There are several Greek myths that involve monsters, which we know could not have actually existed. This raises the question of why there are monsters in Greek myth. In Greek mythology monsters serve to set heroes apart from regular humans. Examples in this essay of monsters and their hero counterparts will be Medusa and Perseus, the Minotaur and Theseus, and Polyphemus and Odysseus. Monsters symbolize the fear that most humans possess, with the exception of heroes who are not afraid of monsters. In this essay I will explain how monsters help set heroes apart from regular humans by showing that they have courage, wits and connections with the gods.
Monsters show that Heroes have courage because Heroes face them and kill them when a regular human would run away. Monsters are very frightful to humans because they represent two things that humans are afraid of. The first of these is the unknown or unfamiliar. Monsters are usually very hideous, with features like Medusa's snake hair. The second reason why humans are afraid of monsters is that monsters usually pose a threat to their well being. For example, "a tribute of seven men and seven women were sent every nine years to be devoured by the Minotaur". (pg.324). Theseus is not afraid of the Minotaur and demonstrates this when he volunteers to be one of the seven men sent into the labyrinth to be devoured. Medusa brings out the courage in Perseus when he, "finds the petrified statues of men who had looked in the face of the horrifying creatures," (pg.311), and proceeds past them to what could possibly be the same fate. Odysseus shows courage by keeping his cool when Polyphemus had, "greedily devoured several of his men," (pg.457), and was, "belching out wine and bits of human flesh." (The Odyssey line 40). If monsters were not frightful then heroes would not be able to show courage by confronting and killing them. Therefore monsters are important to a hero's courageous image.