eNotes Lesson Plan

Introductory Lecture and Objectives

Edith Hamilton's Mythology eNotes Lesson Plan content

Introductory Lecture

Edith Hamilton’s Mythology is primarily a collection of Greek and Roman myths. Several Norse myths are included, but the book focuses almost exclusively on the gods and goddesses created by the ancient Greeks and generally adopted by the Romans, who gave them different names and incorporated them into their own body of mythology. In language that is simple and direct, Hamilton introduces and describes the deities in the pantheon, explains their relationships with one another, and tells their stories—ancient myths about creation and stories that incorporate the heroes and great families of the ancient world. Before addressing specific gods and goddesses, however, the author devotes the first section of her book to a general discussion of the origins of Greek mythology and the writers who first recorded the myths. 

First published in 1942, Hamilton’s Mythology continues to appeal to new generations of readers. Not written for academics pursuing research in mythology, the book instead offers an overview of the subject that is as entertaining as it is informative. Organized much like an encyclopedia, it also serves as an excellent reference book. Although Hamilton did not write her book for scholars, her own scholarship is evident in the text. She culls from Greek and Roman authors, including Homer and Hesiod (Greek texts from 750–550 BCE); Pindar, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides (Greek authors from 500–400 BCE); Ovid and Virgil (Roman authors circa the beginning of the Common Era); and Apollodorus (a Greek writer circa 150 CE). Her research also includes the Norse poems of the Elder Edda (early thirteenth century). At the beginning of each chapter in Mythology, Hamilton notes the specific sources that support the text. 

Myths played several important roles in the lives of the Greeks and the Romans. They explained the natural world, provided a platform for ethical and philosophical debate, and justified particular political and imperial systems. They also entertained. Filled with stories of heroism, beauty, love, death, betrayal, revenge, victory, defeat, and the immutable power of fate, the myths engaged the ancient Greeks and Romans just as they continue to entertain us today. Furthermore, the myths develop universal themes in regard to human nature. They present a particularly complicated view of mankind; many of the hero’s challenges arise from within himself, and no clear definition of good and evil exists. Greek and Roman myths present a complex view of women, as well; women are dangerous and deceitful or loyal and beneficent, but all are subject to male domination, even those who are powerful goddesses. In contrast, women are not significantly represented in Norse mythology, which is firmly rooted in the Heroic Code that celebrates fame achieved through fierceness in battle. 

Mythology was published when Hamilton was sixty-two years old, but it was far from being her final literary achievement; she published an additional nine books on Greek and Roman culture and mythology. Hamilton admired the lucidity of Greek poetry and myth and lamented the fact that American society had become too complicated to live by the values of the ancient Greeks. In 1957, at the age of ninety-one, Hamilton traveled from America to Greece for the first time; she was made an honorary citizen of Athens and was awarded the Golden Cross of the Order of Benefaction. Despite having had a very successful career as an educator and then as a writer, Hamilton exclaimed upon receiving the award, “This is the proudest moment of my life!” 

Hamilton adopts a Eurocentric view of Greek mythology, asserting that it informed the cultural evolution of Western civilization. The influence of Greek mythology in Western art, literature, and philosophy is readily apparent. Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael were inspired by classical mythology, and the works of Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare, Tennyson, Keats, Byron, and Shelley also reflect its influence. 

As students become acquainted with the characters and stories in Hamilton’s book, they may be surprised to discover that mythology influences their own culture, as well. Movies draw on the larger-than-life heroes of myth in creating contemporary heroes like Spiderman and Batman, and numerous video games, such as Titan Quest and Rise of the Argonauts, incorporate mythology. Creatures of the Norse imagination—dwarves, elves, and trolls—people the world of fantasy in the movie Shrek! and in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Additionally, miscellaneous references to mythological deities are rife in our culture. Car models are named after Saturn and Mercury; Venus is the subject of song; Adonis is synonymous with male beauty; a space mission is named Apollo; and Atlas is always a popular name for moving companies. 

Familiarity with Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology gives students insight in regard to ancient societies and universal human behavior; it develops cultural literacy and augments their understanding and appreciation of art and literature. These educational objectives, however, won’t be uppermost in students’ minds as they read Hamilton’s Mythology. They will instead be caught up in the fascinating world of gods and goddesses and the adventures of the mortals whose lives they protect or destroy. 


1. Identify the primary themes developed in Mythology

2. Identify the symbols present in Mythology and discuss their significance. 

3. Identify the common root of fate for the gods and mortals alike. Discuss how fate and mortality versus immortality are developed thematically in a story. 

