrodite often stands for love and beauty. Daphne is associated with the tragic story of love.

Ovid discusses the story of how Daphne was transformed into the laurel tree because of the tragic story of love. Allende discusses the story of Aphrodite as the embodiment of love. These pieces of literature are important to accentuate the associations of people associated with mythological characters.

Historical Allegory Myths

Myth 1: Priam	Literature it’s found in: Homer, Iliad
Myth 2: Cynortas	Literature it’s found in: Pausanias’s Description of Greece

Historical allegory myths presented the stories related to the real places and people in the context of Greek mythology.

Priam and Cynortas were the kings of the Greek territories, and the pieces of literature represent the stories about their rule as myths. These works are important to discuss real historical events with references to their heroic nature.

Moral Allegory Myths

Myth 1: Pyramus and Thisbe	Literature it’s found in: William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Myth 2: Eros and Psyche	Literature it’s found in: Apuleius, Cupid, and Psyche

Moral allegory myths are focused on the moral issues and aspects of the relationships. They are important to demonstrate ways to find the right moral decisions.

These tragic myths discuss the themes of eternal love, trust, and morality. They help in leading people to the right decisions regarding their feelings and relationships.

Medieval and Renaissance Myths

Myth 1: Venus and Adonis	Literature it’s found in: William Shakespeare, Venus, and Adonis
Myth 2: King Arthur	Literature it’s found in: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

The Medieval and Renaissance myths were based on the classical Greek myths and on the medieval stories, which discusses the ideas of knighthood (Trembinski, 2006, p. 58).

Theories of Enlightenment Myths

Medieval myths represented in stories are important to understand the chivalry laws followed in the society. Renaissance myths are based on rethinking the Greek scenarios in the context of imitating classical ideas and patterns.

Myth 1: Hyperion	Literature it’s found in: John Keats, The Fall of Hyperion
Myth 2: Arcadia	Literature it’s found in: John Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

Enlightenment myths are based on the Greek myths, but they provide the discussion of the Greek themes in the social and moral contexts. The main focus is on social rules and morality (Barnett, 2003, p. 12).

These pieces of literature are important to present the interpretation of the classical myths in relation to the traditions of the 18^th-19^th centuries.

Works Cited

Barnett, S. (2003). The Enlightenment and religion: The myths of modernity. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Coolidge, O. (2001). Greek myths. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Trembinski, D. (2006). Medieval myths, legends, and songs. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.

Click Here To Order Now!