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Literal Interpretations In Greek Mythology

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Interpretations are explanations that result from understanding something (The Real Dictionary). There are two main types of interpretations that are used in Greek mythology. There is literal interpretation and personification interpretation. Both types of interpretations have impacts on the moral responsibility within the stories. Literal interpretation is an interpretation based on the exact wording (The Real Dictionary). Literal interpretation of the Greek Gods means taking the information provided in the scenario and taking it literal and word for word. There isn’t any “beating around the bush” during literal interpretation. Literal interpretation has remarkable consequences when it comes to moral responsibility. Because literal interpretation interferes in one’s life, it is in control of one’s actions, not that person. Moral responsibility takes place when one is in control of their own actions. And when one is not in control of their own actions, moral responsibility …show more content…

The literal interpretation of that specific scenario would be that there is a goddess that literally takes Paris away from that confrontational scenario. But that is not the case. In that specific scenario, where Aphrodite interferes between a situation that involved Paris and Menelaus, that would mean that Paris is not in control of his actions, meaning he has no moral responsibility. Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities are given to animal, objects, thoughts or ideas (Literary Devices). Personification is a literary technique that draws attention to the humanistic characteristics in which make non human objects become symbols for humanistic characteristics. Personification interpretation in Greek mythology suggests that the Gods should be viewed as symbols for humanistic traits rather than actual

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