Compare Fairiytales to Greek Myth

 Compare Fairiytales to Greek Myth


Fairy tales

Greek myth

Trope - helpless woman (princess) rescued by prince who kisses her - romantic 

Women are more varied and have some agency. Women help heroes and are discarded. Goddesses help heroes. Rarely romantic.

Children - message of warning - poor children

Not about children - for adult audience (primarily - although Homer’s works were used as reader for children)

Supernatural/fantastical/magic/monsters but no gods. 

Gods - pay tribute to gods, gods are capricious & inexplicable

Men win women as a reward

Women are not long term prizes for men

Monsters are real animals - wolves, dragons (?)

Monsters are hybrids

Love

Not love

Christian idea of redemption and afterlife

No afterlife - death is the end - or metamorphosis or spirited to Mt Olympus

Being rewritten for social justice messages

Being used for social justice or political messages

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