Many of Shakespeare's plays involve mythological symbolism that is fundamental to the complex web of meanings inherent in the work. Mythology is a complex symbolic metalanguage, the meaning of which has evolved over time, adapting to its socio-cultural context. In Shakespeare's "Macbeth" the witches are strongly associated with Lady…

In a thematic study she calls The Hero's Journey, the author introduces the classical archetype of the hero and the journey of the hero with Homer's "The Odyssey." After all, the wily tactician dreams up the idea for the wooden horse trick, thereby winning the war for the Greeks. He visits hell and, against all odds, makes it back. He defeats the…

In terms of structure, the play "Othello" is a distortion of an initiation ritual. Arnold van Gennup, in his book "The Rites of Passage," reduces all initiation rituals into three definable phases: separation, transition, and incorporation. The general pattern of the initiation ritual in "Othello" is as follows:…

Examines the style, plot, setting, characterization, theme, and language of "The Hobbit and "The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (SW)

The value of hearing, contemplating, and remembering the ancient tales of the Seneca Indians of upstate New York is the theme of this paper. Three of the legends, the Storytelling Stone, the Woman Who Fell from the Sky, and Naked Bear, are related by the author. They are considered for their mythic concerns and in terms of their value and relation…

Discusses ways to organize a course in classical mythology. Presents classroom exercises including matching and word games, as well as extension exercises. Concludes with a list of sources on mythology. (HTH)

Notes the presence of references to classical mythology throughout modern culture, and offers an annotated list of 43 works of contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama that use mythological sources and that can help close the gap between today's students and the gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters of long ago. (SR)

Addresses two misunderstandings about science fiction and fantasy: that fantastic literature is not serious; and that modern scientific civilization neither has nor needs mythology. Argues that values can be transmitted through science fiction and fantasy, which are modern-day forms of mythology. (RS)

Discusses teaching elements of film art in a high-school literature classroom. Focuses on two aspects of film that are different from written literature: metonymy (a key device for analyzing meaning in photography) and the function of film in cultural mythology. (SR)

CONTEMPORARY NOVELS CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY BY TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. JOHN KNOWLES'"A SEPARATE PEACE," FOR EXAMPLE, LENDS ITSELF TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF LITERARY CRITICISM. AN ARCHETYPAL INTERPRETATION OF KNOWLES' THEMATIC PURPOSE REVEALS THAT THE NOVEL IS BASED ON TWO MYTHS--THE INITIATION OF INNOCENCE INTO EXPERIENCE AND THE…

TO ESTABLISH WHETHER OR NOT COURSES IN THE CLASSICS AID SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PREPARATION OF HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS, THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION ADVANCED TEST ON LITERATURE (GRE) SCORES OF 11 SENIORS WHO HAD TAKEN AT LEAST ONE OF TWO CLASSICS COURSES, AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, ON THE THEATRE AND THE EPIC WERE COMPARED WITH THE SCORES OF…

THIS TEST--"MYTH"--WAS DESIGNED BY THE OREGON CURRICULUM STUDY CENTER FOR A SEVENTH-GRADE LITERATURE CURRICULUM. IT IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPANY THE CURRICULUM UNITS AVAILABLE AS ED 010 139 AND ED 010 140. (MM)

THIS TEST--"THE ODYSSEY"--WAS DESIGNED BY THE OREGON CURRICULUM STUDY CENTER FOR A 10TH-GRADE LITERATURE CURRICULUM. IT IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPANY THE CURRICULUM UNIT AVAILABLE AS ED 010 828. (MM)

This master's thesis focuses on publications resulting from the Dartmouth Seminar, an international conference of English teachers held at Dartmouth College during August and September of 1966 in which the fifty participants advocated changes in the teaching of English to correspond with world-wide technological advances. Following an introductory…