Looking Medusa in the Eyes: The Monster Who Shaped Classical Culture

Medusa is one of the most infamous monsters in European literature. The snake-haired woman, whose gaze can kill any man on sight, has captivated readers from the time of her inception in the 8th Century BCE to today, where she still features prominently in literature and art. Yet why has this figure been so influential for so long? And how has she changed over these thousands of years? The answers to these questions must start with the study of ancient societies that created the Medusa figure and laid the foundation of her identity on which all future interpretations would rely. In this thesis, I argue that Medusa transformed many times, reflecting each of the different ancient societies that wrote about her, and illustrating how for each society, she was a projection of cultural fears and an enforcer of cultural norms. Consequently, the study of Medusa is both important to the understanding of ancient myth, and to the understanding of monsters and their role as a means of demonizing those who violate norms and as a mechanism to regulate society.Bachelor of Art