4. Determine and define the elements of Greek and Roman mythology that have influenced modern literature, social science, and religion. 

5. Explain the notions of good and evil illustrated throughout the collection of myths, and discuss how the gods reward and punish. 

6. Discuss the themes of morality and ego (pride, hubris, vanity, arrogance, and ambition), especially in regard to the behavior of the gods and goddesses. 

7. Identify examples of the motifs of beauty, love, death, nature, hospitality, and the foreigner, and discuss their significance. 

8. Explain how, and through which characters, revenge is exacted, and discuss how some characters are perceived by their actions as villainous, while others are seen as heroic. 

9. Compare and contrast the representations of women in Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology.

Instructional Focus: Teaching With an eNotes Lesson Plan


Student Lesson Guide

  • The Lesson Guide is organized for a section-by-section study of the book. Lesson Guide pages may be assigned individually and completed at a student’s own pace.
  • Lesson Guide pages may be used as pre-reading activities to preview for students the vocabulary words they will encounter in reading each section of the book and to acquaint them generally with its content.
  • Lesson Guide vocabulary lists include words from the book that vary in difficulty.


2. Working from the Lesson Guide vocabulary lists, the teacher also may construct vocabulary studies for individual students, choosing specific words from each section that are most appropriate for them.

Essay and Discussion Questions

The discussion questions vary in degree of difficulty.



Multiple-Choice/Essay Test

Test questions also vary in degree of difficulty.

1. Some multiple-choice questions address the factual content of the book; others require students to employ critical thinking skills, such as analyzing; comparing and contrasting; and drawing inferences.

2. The teacher may select...

(The entire section is 507 words.)

Essay and Discussion Questions

1. How are the world, the human race, and specifically women created, according to Greek mythology? 

2. What does the Greek explanation for creation suggest about the Greek character? 

3. What is your impression of the society in which these myths were created? What does this culture value? 

4. How do myths function as the basis for modern literature? Identify examples of the influence of classical myths in modern life. 

5. Consider the concept of godliness. Compare and contrast various gods’ and goddesses’ strengths and weaknesses. Do the storytellers of the myths consider their humanity an attribute or a flaw? Why or why not? 

6. Consider the individual personalities and characteristics of each of the Greek gods. How do these depictions change when Roman storytellers write about them? 

7. How do myths give complicated and often contrasting depictions of females? How do the huntresses contrast with other women and goddesses? 

8. Consider all of the incidents in which women commit suicide. Why do many of the women kill themselves? How are their stories similar? 

9. Discuss Aphrodite’s exploits. Is she a feminist or a sexist? 

10. If love is the “virtue” of myth and a motif in many of the stories, does that make Aphrodite the strongest deity? Why is it significant that she can manipulate both humans and gods? 

11. Identify examples of incest in Mythology. What does this reflect about the time in which the stories were created? 

12. Discuss the sacrifice, killing, and abandonment of children throughout Greek mythological stories. Why would this motif appear in so many of them? 

13. Why is reward and punishment so prevalent in the myths? 

14. Punishment for excessive ego or lack of obedience to the gods is a theme in numerous myths. Is the gods’ retribution fair and consistent? Consider how Perseus exhibits pride by declaring he will bring Medusa’s head, and how Hercules perpetually confronts the gods. 

15. How are heroes and villains depicted throughout Mythology? Does being conflicted make a hero more believable but less heroic? Does being compassionate make a villain less evil? 

16. In Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts represent advanced civilization. Does Jason deserve to be considered a hero? Why or why not? 

17. Compare the “evil” acts of Orestes and Medea. Why is one considered a villain, while the other is not? 

18. What is the significance of the Trojan War’s tragic ending? Is it fair that Helen escapes Troy? 

19. Write alternative endings for the story of a character of your choice. Perhaps Helen or Paris, Persephone, Hercules, Oedipus, or Odysseus? 

20. Write a myth explaining how evil first enters the world. 

21. In the last pages of Mythology, Norse poetry is presented that reflects great common sense and contrasts with the Heroic Code of the time that emphasized loyalty, courage, honor, and fame. Discuss the meanings of these poems. Are they still relevant today?

