Ancient Hero: Perseus's Symbol Paragraph

     Perseus's braveness and cleverness is represented by the gorgon head of Medusa. Perseus was the demigod son of Zeus and Danae, and the one prophesied to kill his grandfather, King Acrisius. The king of Seriphos, Polydectes, had devised the mission of getting Perseus to defeat Medusa, an impossible task, so Perseus couldn't interfere with his pursuit of Danae. Medusa's head, which can turn people to stone, is a symbol of greatness because everyone before Perseus who had set out to kill her had ended up as a statue. Medusa's head is a trophy of Perseus, showing his cleverness in being able to defeat the gorgon, and his bravery for even attempting it. Perseus also uses the gorgon's head as a weapon, as it can still turn living things into stone. His morality is demonstrated most notably in his rescue of the princess Andromeda from the sea monster and his mother in the court of Polydectes. Perseus can't defeat Medusa on his own, so the gods help him; this exposes his place as a mortal favored by the gods which is usually given to heroic individuals. Medusa's head symbolizes Perseus's bravery and cleverness because of the obstacles he had to face in gaining it and is an important part of his legacy.