Mythology:
Midterm Review and Preparation

Exam Overview 

• The exam consists of two parts: a multiple choice section drawn from your terms, names and ideas, worth 40%, and an essay, worth 60%.  Some of these are identifying gods, goddesses or scenes from visual images (which will only be ones we have gone over in class and which are available to you in the power points).
• In the Midterm Essay Pool below are 6 essay questions.  On the actual midterm, I will offer you a choice of two of these questions, and you will write an essay on ONE.
• You may use any materials you like in preparing, including study groups, internet or book research, etc.
• BUT when writing the exam you may not use books or notes and you must complete the exam within the class period.
• On exam day, you'll receive both parts of the exam at once, to work on as you choose.  Bring your own paper.  No books or notes allowed.

Midterm Essay Pool

Mercy:Many of the Greek gods are merciless to those who offend them (e.g. Niobe, Pentheus, Actaeon).  But are there also instances of mercy and benevolence granted by the gods?  Look for places where a deity has shown mercy or favor (either through "gifts" from his/her provinces, or personal favor) and discuss the dynamics of these instances.  Consider at least two different deities.  In the course of the discussion, you may want to: compare the same deity's merciless acts; compare the two (or more) merciful deities; discuss what sorts of action are likely to earn mercy (or destruction); and discuss the wisdom about human life that such stories might convey to the people who believed in them.

Marriage  Discuss the role of marriage in Greek myth, with a view to describing its complications and symbolic meanings.  Is happy or unhappy marriage a common motif in myth?  What does marriage mean in myth?  You should consider both divine marriages (e.g. Zeus and Hera, Hades and Persephone) and human marriages (e.g. Orpheus and Eurydice).

Gods and Mortals  We talk about the relationship between gods and humans as if it were a single thing, but in fact, different gods (in myth and in cult) have different types of relationships with mortals.  Choose 3-4 deities and discuss their relationships to mortals, both in mythic narratives that portray such relationships, or in the worship that reveals that relationships.  Be alert to internal inconsistencies (i.e. whether there is a contrast between myth and cult, or whether the same deity is shown in different qualities of relationship) and include them in your discussion.

Extraordinary Birth and  Childhood:  A number of gods have extraordinary births and/or childhoods, or go immediately into extraodrinary youthful achievements  (e.g. Zeus, Artemis and Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Dionysus ...)  Choose three or more of these deities and discuss the significance of their early prowess.  Does it show something particularly important about their nature? If so, what? And how?  (Through narrative, or symbolism or ... )  Is the birth/childhood feat a subject of art, and if so what ideas are conveyed visually?   Does it lead to major cult places or elements (to the extent you have seen in M&L)?  Do we get the same kind of information from each story, or are they all different?  Are there deities without these elements in their mythology -- why not?

Parent and Child  Greek myths feature many intense relationships between a parent and a child.  Compare and contrast two or three of these relationships (you may use others to support points if you like).  Consider such issues as, similarity or difference in the character of the parent/child duo, integration of divine function, messages about family life, metaphorical significance to human development or humans’ place in the world, and any other issues you would like to approach.

Dionysus and Demeter   In Euripides' Bacchae, the prophet Tiresias contrasts Demeter and Dionysus as the deities of dry vs. liquid principles of fertility.  Compare and contrast the ways in which the theme of fertility enters into the myth and worship of these deities.  Consider both mythic issues (i.e. narratives that specify or hint at the fertility relationship) and fertility elements in worship (for example, Maenads, Eleusinian Mysteries, Anthesteria, Thesmophoria, etc.)

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Rubric:

General comments

• Avoid long retellings of myths; stick to references to the main points.
• Assume that your reader has the level of knowledge that everyone in the class does -- for example, you don't need to explain hubris (your classmates know what it is), but you will want to demonstrate how it applies to the situation it describes.
• Remeber to show me enough evidence and detail to convince me that you have mastered the material of the course.
• You might also consult Arguing A Point.  The examples refer to research papers and go into a level of detail your exam essay probably won't, but the principle holds true.

Terms, Names and Ideas for the Midterm Multiple Choice