Theatrical Adaptation

Connotations

Myths. What makes a myth a myth and not a fairy tale or a legend? The word myth, like Layne said in class, has a negative connotation to it, while a legend often involves a hero doing some extraordinary deed. But really isn’t the purpose of a myth to explain some event or occurrence? Greek Mythology became the source of explanation, for example, Zeus had Hermes create a woman of stunning beauty with which to punish mankind. This woman was named Pandora, thus giving birth to the myth of Pandora’s box, because Pandora could not control the temptations of opening the box, despite the warning that all hell would break loose. She gave in, and here we are today, (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/scaffold/GG/creationMan.html, J.M. Hunt). Another interesting possible myth would be the story of Eve giving into temptation by eating the fruit, and to punish her, God created the agony of childbirth. I had never really thought of the story of Eve as being a myth until now, it was always something I just believed and never needed justification or evidence to prove it, I just accepted it as true.

So we could consider “The Wizard of Oz” as a modern day myth, especially due to its international popularity and the fact that it has caused several different forms of adaptation including movies, musicals and even more novels. It doesn’t really explain anything but it is still a magical story with a journey where the hero, Dorothy, triumphs over her nemesis, The Wicked Witch of the West, to achieve her goal. It could encourage children not to do evil deeds or they will turn ugly and green like the Witch, but that is not the moral of the story. I suppose it basically just serves as a reminder that there is “No place like home”.

Fairy tales, “pre-Disneyized”, were meant to teach lessons as well. For example, in Cinderella, the wicked stepsister’s eyes were poked out by crows at the end of the story. But after the various adaptations, the moral had disintegrated. I think that the terms fairy tale, legend and myth might possibly be interchangeable, despite their various connotations.

posted by Taylor @ 8:46 PM