HTI PROJECT

8/14/2019 HTI PROJECT

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THE TALETHE TALEOFOF

ROSTAMROSTAMANDAND

THE SEVENTHE SEVEN

LABOURSLABOURS


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LABOURSLABOURS

Interpretation After Kay kavus ascends the throne, a Mazandaranian demon musician

comes to the court and sings about the beauty of his native land .Moved by the

demons song, the king decides to add Mazandaran to his possessions and

attacks it with a great army. However, the champion of Mazandaran,who is

called the White Demon, captures the king and his entourage, blinds them and

keeps them in bondage.

This passage can be interpreted as a way to explain a moral truth, King Kay

Kavus, having selfish ambitions invades Mazandaranan and was captured, is

rather similar to explaining the moral Not to act base on selfish ambitions.


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Interpretation He then arrives at Kaykavuss prison, where he finds the sightless king and

his heroes

This can be interpreted as a reference to the kings blind judgment in theearlier part of the story, and that this time he is physically blinded and not just

mentally blinded.


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Interpretation Both the White Demon and Zal are similar in appearance, furthermore, they

play the same role, in that the White Demon is the hero of the country of

mazandaran while Zal is the hero of the country Persia. The similarity is

strikingly similar that I cant help but suspect that the White Demon is the

different aspect of Zal , and therefore, when Rostam fights the White Demon

and is victorious can be understood as Rostam taking over his father as chiefhero.


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Interpretation The sixth trial consists of a minor skirmish with a demon force,

which ends as soon as Rostam tears off the head of their commander

with his bare hands. He then arrives at Kaykavuss prison, where he

finds the sightless king and his heroes. Kaykavus tells him that only

the blood of the White Demon can restore everyones sight, andsends him to fight the monster.

Rostam and the skirmish with a demon force can be interpreted as a disguised

history within a story, and that is the struggle of Persians and invaders from

the north, from the Capsian provinces.


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Interpretation Poseidon heard his pleas and as Minos requested a beautiful white bull

suddenly appeared upon the frothy waves. Minos was so captivated by it's

splendor that he could not bring himself to kill it. Instead he hid the handsome

creature away and offered another one in it's place. Poseidon who was not

fooled decided to make Minos pay for his disgraceful insult through the

actions of his wife Pasipha. The angry god caused Pasipha to fall so madlyin love with the beast that she could not think of anything else.

Here, the story aims to bring forth a moral truth and that is to not lie, by

portraying the harm lying can do through myths.


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Interpretation Believing this to be a sign that his son was dead, the grieving King threw

himself into the water below, which to this day is still called the Aegean Sea

after him.

The tale that Aegeus jumped from the Acropolis into the sea, which was

henceforth know as the Aegean Sea, functions in a pure etiological manner

to explain the name of the sea.


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Interpretation This mythic story can be also seen as a metaphor for the shift in

power from Crete to Athens at the dusk of Minoan society.


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THE key CHARACTERS

Prometheus

Epimetheus

Pandora

Zeus


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Interpretation Being of a very impulsive nature Epimetheus began presenting each animal

with traits of courage, speed and strength. He quickly moved along at a good

pace but unfortunately when it came time for man to receive his gift there was

nothing left to give.

There are two ways to interpret this.

First, it is used to explain how certain animals have certain traits, in other

words explaining the unknown.

Second, it is used to put forth a moral truth, Epimetheus rashness inpresenting each animals with traits rashly resulting in having no more traits to

give to man can be interpreted as Think before you act. In other words, to

put forth a moral truth.


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Interpretation This was a very dangerous act on the part of Prometheus for up until that time

fire was reserved for the deities alone.

We interpret fire being reserved only for the gods who has authority as areflection of society in that era, which is , how people with power and authorityare selfish and only care for themselves.

Zeus, who viewed humans as lowly and inferior creatures

demanded that they offer frequent sacrifices to both himself and

the other Olympians.

We interpret Zeus who has power demanding that people

sacrifice offerings to the gods as a reflection of society in that era,and that is those who are powerful dictates how common folks

lives.


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Interpretation Without a moment's hesitation Zeus reached for the most appealing package

only to find it contained nothing but detestable bones and scraps. Much to the

dismay of the gods, this decision would allow man to forever keep the most

desirable part of the animal for himself.

Here, Zeus choosing the more appealing package can be interpreted as to how

humans tend to pick what looks nice, and might be related to how people

behaved in the past.

Here, the ancient Greeks use this part of the story as a mean of pre-scientific

explanation. As to why, do people only burn the fats to the Gods instead of

burning meat.


