As in my performance at the end's year exhibition I want to impersonate the Minotaur, I've tried to gather as much information as I can to feel the character and know its darkest secrets.
So, according to the Greek myth, the Minotaur was born from the union of King Minos's wife, Pasiphae and a sacred bull, which was a punishment from Poseidon for King Minos's own transgressions. The Minotaur was imprisoned in the labyrinth(a maze-like structure built by Daedalus, a skilled craftsman) as he was seen by Minos as an embarrassment and a monstrosity. The Minotaur devoured humans for sustenance and he was fed with seven maids from Athens every year. Theseus, the Athenian hero, was tasked with killing the Minotaur and ending the cycle of human sacrifices. With the help of Ariadne(Minos's daughter) and her golden thread that will assure the way out of the labyrinth , Theseus would save her lover Ariadne from being eaten alive.
But let's talk a bit more about the Minotaur...let's feel what he felt...
The Minotaur, a creature of legend, was cursed to spend its days trapped within the labyrinth - a twisting, turning maze that seemed to have no end. For centuries, the creature roamed the dark corridors of the maze, searching for a way out but finding none. At first, the Minotaur was filled with rage and anger, lashing out at the walls and screaming in frustration. It was a life of unending torment, and the creature felt trapped and alone in its labyrinthine prison. As the years passed, however, the Minotaur's anger began to give way to despair. It had lost all hope of ever escaping the maze, and the endless walls and corridors seemed to close in around it, suffocating and oppressive. The Minotaur began to feel a deep sense of sorrow, a crushing weight that seemed to drag it down with each passing day. It longed for the freedom that had been denied to it, for the chance to explore the world beyond the maze.
But as the years stretched into centuries, the Minotaur began to accept its fate. It learned to find a kind of solace in the labyrinth, in the quiet darkness of the maze that had become its home. It found a sense of peace in the routine of its existence, in the endless wandering and the deep stillness of the labyrinth.
And so, the Minotaur lived out its days in the maze, a creature both trapped and free, at once resigned to its fate and yet always searching for a way out. It was a life of paradox and contradiction, but one that gave the Minotaur a kind of strange, bittersweet beauty that has captured the imaginations of generations.
I've tried to write a poem with the Minotaur's voice, but giving him a way out of the Labyrinth. Somehow, deep down I wanted him to find liberation, to find Ariadne's thread instead of getting murdered...
"I am the Minotaur, trapped in the labyrinth of my mind.
A prisoner of my own being, lost and unkind.
I am lonely, unloved, and rejected by society.
Anger boils within me, and it's hard to find sobriety.
I am a monster, half-man, half-beast,
A symbol of fear, with a soul that's released.
I roam in circles, like a snake in the night,
In this endless maze, where there's no end in sight.
I rage and I scream, but no one hears my call,
I'm trapped in this labyrinth, where I can't find a way out at all.
But then, I see it, a thread that glows in the night,
Ariadne's thread, leading me to the light.
I follow the thread, it twists and it turns,
A symbol of spirals, my soul starts to churn.
The thread leads me out, to the world up above,
A symbol of hope, a sign of my love.
As I step out of the labyrinth, my eyes open wide,
I see the world anew, and my heart starts to glide.
The thread that led me out, was a symbol of acceptance,
A sign that I was loved, despite my appearance.
I now know that I'm not a monster, but a being of light,
A symbol of strength, and a soul that's all right.
I now roam the world, a different kind of beast,
But my heart is now free, and my soul's at peace.
The labyrinth of my mind, is now a thing of the past,
I found Ariadne's thread, and it led me out at last.
And now I know, that there's a light in the night,
A symbol of hope, a sign of my right."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The myth of the Minotaur reminded me a lot of Dante's Divine Comedy, which holds a special place in my heart. The myth of the Minotaur and Dante's Divine Comedy are two classic tales that have left a lasting impact on literature and popular culture. Despite being written centuries apart, there are similarities between the two works that suggest a connection between them.
Both stories explore the themes of sin, punishment, and redemption and feature characters who are trapped in a labyrinthine structure. Dante's Divine Comedy, tells the story of the poet's journey through the three realms of the afterlife: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The poem is a spiritual allegory that explores the nature of sin and its consequences. The protagonist, Dante, is guided through the underworld by the poet Virgil. Along the way, he meets a variety of characters, including sinners who are being punished for their sins. One of the most striking similarities between the two stories is the presence of the labyrinth. In the myth of the Minotaur, the labyrinth is a physical structure that represents the Minotaur's imprisonment and isolation. Similarly, in Dante's Divine Comedy, the labyrinth is a metaphorical structure that represents the complexities of sin and the challenges of finding one's way to salvation.
In both stories, the labyrinth represents a challenge that must be overcome in order to achieve a greater goal. Another similarity between the two stories is the presence of characters who are trapped in the labyrinth. In the myth of the Minotaur, the Minotaur is trapped in the labyrinth and unable to escape. Similarly, in Dante's Divine Comedy, the sinners in Hell are trapped in their respective circles, unable to escape their punishment.
Both stories explore the idea of being trapped and the desire for liberation.
In conclusion, the myth of the Minotaur and Dante's Divine Comedy share many similarities, including the presence of a labyrinth, characters who are trapped, and themes of sin, punishment, and redemption. Both stories continue to be relevant today and have influenced countless works of literature and popular culture. The symbol of the labyrinth serves as a reminder of the challenges we face in life and the importance of finding a way to overcome them.
Comments