Presentation by Dutch and Italian students

The myth

Icarus' father, Daedalus, a talented and remarkable Athenian craftsman, attempted to escape from his exile in the palace of Crete, where he and his son were imprisoned at the hands of King Minos, the king for whom he had built the Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur (half man, half bull). Daedalus, the superior craftsman, was exiled because he gave Minos' daughter, Adrian, a clew in order to help Theseus, the enemy of Minos, survive the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur.

Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son.

Before they took off from the island, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea. Overcome by the giddiness that flying lent him, Icarus soared through the sky curiously, but in the process he came too close to the sun, which melted the wax. Icarus kept flapping his wings but soon realized that he had no feathers left and that he was only flapping his bare arms. And so, Icarus fell into the sea in the area which bears his name, the Icarian sea near Icaria, an island southwest of Samos.

Dedalo e Icaro suo figlio sono intrappolati nel labirinto del minotauro. Durante la prigionia Dedalo costruisce delle ali per loro due con la cera delle candele e le penne degli uccelli che cadono dentro le mura. Nonostante fosse stato avvertito di non volare troppo vicino al sole dal padre Icaro non resiste alla tentazione di avvicinarsi agli dei così il sole scioglie la cera delle ali e questo lo fa precipitare nel mare.

Meaning of the myth

• The meaning and the teaching that this myth gives can be interpreted in two ways:

• The first is the “good way”. In teaches us to overcome our limits and not to content us of what we already have or are.

• The second is the “bad way”. Icarus despite his worried father and the danger he’s going to, however goes toward the sun, and it brings him to death.

Examples of the two ways

Ulysses is an undefined story, because it can be put in both ways of thinking.

You can say it’s good because he passes through the Pillars of Hercules to increase his knowledge and to pass over humanity.

But you can also say it’s a bad action because doing this he wanted to be like a god with endless knowledge, and this is impossible, and Dante put him in hell for this.

Italian literature

In italian literature we can find examples about this theme execpt of Dante’s example.

Leopardi is known for “Zibaldone” and “Infinito”, two poems about the will of passing through human limits.

English literature

• Mary Shelley wrote two important poems about the topic of passing through of human limits: Frankestein and the modern Prometheus

• James Joice wrote “Ulysses” a book that is namesake and deal with the same topic in a similar way.

Icarus by Christine Hemp It was his idea, this flying thing.

We collected feathers at night, stuffingour pockets with mourning dove down. By day,we'd weave and glue them with the waxI stole after we'd shooed the bees away. Oh, how it felt, finally, to blow off Creteleaving a labyrinth of dead-ends:my clumsiness with figures, father's calmimpatience, cool logic, interminable devising.The sea wind touched my face like balm. He thought I'd tag along as usual,in the wake of his careful schemebound by the string connecting father and son,invisible thread I tried for years to untie.I ached to be a good-for-something on my own. I didn't know I'd get drunk with the heat,flying high, too much a son to return.

Poor Daedelus, his mouth an O below,his hands outstretched to catch the rainof wax. He still doesn't know. My wings fell, yes - I saw him hoverover the tiny splash - but by then I'd beenswallowed into love's eye, the light I've come to seeas home, drowning in the yes, this swirlingwhite-hot where night will never find me. And now when my father wakeseach morning, his bones still sorefrom his one-time flight, his confidence undonebecause the master plan fell through,he rises to a light he never knew, his son.

Dutch literature De elementen written by Harry Mulisch

- Kreta with labyrinth- Main person dies just like Icarus

Kaas written by Willem Elsschot- Man sells cheese- Man is too confident, just like Icarus

Daedalus and Icarus in history of art

Frans Huys 1522-1562

painter and writer

Hans Bol 1534-1593

• Pieter Bruegel

1525-1569

Breda

Icarus felt down

Modern timeThe question is:

• IS THIS THEME STILL USEFUL TODAY?

We think yes! All the people has to know their limits, and if they can overcome them.

If we don’t know the risks that we run exceeding our limits, and if we don’t listen to the other people who want to take care of us, we could finish like Icarus.

PRESENTATION MADE BY:

• Benvenuti eleonora• Bij de WEG JANOUK• Campagnolo elisa• Dobbelaar claudine• Gemke arnoud• TAMSMA DJUANTI• TISO ANDREA• TORNETTA BENEDETTO