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Interpretation Each day he would be called on by an eagle that would relentlessly peck out

and feed upon his liver. But this would not be the end of Prometheus'

punishment, for the moment night fell upon the earth the liver would grow

back to its normal size thus allowing his torment to continue again at sunrise.

Once again, we interpret Prometheus being punished by Zeus to put forth a

moral truth , which is , It is wrong to deceive and one will receive his just

desserts for deceiving.


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Interpretation Prometheus was not the only one made to pay for these transgressions for

Zeus declared that man too should be condemned for his role in accepting the

forbidden gifts. Once again Hephaestus was called upon and instructed to

fashion a beautiful and wicked creature that would be successful in bringing

about the fall of man.

We interpret Zeus punishing Man because of Prometheus to bring forth a

moral truth as to How one mans doing can affect another.


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Interpretation Once again Hephaestus was called upon and instructed to fashion a beautiful

and wicked creature that would be successful in bringing about the fall of man.

Hephaestus molded the woman into a pleasing shape and when he finished

the four winds blew into her the breath of life. One by one the gods

approached, each awarding her with a special gift.

We interpret the fashioning of a wicked but beautiful creature which is women

as to how society viewed women at that time, how society sees the role of

women in the world as a curse males would be well off without.

This part of the story also explains how early Greek

males imagine women to be created by the Gods

as evil on the inside but beautiful on the outside in

order to make males miserable


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Interpretation Time past and finally Pandora could not resist her urges any longer. "What

harm could it possibly do?" she thought to herself, "If I quietly lift the lid andhave one small peek inside?" She carefully removed the lock and raised thetop just enough to see in but before she could steal a look the chest burstopen and out flew a dark swarm of troubles. Pandora tried to slam the lid downbut it was too late. Envy, spite, revenge and sorrow filled the room but only for

a moment, for the horde of evils quickly slipped out of the window eternallyfree to plague mankind.

This can be interpreted in two ways. First, Pandora being so curious and opened the box, can

be interpreted as a way to tell a moral truth which

is Curiosity kills the cat, being too curious is not good.

Second, evil released from the box , can be seen as a way

to explain the unknown, it aims to

explain how did evil came to this world.


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The tragicThe tragicTaleTale

ofof

OrpheusOrpheus


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Interpretation

So beautiful were the notes he played that their sounds caused wildbeasts to become tame and both rocks and trees were inclined toleave their places in order to follow after the minstrel and hishaunting melodies. It is said that in Thrace, a number of oak trees stillstand in the pattern of one of his dances. It is here they stay, foreverawaiting his return, in hopes that the air will once again be full of hismagical music and the earth act as a stage for their ancientpromenade.

This can be interpreted as to how music is

an integral part of society for the ancientGreek people and music is widespread

in that era.


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Interpretation He was able to keep the peace among the unruly crew by filling the air with

the sweet sounds of his lyre. All differences immediately ceased with the

playing of his first note. When the men grew tired from rowing, Orpheus would

take out his instrument and with each strum they became more awake and

refreshed with energy.

We can interpret this as to the effects of music for the Greek people, and tells

us how music was like during ancient times. It a reflection of their culture.


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Interpretation These were bird-like women who lured sailors to their death by singing their

sweet melodies. As ships drew near, they would raise their voices in song

causing the sailors to loose all memory of from where they came. With no will

or ambition, the men chose to meet their death wasting away upon the sands

of the island.

In this passage, women is seen as bad and

a temptress to males. It is a reflection to how males

as well as the author views to women as evil and the

world will be better without women.


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Interpretation Is he not the same god that tricked poor Persephone into eating pomegranate

seeds as to prolong her stay in the palace of the dead? As he approached the

last step before entering the light, Orpheus had to see for himself. He slowly

turned his head in hopes of catching just the smallest glimpse of his beloved.

Alas, he had looked to soon! Hades had been true to his word but all was gone

in a flash. Eurydice had indeed been following behind but now she was gone.Orpheus watched in horror as his beloved faded back into the world of the

spirits, leaving him with only the soft whisper of her voice as she bade him a

mournful goodbye.

We can interpret this passage as a way to explain a moral truth, that is To be

more trusting. and Not to be impatient. as well as Not to go back on yourwords.


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Universal Structure

There is a universal structure as to how mythic stories

are composed.

This structure is also known as the Monomyth.


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Monomyth There are the main 3 Acts as to how most mythic stories are composed, Act 1 Departure &

separation, Act 2 Descent, Initiation & penetration, Act 3 Return.

ACT I DEPARTURE, SEPARATION The Call to Adventure

The quest begins with the hero in a state of neurotic anguish. The quest is oftenannounced to the hero by another character who acts as a 'herald

Refusal of the call"In many stories, the hero initially refuses the call to adventure. When this happens, thehero suffers somehow, and eventually chooses the quest."