Introduction to Classical Mythology, The Mythology of the Greeks, The Greek and Roman Writers of Mythology


allegory: a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor

buccaneering: pirating; ruthless speculating

deities: gods and goddesses

meed: archaic reward

naiad: a water nymph

nymph: a spirit, imagined as a beautiful maiden, that inhabits the woods and rivers

Olympus: home to the ancient Greek gods and goddesses

omnipotent: all-powerful

suppliant: a person making a humble plea to a person in authority

Study Questions

1. What is noticeable about Hamilton’s style of writing and Mythology as a book?

Hamilton writes clearly, simply, and accessibly. This book is written for the...

(The entire section is 1057 words.)

Part One – The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes, Chapter 1 – The Gods


aegis: a goatskin shield or breastplate that is an attribute of Zeus and Athena

implacable: relentless, unstoppable

incarnate: embodied in flesh

inexorable: impossible to stop

omniscient: all-knowing

oracle: a priest or priestess acting as a medium for the gods

pinnacle: a peak, a summit

redoubtable: formidable; arousing fear or awe

transgress: to infringe, to go beyond the bounds of a moral issue

wielded: held or used (as a weapon)

Study Questions

1. How does creation occur in Greek mythology?

In Greek mythology, the universe creates the gods. There is heaven and earth, and...

(The entire section is 1933 words.)

Part One – The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes, Chapter 2 – The Two Great Gods of Earth


chasm: a deep gulf or divide

desolate: deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness

discern: to distinguish, to perceive

exult: to show or to feel elation, jubilation

fetter: to restrain with chains or manacles

hallow: to honor as holy

hasten: to move or travel hurriedly

manifest: to display, to show, to demonstrate

revelry: lively and noisy festivities

reverent: respectful, deferential

sheaves: bundles of grain stocks after harvest

taut: tight, strained

winnowing: removing chaff from grain

Study Questions

1. Identify and describe Demeter and Dionysus.


(The entire section is 691 words.)

Part One – The Gods, Creation, and the Earliest Heroes, Chapter 3 – How the World and Mankind Were Created


adamantine: unbreakable

anvil: a heavy steel or iron block with a flat top and concave sides

bade: uttered a greeting or farewell

beneficent: generous, resulting in good

boon: a blessing, a benefit

brazen: bold, without shame

deluge: a severe flood

lament: to mourn a loss, to grieve

stead: the place or role that someone or something should have or fill

writhing: continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body

Study Questions

1. Summarize the first story of creation found in Greek mythology.

The ancient Greeks believed the universe created its gods, not the other way...

(The entire section is 1227 words.)

Part One – The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes, Chapter 4 – The Earliest Heroes


affectation: pretense, simulation

ascribe: to attribute something to a cause

clambering: climbing, moving, getting in or out of something in an awkward manner

commemorate: to show respect for something or someone in a ceremony

laggard: slower than desired or expected

loathe: to dislike intensely

ponderous: heavy, weighty, awkward

prudent: cautious

scepters: ornamental staffs or canes

slain: killed in a violent way

staunch: loyal and committed in attitude

suppliants: those who make a humble plea to those in authority

thrice: three times; “once, twice, thrice”

wafted: passed easily or gently through or as if...

(The entire section is 873 words.)

Part Two – Stories of Love and Adventure, Chapter 5 – Cupid and Psyche, Chapter 6 – Eight Brief Tales of Lovers


ardent: enthusiastic, passionate

clamor: noise, uproar

diligent: conscientious, industrious

enamored: marked by a foolish or unreasoning fondness

fraught: full, replete, loaded

homage: special honor or respect shown publicly

inexplicable: unaccountable, incomprehensible

pious: devoutly religious

smite: to strike with a firm blow

tarry: to stay longer than expected

tryst: a private, romantic rendezvous; a meeting

wayfarer: a person who travels on foot

zeal: enthusiasm, excitement

Study Questions

1. Why does Aphrodite/Venus dismiss Psyche?

Aphrodite is jealous of Psyche....

(The entire section is 1004 words.)

Part Two – Stories of Love and Adventure, Chapter 7 – The Quest of the Golden Fleece


abashed: caused to feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed

defile: to sully, to mar, to soil

elixir: a magical or medicinal potion

exult: to show or feel elation or jubilation, especially as the result of a success

shorn: cut off (hair, wool) with scissors or shears

torrent: a sudden, violent, copious outpouring of words or feelings

valor: great courage

Study Questions

1. What does the sea symbolize? Why?

The sea symbolizes possibility and adventure. In ancient Greece, the oceans were primary ways to journey from one land to another, and the journeys were often dangerous voyages, fraught with many perils....

(The entire section is 800 words.)

