Ovid's+Metamorphosis

David Florian Rajamon Fowlkes Danielle Friedman Brandon Gillespie
 * Group Members:**


 * Starting Points to Consider:**
 * What is Ovid's Metamorphosis? How does it connect to the Harry Potter books?


 * Who is Orpheus? What was his role in classic mythology, including Jason and the Argonauts?


 * Who are Narcissus & Echo, Ariadne, the Minotaur, and Eurydice? How might these figure be alluded to in the Harry Potter books?


 * How is Orpheus a hero? Why did he journey to the underworld, and what happened?


 * Who is Cerberus and what is his role in mythology?


 * What elements, motifs, characters, themes, settings, events, or symbols in the stories of Orpheus or Cerberus, Narcissus and Echo, and Ariadne and the Minotaur are similar to the Harry Potter books? To other stories or books? (For example, in what other stories do we see characters who aren’t supposed to look back, but do? What are the consequences for their actions compared to Orpheus’ punishment?)


 * What allusions to these characters can you find in music, modern texts, film, pop culture?


 * How does Orpheus compare to Harry and his experiences?


 * What typically happens when a hero like Orpheus or Harry goes to the underworld? How does the hero change after this event?


 * How does Harry go into the underworld and how is he changed afterward?


 * What are some other examples of the hero’s journey to the underworld that are found in classic and contemporary literature, film, and so on?