Question

Read this excerpt from "The Myth of Hercules."

Hercules was the son of the great god Zeus and a human woman named Alcmene. The goddess Hera did not like Alcmene and vowed to destroy Hercules when he was born. Hera sent two snakes to kill the baby as he lay in his crib, but Hercules was strong and strangled the snakes with his tiny hands before they could bite him with their sharp fangs. The excerpt shows evidence that it is from a Greek myth because...
Option 1: All the characters are gods.
Option 2: The main characters are humans.
Option 3: The gods interact with humans.
Option 4: There are animals in the story.

Answer 1

The excerpt from "The Myth of Hercules" is from a Greek myth due to option 3: the gods interact with humans. Hercules, a demi-god hero, exemplifies the extraordinary traits typical of such mythological figures, and his labors reflect the challenges heroes faced in such tales.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from "The Myth of Hercules" provides clear evidence that it is from a Greek myth because of the interaction between gods and humans. Specifically, the excerpt mentions Hercules, who is the son of Zeus, a god, and Alcmene, a human woman. Furthermore, the goddess Hera's intervention in trying to destroy Hercules by sending snakes represents the kind of divine interaction with the mortal world that is characteristic of Greek mythology. The presence of these elements distinguishes Greek myths from other types of stories, as they often explore the relationships and conflicts between the divine and the human realms.

In Greek mythology, heroes like Hercules often possess qualities that set them apart from ordinary humans. In the case of Hercules, his extraordinary strength, which is evident even as a baby when he strangles the snakes, is a mark of his divine heritage. His father Zeus, a hallmark figure in Greek myths, is known for fathering various demi-god heroes, such as Perseus and Hercules himself. These heroes faced numerous challenges and tasks set by the gods or kings, which they had to overcome as a testament to their heritage and abilities. Hercules' Twelve Labors, including slaying the Nemean Lion and capturing the three-headed dog Cerberus, are among the most famous stories of such heroic quests.