Part Two – Stories of Love and Adventure, Chapter 8 – Four Great Adventures


Chimaera: a fire-breathing female monster with a lion’s head and a goat’s body and a serpent’s tail

covet: to yearn to possess something

cunning: sly, crafty, artful

portent: a sign or warning that something momentous or calamitous is likely to happen

precipitous: dangerously high or steep

thither: archaic to or toward that place

Study Questions

1. Why do the nymphs honor Phaethon?

Phaethon’s father is the sun god. He drives his father’s chariot too close to the sun and burns to death. The nymphs honor him because even though he failed to control the horses and the chariot, he was brave:...

(The entire section is 594 words.)

Part Three – The Great Heroes before the Trojan War, Chapter 9 – Perseus, Chapter 10 – Theseus


abode: a residence, a home

forewith: archaic immediately, instantly

raze: to destroy completely

sanctuary: a place of refuge and safety

shroud: to wrap or cover, as if from view

Study Questions

1. How does King Acrisius attempt—and fail—to defy fate?

A priestess tells King Acrisius that his daughter, Danae, will have a son who will kill him; the only sure way to avert this fate, she says, is for the king to kill Danae. The king cannot do this because killing kin is an action that may incur the gods’ wrath. Instead, he imprisons her. Zeus visits Danae and impregnates her. She gives birth to a son, Perseus. For...

(The entire section is 845 words.)

Part Three – The Great Heroes before the Trojan War, Chapter 11 - Hercules, Chapter 12 - Atalanta


arduous: hard, difficult, challenging

coverts: covers, shelters

defiled: sullied, marred, and soiled

exonerate: to acquit, to absolve from a crime

expiating: atoning for guilt or sin

invariable: never changing, constant

penitence: remorse for past conduct

pestilence: fatal epidemic disease

undaunted: not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment

Study Questions

1. How is Hercules different from other mythological heroes?

Hercules is simple, good-hearted, and brave, but he offends the gods, makes mistakes, and inadvertently causes much suffering, including his own. He is...

(The entire section is 872 words.)

Part Four – The Heroes of the Trojan War, Chapter 13 – The Trojan War


appeasing: pacifying or placating (someone) by acceding to their demands

circumvent: to find a way around (an obstacle), to overcome a difficulty

solemn: grave, serious, formal

treachery: betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature

upbraid: to find fault, to scold someone

utmost: most extreme, greatest

vexed: annoyed, frustrated, worried

Study Questions

1. What is the significance of the character of Helen?

By creating the character of Helen, the ancient Greeks create the cause for human struggle and war. A series of events leads to the Trojan War, but Helen is considered to be the reason it began....

(The entire section is 1292 words.)

Part Four – The Heroes of the Trojan War, Chapter 14 – The Fall of Troy


apparition: a ghost or ghostlike image of a person

feat: an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength

gallant: brave, courageous

rapture: intense pleasure

votive: offered or consecrated in fulfillment of a vow

Study Questions

1. Explain Odysseus’s plan for placing Greek warriors within the walls of the city of Troy.

Odysseus devises the plan for the Trojan horse, which is hollow inside so that it may be a hiding place for the Greek soldiers so they can get into the Trojan fort; they treacherously present the horse as an appeasement gift after the ten-year war between them. The Greeks then pretend to sail away...

(The entire section is 433 words.)

Part Four – The Heroes of the Trojan War, Chapter 15 – The Adventures of Odysseus


indiscriminate: done at random, without careful consideration

insolent: insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct

perilous: full of danger; risky

roistering: enjoy oneself or celebrating in a noisy or boisterous way

sacrilege: a violation or misuse of what is considered sacred

sumptuous: splendid, expensive looking

swagger: to walk or behave in a very confident, arrogant manner

tempest: a violent, windy storm

wrathful: filled with rage

Study Questions

1. Why do the gods punish the Greeks?

After the fall of Troy, the Greeks forgot to give gifts to Athena and Poseidon, who helped the Greeks win....

(The entire section is 839 words.)

Part Four – The Heroes of the Trojan War, Chapter 16 – The Adventures of Aeneas


haven: a place of safety, refuge

indolent: lazy, idle, sluggish

oblivion: the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening

pallor: an unhealthy pale appearance

portentous: ominous, sinister

smote: struck with a firm blow

squalid: sordid, filthy, foul

stripling: a young man

susceptible: easily influenced, sensitive, responsive

Study Questions

1. Why did the Roman historian and poet Virgil exalt in tales about Aeneas?

Aeneas is said to have been the founder of ancient Rome, and Virgil understandably believed in Rome as a political capital. Aeneas is also a reasonable man who embodies the...

