To examine Perseus we will exam Hamiltons " mythology" Part Three, Chapters I–II ) as found on sparknotes see http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mythology/section6.rhtml and " Timeless myths "http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/perseus.html#Early
"Hamilton draws the story of Perseus from the later writers Ovid and Apollodorus, though it was also widely popular among the Greeks."( sparknotes)
King Acrisius of Argos is one day told that his yet to be born grandson from his daughter Danaë. He imprisons her to avoid having her get pregnate and bare the child that would eventually kill him. While in prison , a lone for months yearning for company, Zeus enters the prison and suduces the fair Danaë. " the god Zeus, appeared in the form of shower of gold, had sex with Danaë (Δανάη)" ( timeless myth)
In some versions the prison is in a tower, which represents the height she had and the height of the impending birth, that was royal and foretold divine. Lo is one of Perseus relatives0 said to have been exiled in Egypt( timeless myth).
"(Apollodorus indicated another version of Perseus' conception. Apollodorus wrote that the real father was Proëtus, brother and rival of Acrisius. Proëtus had seduced his niece, so that Danaë became pregnant. Zeus as a shower of gold was of course the most popular version.)".
For next week a few questions to think about, what relation does this myth have to Oedipus Rex? Why the image of a golden shower as the subduction of Danaë? Why imprison Danaë in a tower, or anywhere, to wait to be seduced by Zeus? To make her want it more? To allow a subduction that might have not occurred without said imprisonment? Is it this imprisonment that causes the beginning of what will occur in the oracles future? Does this have to do with the rival brother's seed which was immaculately impregnated in Danaë?
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