Lesson Plan: Retell a myth from point of view of the monster

Curriculum Link: Literacy

1. Discuss (and perhaps read aloud) a Greek myth. What is the point of view of the monster or evil character in the myth? The myths were usually told from the perspective of the hero or god. Did they have any moral lesson?

2. Ask the children to imagine how the story would have been different if it had been written by the monster. What are the feelings and motivations of the monster? What would the Cyclops have said about Odysseus invading his cave? How did he feel being blinded? Why did Minos send young Athenians in to be eaten by the Minotaur?

3. Children write a short story telling a myth they are familiar with from the point of view of another character, such as the monster. The value of this is not only in developing understanding of story features such as character and motivation, but to foster perspective taking. It has been said that history has always been written from the point of view of the conqueror, or of the dominant race, sex, class, and so on. Very little was written by slaves or women in ancient Greece. They might have had a very different point of view from the male citizens.