Supernatural Aid

"Along the way, the hero often encounters a helper, usually a wise old man, who gives thehero both psychological and physical weapons."

The crossing of first Threshold

"The hero eventually must cross into a dark underworld, where he will face evil and

darkness, and thereby find true enlightenment. Before this can occur, however, the heromust cross the threshold between his home world and the new world of adventure. Oftenthis involves facing off against and quelling a 'threshold guardian'"

The rebirth

"Having defeated the threshold guardian, the hero finds himself in a place of darknesswhere he begins his true adventure, perhaps discovering his true purpose.


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Monomyth ACT 2- DESCENT INITIATION AND PENETRATION

Road of trials

"Once in the other world, the hero is repeatedly challenged with mental and physicalobstacles that must be overcome. Often these take the form of a test, by which the heroimproves his skills and proves his worth."

Meeting with Goddess

"After overcoming the Road of Trials, the hero often encounters a goddess-like woman:beautiful, queenlike, or motherly. The hero faces the goddess and in doing so, faces hisanima. By uniting with the goddess, he becomes a whole person, reconciling his femininenature with his masculine nature.

Temptations from the true path

"In some Hero's Quests, the hero will encounter the goddess, but before he can unitewith her, he must prove his worthiness by overcoming the temptation of the Woman asTemptress."

Atonement with the Father"The hero may encounter a father-like figure of patriarchal authority. "Father" and "son"are often pitted against each other for mastery of the universe. To understand the father,and ultimately himself, the hero must reconcile with this ultimate authority figure."


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Monomyth Apotheosis

"The Hero's Ego is disintegrated in a breakthrough expansion of consciousness. Quite

frequently his/her idea of reality is changed, he/she may find him/herself able to do new

things or able to see a larger point of view, allowing him/her to sacrifice self.

The ultimate Boon"Having reconciled with the father and achieved personal enlightenment, the hero's

psychological forces are again balanced. His new found knowledge, or boon, also has

potential to benefit society."


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Monomyth ACT 3- RETURN

Refusal of Return

"Having found bliss and enlightenment in the underworld, the hero may not want to

return with the boon."

Magic Flight

"A mad dash is made by the hero to return with the prize." Rescue from without

"The hero may need to be rescued from without by humanity."

Crossing of the return threshold

"Before the hero can return to the real world, he must confront another threshold

guardian. The first threshold was a symbolic death; this is now a symbolic rebirth."

Master of two worlds

"Once the final threshold is crossed, the hero is now free to move back and forth between

the two worlds at will. He has mastered the conflicting psychological forces of the mind."

Freedom to live

"With the journey now complete, the hero has found true freedom, and can turn his

efforts to helping or teaching humanity."


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ACT 1 The call to adventure

In Rostam and the seven labors, Rostam is asked by his father to

rescue the king who got kidnapped.

In The Tale of Minotaur, Theseus volunteered to slay Minotaur andto return home safely.

In The Tale of Pandora, Prometheus goes to heaven to steal the

sacred fire to give to the humans, as well as to prepare a sacrifice

for Zeus and the Gods.

In The Tragic Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus accompanies theAgronaunts in their journey.


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The Refusal of the call

In the Tale of Pandora Box, Prometheus tricked Zeus into choosing

the more appealing package which contains the detestable stuff.

Supernatural aid

In the Tale of Minotaur, Aphrodite acts as a guardian to Theseus

and charms Ariadne, leading to Ariadne giving Theseus a ball of

magic thread.

In the tale of Rostams seven labors, god prevented the dragonfrom cloaking himself.


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The crossing of the First Threshold

In the tale of Pandoras box, the threshold comes in 2 forms,

Prometheus being captured by Hephaestus as well as Epimetheus

being tempted with Pandora.

In Rostams seven labors, the first threshold is when Rostam

journeys to Mazandaran.

In the tale of Orpheus, is the encounter of the Cerberus.

In the Tale of Minotaur, the first threshold is when he entered the

maze with the threshold guardian being Minotaur.


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The Rebirth

In the tale of Orpheus, Orpheus sadden by the death of his newly

wedded wife, Eurydice, seeks out his true purpose to find

Eurydice in the underworld.

END OF ACT 1


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The Road of Trials

In the Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus has to get to Hades Chamber.

In the Tale of Minotaur, Theseus had to navigate out of the maze

and battle the armies of Minos.

In Rostams seven labor, Rostam had to kill a lion, travel across the

desert, slay a magical dragon, kill a witch, battle a small horde of

demons, and battle the White Demon.


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The meeting with the Goddess

In the Tale of Orpheus, the Goddess would be Eurydice.

