A Comparison of the Differences Between the Story of Perseus and the Movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The story of Perseus is quite different than the movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Lightning Thief. One difference is the movie is based on a book written by Rick Riordan. Riordan used parts of the Perseus myth in his book and changed some parts. Perseus and Percy are both demigods however Perseus father is Zeus and Percy’s father is Poseidon. One of the myths of Perseus is he had quest to find Medusa. Perseus received weapons and advice from Athena and Hermes on how to defect Medusa.

Athena gave Perseus a shield so he could reflect the image of Medusa so he would not be turned to stone. Hermes gave him his winged sandals so he could fly to where he needed to be.

Athena and Hermes told Perseus to go and find the Graeae and have them tell you where you can find Medusa. There were three Graeae and they all shared one eye. While one of them was passing the eye to another Perseus jumped out and took the eye.

He said to them “I have your eye and if you don’t tell me how to find the Nymphs of the North you shall never have it back!” ” The Nymphs of the North gave Perseus the Cap of Darkness which has the power to make it’s wearer invisible. The Nymphs told him how to get to the gorgons lair. When Perseus finally reached the lair their were rocks and statues which used to be men.

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Perseus raised his shield and saw Medusa and her sisters asleep. He placed the Cap of Darkness on and cut Medusa head off. (“Greekmythology”) In the movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Lighting Thief Percy and his friends do not know they are about to fight Medusa. Percy and his friends go to Auntie Em’s Garden Emporium to find Persephone’s Pearls.

Percy and his friends have no idea however that is Medusa’s lair. Percy realized he can not look at Medusa but he can look at her reflection. He uses the back of his ipod touch (which happens to be a mirror) to see where Medusa was so he was not turned into stone. Like Perseus did with the shield Athena gave him. Medusa knocks over her statues on to Percy so he is buried underneath several statues. He finally gets out of the pile of stone and Medusa picks Percy up off the ground and starts taunting him. Medusa keeps saying “Let me see your eyes I hear they’re bluer than the Circassian Sea”. Then she tells Percy if he opens his eyes he can still with her. Then all of a sudden Annabeth drives into the building Medusa lets go of Percy and flings backward. After Medusa falls she is angry and yells Son of Poseidon. Medusa picks up Percy’s ipod looks at her reflection and Percy is behind her and he cuts her head off(Columbus).

Joseph Campbell’s theories of the Hero’s Journey has three acts. Act I is Separation. Percy Jackson(Logan Lerman) thinks he is a ordinary teenager. He loves being in water he can be underwater longer than most people can. Percy has dyslexia,and ADHD so he has a hard time in high school. Percy does not know who his real father is, he lives with his mother and step father. Percy’s school goes on a field trip to a museum. Percy’s teacher Mr. Brunner(Pierce Brosnan) is talking about the Greek Gods. Mr. Brunner tells Percy’s class that the gods and goddess would come down and have relationships with humans. The result would be a child that was a demigod which is half god and half human. Percy’s teacher Mrs. Dodds pulls him aside and tell him she needs to talk to him. Then all of a sudden Mrs. Dodds changes into a Furry and starts questioning Percy. She asked him “Where is the Lighting Bolt’? He has no idea what she is talking about and she picks Percy up off the ground and threatens him. Campbell would call this scene the “call to adventure”. Mr. Brunner walks in and saves Percy and gives him a pen which is a weapon to help in the future.

The “supernatural aid” is Mr. Brunner giving Percy the pen and giving him advice on what to do. Mr. Brunner tells Percy’s friend Grover(Brandon T. Jackson) to takes Percy home and then to the camp. Before Percy and Grover enter the camp they are stopped by a Minotaur. The Minotaur takes Percy’s mom and crushes her and she disappears. Percy fights the beast and stabs him. Percy passes out for three days and refuses to believe that what happened is real.” Refusal of the call” since his mother is dead. He wants nothing to do with this world. When Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and Percy enter the camp they are crossing the “first Threshold”. Grover tells Percy that he is a demigod. Grover tells him that his weakness are really his greatest gifts. Grover tells him the reason he has dyslexia is because his brain is wired for Ancient Greek writing not English. The reason Percy’s has ADHD is because those are his natural battle reflexes. Percy and Grover find Mr. Brunner and talk about whats going on.

Mr. Brunner takes Percy to his home at the camp. Percy looks around and realizes that Poseidon god of the sea is his father. Act II: Initiation- Trials & Victories Percy and the other camp members do a game of capture the flag. This game is very hands on and Percy has to fight. Percy finds the other teams flag and is hurt by Anna Beth (Alexandra Daddario) on the other team. Percy is in pain and has cuts and bruises on him from fighting. A voice speaks to him telling him to go to the water that the water will make him stronger. Campbell refers to this has The “road of trials”. The water went up Percy’s sleeve into his cuts and healed him. Then he put the other team and captured the flag. When Percy meets Anna Beth he is amazed by her beauty and how she can defend her self. Meeting her is Campbell’s theory is “meeting with the goddess”. Percy likes her but he is not sure how she feels about him. She almost kills him when they are playing capture the flag. The “woman as the temptress” is Medusa (Uma Thurman).

Percy is trying to find one of Persephone’s pearls in the garden and is tempted by Medusa to look at her. Percy can not do this because he will be turned to stone. Percy cuts Medusa’s head off and keeps it he will need it in the future. After Percy and his friends get all three pearls they must go to the underworld to talk to Hades. At this point they are entering The “ultimate boon” according to Campbell. The set out to get the pearls and to save his mother from Hades. Act IlI: The Return and Reintegration After Percy saved his mother he had to go to Olympus to return the Lighting Bolt. If Percy does not return the bolt by midnight on June 21 a war will start between the gods. Campbell’s refers to this stage has “crossing of the return threshold”. He has to fight Luke(Jake Abel) to get to Olympus. Luke stole the lighting bolt and wants a war to start. Percy has to try everything in his power to make sure that does not happen. When Percy finally gets to return the bolt to Zeus everything becomes normal again. Percy returns to camp he enters Campbell’s final stage “freedom to live”.