PROMETHEUS The FireBringer PRIDE When has your pride

PROMETHEUS The Fire-Bringer

PRIDE • When has your pride gotten you in trouble?

TERMS TO KNOW Four stage pattern of attitudes and behavior typical of Greek myths: 1. Areté: excellence (renowned leadership, unusual cleverness, tremendous strength, great skill in battle) 2. Hubris: excessive pride that comes from one’s areté 3. Atë: blind recklessness; overstepping boundaries and committing rash acts 4. Nemesis: a form of retribution that results in personal tragedy; just punishment for those who succumb to atë. **Both Prometheus and Zeus go through this pattern in the myth. **

EXAMPLE Areté: John has always had a high metabolism. Hubris: John thinks he can eat anything without worrying about gaining weight. Atë: John eats an entire bag of Double-Stuffed Oreos every day for three months. Nemesis: John, much to his surprise but no one else’s, packs on 15 lbs and has to spend his monthly Oreo allotment on larger clothes.

EXAMPLE: Areté: Julie is the MVP on her high school basketball team. She averages 20 points per game. Hubris: Julie feels she is far better than her teammates, and only she can lead the team to victory. Atë: Julie begins to refuse to pass the ball to her teammates, even when she is surrounded by players from the other team. Nemesis: Julie soon leads the team in turn overs, and she loses her chances at receiving an athletic scholarship to UWMadison.

IN GROUPS OF 2 -3 (10 MINUTES) Come up with a real-world example of the four stage pattern. Be original.

PROMETHEUS • Name means “forethought”– He can foretell the future for others, not himself • Story of how mankind acquired fire and essential skills to survive • Prometheus, a Titan, sacrificed himself in order to benefit mankind • How does he (and Zeus) follow the four-stage pattern?