Artemis and Wonder Woman
Throughout history stories of myth and legend have been told and retold through generations of oral and visual customs. Keeping up this very ancient tradition in a very modern way, today's version of these tales are told through technology. Television, motion pictures and the internet are the new vehicles for expressing these classic tales. The value of ancient myth and legend is still apparent in society despite the very radical changes in the way they are expressed. An example of such transformation of story telling and the portrayal of classic literature and myth is the influence of the Greek goddess Artemis on the character of the popular comic book and television hero Wonder Woman. Born of an affair between Zeus and Leto, Artemis is one of three maiden goddesses in Olympus. She is known as the lady of wild things and was greatly worshipped throughout the land. Morford and Lenardon's book, Classic Mythology, describes Artemis as a beautiful, chaste virgin of the hunt. (141). Artemis, the lover of wilderness and wild things, protector of the young and goddess of child birth is the twin sister of Apollo. Like Apollo, she hunts with a silver bow and arrow. Artemis is also known as the protecting deity of th
The Wonder Woman television series was a spin off of the Wonder Woman super hero from D.C. Comics. According to their website "Wonder Woman was born Diana, the princess of Themyscira, a little isle where the amazons retired after Heracles fooled queen Hyppolita to steal her belt. All amazons are incarnations of women killed by the violence of men, but Hippolytta was the only one who was pregnant when she was murdered. Since the spirit of her unborn daughter was longing for existence, the goddesses granted her the child. The queen went to the beach alone and modeled a baby with the sand, and thus she came to life." "Her lasso was from the Golden Girdle of Gaea. the Lariat of Truth (also referred to as The Golden Lasso) is a very powerful defensive and offensive weapon. Absolutely unbreakable to any force known to mortal, god, or the Fates, it is the ultimate containment. No deception or deceit can withstand the lasso's fires. Anyone held by the lasso or in contact with the lasso is compelled to speak only the truth" (). The representations of the Amazons are also conflicting. Classic literature tells us that the Amazons, while an all woman culture, were much more aggressive and militant than portrayed in both the Wonder Woman comic book and television series. The amazons of the Wonder Woman tales are a peaceful, delicate 'mother' type tribe. The Amazons of Greece would fight wars and hunt while the Amazons of Wonder Woman were a self sufficient non-violent people more dependant of agriculture with little to no enemies. Besides being the protector of wilderness, child bearing and nature, Artemis has a revengeful and punishing side. This however is not true of Wonder Woman. She is presented as just and kind never harsh or unremitting. Wonder Woman had three weapons. The Olympian Bracelets of Victory, The Golden Lasso and her Tiara. Like Artemis, Wonder Woman was single. Though in the series Diana had a love interest, nothing substantial ever flourished. Like Artemis, Wonder Woman found sanctuary in the Amazon deity.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1577
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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