In Rostams seven labor, it would be the witch disguised as a

damsel.

In the Tale of the Pandoras box, the Goddess would be Pandora.

In the Tale of Minotaur, the Goddess would be Ariadne after

Theseus escapes from the labyrinth.


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Temptations from the true path

In the Tale of Pandoras Box, the temptation would be Pandora

being offered as a bride, as Prometheus mentioned to Epimetheus

not to accept gifts from Zeus.

In the Tale of Orpheus, the temptation would be from Eurydice, the

desire to turn back and glimpse if Eurydice is there or not.

In Rostams seven labors, it would be the witch disguised as a

damsel wanting to cause harm to Rostam.


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Atonement with the father

In Rostams seven labor, the confrontation with the White Demon

who has a dark body and white hair like his Rostams father.

Apotheosis

In the Rostams seven labor, the defeat of the White Demon, can

be interpreted as breaking free from his father and becoming a man

as well as a glorified hero.

In the Tale of Minotaur, Theseus is glorified as a hero. In the Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus manages to get Hade to revive

Eurydice however along the way, he doubted Hades.


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The ultimate boon

In Rostams seven labors, he manages to attain the liver of the

White Demon, which helps to cure the King and the other heroes.

In Tale of Minotaur, Theseus defeating Minotaur causes Athens to

be free from the plague.

In the Tale of Pandoras Box, Pandora opening the box caused the

ultimate harm to mankind.


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Refusal to return

In the Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus did not manage to retrieve

Eurydice successfully therefore he does not want to return to the

society he left.

The magic flight

In the Tale of Minotaur, Theseus encountered the army of Minos.

In Rostams seven labors, Rostam needs to reach back to the king

before they come to harm.


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Rescue from without

In the Tale of Pandoras Box, Prometheus is rescued by Heracles

from the cliff

Crossing of the return threshold

The Tale of Minotaur, Theseus returning to his homeland is

confronted by Dionysius to leave Ariadne behind.

In Rostams seven labors, Rostam has to return to the King before

he comes to harm. In the Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus wanders around and came upon a

frenzied band of Maenads who were followers of Dionysis and

Orpheus is attacked and had his limbs torn apart.


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Master of two worlds

In Rostamss seven labors, Orpheus is the chief hero in Persia as

well as feared in Manzandaran.

Freedom to live/ the elixir

In the Tale of Minotaur, Theseus brought peace to his land.

In the Tale of Pandoras Box, hope remained.

In the Tale of Orpheus, Orpheus gotten his true freedom to be with

Eurydice in the underworld with his death. In Rostams seven labors, Rostams is acknowledged as the chief

hero and he no longer is a child.


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Application of Monomyth

The universal structure is very apparent in films. E.G.

The Matrix


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Monomyth in the Matrix The Call to Adventure-Trinity leads Neo to nightclub where Trinity contacts him.

Morpheus contacts Neo again.

Refusal of the call- Neo refusal to accept that he is The One

Supernatural Aid- First, Morpheus using computer simulations to train Neo. Second,the Oracle informing Neo that he has to choose between his life or Morpheus.

Crossing of First Threshold- Saving Morpheus and battling the Threshold Guardian

Agent Smith

The Rebirth-Neo dying only to be revived again with exceptional powers

The Road of Trials-Neo proving his worth to Seraph, challenged by a reborn Smith

tested at Merovingian Chateau and confronting architect. Also, facing 4 sentinels.


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Act 2- Initiation The meeting of the Goddess- Trinity is a variation of the Goddess, Neos love for

her prevents Neo from fulfilling the prophecy.

Woman as a temptress-Other than Trinity, one of the more explicit form of temptation

came in the form of Persephone, wife of Merovingian. Neo is forced into kissing

Persephone.

Atonement with the father- Neo confrontation with the Architect.

Apotheosis- Neos love for Trinity caused the prophecy to be broke and Neo needs

to use the new information by the Architect to figure out what to do next.

The Ultimate Boon- Neos new found knowledge allowed him to tap the source


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Act 3- Departure Refusal to return- Neo going to the machines world to sacrifice his life.

The Magic Flight- Neo and Trinity heading to the Machines world to call for ceasefire and save

Zion.

Rescue from without- Neo trapped in Trainmans illegitimate gateway between machinemainframe and matrix. Guided by Morpheus, Seraph and Trinity to break out of the portal

Crossing of Return Threshold- Final Threshold Guardian is in the form of the Oracle consumed

by Smith.

Master of 2 worlds-Neo transcended and permeates the Source itself.

Freedom to live- Neos principles of acceptance, moderation and interdependence can be seen

as teachings that will replace the fascist dogmatism that was once popularize by figures like

Morpheus.

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