Theseus

Analyze the story of Theseus and the Minotaur from your own perspective. Look at the mythical, cosmological, and sociological meanings of the story and position them within your own life and experiences. What lessons do you learn, or in what ways do you understand the world better after reading this text?

After leaving Crete, Theseus abandons Ariadne on a beach of Naxos, an island they stop at along the way. He has just saved the people of Athens and the most recent round of tributes. Considering these contrasting behaviors, explain whether or not Theseus is a hero.

Aegeus is reunited with his son, Theseus, only to be separated again when Theseus goes on the adventure to Crete. Aegeus is asked multiple times to sacrifice for the good of the many. Are the sacrifices that Aegeus and Athens are asked in balancing the numbers of lives lost moral? Why or why not?

Theseus and Ariadne display courage in the face of adversity. Are there any other characters in “The Cruel Tribute” who display this quality? If so, who and why? If not, explain what prevents the other characters from displaying this courage.

Escaping the Labyrinth with Ariadne’s thread was only one possible solution to the puzzle of the Labyrinth. What other solutions can you think of that would have allowed Theseus and the Athenians to escape once the Minotaur was dead? Why might those solutions not have been as effective as the solution of the thread? Consider as many angles as possible when structuring your argument.

The revelation of the Minotaur is a suspenseful moment after Minos refuses to name the fate of the tributes who would be sent to Crete each year. What other moments of suspense occur in “The Cruel Tribute”? Why are these moments seen as suspenseful?

Theseus is the hero of “The Cruel Tribute.” He comes back to his homeland and immediately ventures off to save his people. Consider Theseus and people you consider modern heroes: either professions that you consider heroic, or people you know whom you consider to be heroes. Use examples both from “The Cruel Tribute” and from the modern world to craft a working definition of a hero, including at least three attributes with examples for each one.

Analyze the social hierarchy of the following locations in your life: home; school (or the last school you attended); a friend group; or an event you regularly attend. Consider who has more and less power within the group and where that placement of power positions everyone. What or who gives power to those who have it? What keeps people with less power down? How would the group’s dynamic change if someone were to climb in power or to lose their power?