(The entire section is 790 words.)

Part Five – The Great Families of Mythology, Chapter 17 – The House of Atreus


abhorrent: inspiring disgust and loathing

abominable: causing moral aversion

absolved: given absolution for a sin; relieved of blame, fault, guilt

arrayed: displayed or arranged in a particular way

atonement: reparation for a wrong or injury

brooded: thought deeply about something that makes one unhappy

consecrate: to make or declare something sacred

contrived: deliberately created rather than spontaneously or naturally created

entrancing: filling someone with wonder and delight, holding their entire attention

foreboding: fearful apprehension, dread

laden: heavily loaded, weighted down

lofty: of imposing height; noble


(The entire section is 1123 words.)

Part Five – The Great Families of Mythology, Chapter 18 – The Royal House of Thebes


acquiesce: to accept something reluctantly but without protest

assertion: a confident and forceful statement about fact or belief

blight: disease, affliction

enmity: the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something

guile: slyness, cunning intelligence

inexplicably: without a possible explanation

ordinance: a decree, an order, an edict

Study Questions

1. What is the essential moral about the House of Thebes?

The moral is that fortunes change all the time, and the Fates punish the good, too.

2. How does Cadmus and Harmonia’s experience indicate the fickleness...

(The entire section is 773 words.)

Part Five – The Great Families of Mythology, Chapter 19 – The Royal House of Athens


arbiter: a person who settles a dispute

chagrined: abashed, feeling or being caused to feel embarrassed

palpitating: beating rapidly, strongly, or irregularly

reparation: repair, compensation

Study Questions

1. How does Hamilton’s tone change in the beginning of this chapter? What observations does she make about the demise of mythology in the lives of the Greeks?

Hamilton is more analytical and serious. Her opening pages observe that when myths became misrepresented and crass in order to make successful literature or theater, “the end of Greek mythology was at hand.” Even by the fifth century BCE, people were beginning to doubt...

(The entire section is 849 words.)

Part Six – The Less Important Myths, Chapter 20 – Midas—and Others, Chapter 21 – Brief Myths Arranged Alphabetically


audacity: boldness, daring

cornucopia: a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn

divination: the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means

emulate: to match, usually through imitation

promontory: a cape, a headland of a body of water

rustic: having a simplicity and charm that is considered typical of the countryside

spoils: goods stolen or taken forcibly

unerring: always right or accurate

Study Questions

1. What is the moral in the story of Midas?

Midas represents human greed and foolishness. “He was an...

(The entire section is 689 words.)

Part Seven – The Mythology of the Norsemen Introduction to Norse Mythology, Chapter 22 – The Stories of Signy and Sigurd, Chapter 23 – The Norse Gods


adjudged: considered or declared to be true; to be ruled upon

conception: an idea, a notion, a concept

exacted: demanded and obtained

fatalistic: believing that all events are predetermined by fate and are therefore unalterable

foes: enemies, opponents

imperiled: put at risk of being harmed, injured, or destroyed

shalt: archaic shall

somber: so shaded as to seem dark and gloomy; melancholy of character

therein: in or into that place, time, or thing

thou: archaic you

treatise: a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject

unsullied: spotlessly clean and fresh


(The entire section is 743 words.)

Multiple-Choice Test and Answer Key

1. Why did the ancient Greeks create their gods in the image of human beings?

A. Because the Greeks were unimaginative.

B. Because the Greeks wanted gods to whom they could relate.

C. Because the Greeks wanted to be different from the Egyptians.

D. Because the Greeks were arrogant.

E. Because the Greeks wanted to be different from the Hindus.

2. According to Hamilton, why is Homer’s Iliad important?

A. A new perspective was created that put the gods in their rightful place.

B. A new perspective dawned in which humans were at the whim of nature.

C. A...

(The entire section is 1415 words.)

Essay Exam Questions With Answers

1. Explain how women are depicted in Greek mythology. Support your discussion with examples from several of the myths.

There is a consistent portrayal of females throughout Greek mythology: mortal women are unlucky, particularly if gods are in love with them, and immortal women are powerful, though secondary to male gods. In addition to these two factions of goddesses and mortal women, there are huntresses, both mortal and immortal, who are women who do not want a conventional life of marriage and children. Despite these varying models of the female in Greek mythology, all women are depicted as being troublesome, petty, disloyal, and vindictive. These consistent portrayals of women in mythical stories indicate ancient...

(The entire section is 2990 words.)