1a. Why does Hades carry off Persephone by force?
2a. According to the myth, what happens to great sinners after their deaths? to heroes? to the average person?
3a. How does Demeter learn what has happened to Persephone?
4a. Based on the description of the underworld and the other events in the story, analyze the characters of the Greek gods that appear in the myth. What are the main characteristics of each god?
5a. Does Persephone's schedule at the end of the tale seem fair to you? Explain why, or why not.
1b. Do you think Hades is justified in acting as he does? Why, or why not?
2b. If you were an ancient Greek and believed this myth, would you fear what comes after death? Why, or why not?
3b. Is Demeter's grief realistic? Would a real mother react as she does to her daughter's disappearance? Explain.
4b. What seems to motivate the Greek gods? Describe what you think the people's relationship with their gods was like.
5b. How would you settle the matter if you were Zeus?
Setting. What specific objects, elements of time or weather, scenery, or furniture are described? What do they indicate about the time and place of the story?
Myth. What answers does this myth provide to the following questions: What happens to the people after they die? What makes plants such as flowers grow? Why does summer give way to winter? How did people learn to cultivate grain?
1. Imagine that you are going to act in a play based on the myth "Persephone and Demeter." Choose a character you would like to play and write a costume design for that character. What everyday materials could you use to create your costume?
2. Write a short persuasive speech that Demeter might have given to Zeus to convince him that he needed to get Persephone back out of Hades.
3. Imagine that you are babysitting for a young child and want to tell him or her the story of Persephone and Demeter. Write a retelling of the myth, using simple language that a child of five or six would understand.
World Myths: Venn Diagram. Choose an aspect of nature that is explained by the myth "Persephone and Demeter" (such as the nature of life after death, or the origin of grain) and conduct research to find a myth from another culture that explains this phenomenon. For example, you might find a Native American myth, a Babylonian myth, an East Indian myth, or a Korean myth. Compare and contrast the two myths using a Venn diagram like the one below. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Share your findings with the class.
Internet sources:
Books and print sources:
Understanding Symbols. Think of one or more possible meanings for each of the following traditional symbols.
Example black cat—bad luck
1. a red rose
2. a lemon
3. a flag
4. a crown
5. a four-leaf clover
6. clouds
7. a mountain
8. a river
9. a band of gold
10. the color black
Exploring the Greek Language. Look at the Greek alphabet below. What differences and similarities can you find between it and the English alphabet? Where do you find evidence of the Greek alphabet or its characters in American life? Of the names for Greek characters listed below, what have they come to mean in the English language? Use a dictionary to look up these words and their definitions. List the definition below. Then write a sentence using each word. For more information, see the Language Arts Survey 1.17, "Using a Dictionary."
1. alpha
2. beta
3. iota
4. delta
5. omega
Greek Mythology Modernized in the Media: Research Log. Look through magazines and other forms of media for references to gods, heroes, or stories from Greek mythology. One example is Chronos, the Greek god of time, whose name is now a brand name used by a watch manufacturer. Find at least one more example. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Magazine and print sources:
In what ways could mythological characters and events be used to sell products or promote ideas today? How could classical Greek names reflect modern products, services, and ideas? What products might appropriately be named after each of the following: Demeter, Persephone, Hades, Hermes, Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and Aphrodite?
Identifying Adjectives. An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. For example, the adjective gay modifies the noun laughter in the phrase gay laughter. Find ten adjectives in "Persephone and Demeter." Write each adjective and the noun it modifies in the space below and denote the adjective with a star (*). If a word has more than one modifier, star both.
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