Excerpt

Excerpt from The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children, by Charles Kingsley

But Jason could not love her, after all her cruel deeds. So he was
ungrateful to her, and wronged her; and she revenged herself on him. And
a terrible revenge she took—too terrible to speak of here. But you will
hear of it yourselves when you grow up, for it has been sung in noble
poetry and music; and whether it be true or not, it stands for ever as a
warning to us not to seek for help from evil persons, or to gain good
ends by evil means. For if we use an adder even against our enemies, it
will turn again and sting us.

But of all the other heroes there is many a brave tale left, which I have
no space to tell you, so you must read them for yourselves;—of the
hunting of the boar in Calydon, which Meleager killed; and of Heracles’
twelve famous labours; and of the seven who fought at Thebes; and of the
noble love of Castor and Polydeuces, the twin Dioscouroi—how when one
died the other would not live without him, so they shared their
immortality between them; and Zeus changed them into the two twin stars
which never rise both at once.

And what became of Cheiron, the good immortal beast? That, too, is a sad
story; for the heroes never saw him more. He was wounded by a poisoned
arrow, at Pholoe among the hills, when Heracles opened the fatal
wine-jar, which Cheiron had warned him not to touch. And the Centaurs
smelt the wine, and flocked to it, and fought for it with Heracles; but
he killed them all with his poisoned arrows, and Cheiron was left alone.
Then Cheiron took up one of the arrows, and dropped it by chance upon his
foot; and the poison ran like fire along his veins, and he lay down and
longed to die; and cried, ‘Through wine I perish, the bane of all my
race. Why should I live for ever in this agony? Who will take my
immortality, that I may die?’

---

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children by Charles Kingsley

Context of the Source

Charles Kingsley’s The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children (1856) is a retelling of Greek myths for a young audience, blending moral lessons with adventure. Kingsley, a Victorian clergyman and writer, sought to make classical mythology accessible while emphasizing Christian and Victorian values—such as virtue, self-sacrifice, and the dangers of moral compromise.

This excerpt comes near the end of the book, summarizing key events from Greek mythology, particularly the tragic consequences of Jason and Medea’s story, the fates of other heroes, and the downfall of the noble centaur Cheiron.

---

Themes in the Excerpt

1. The Consequences of Moral Corruption

   • The passage begins with Jason’s betrayal of Medea, framing it as a moral failing: "Jason could not love her, after all her cruel deeds. So he was ungrateful to her, and wronged her."
     • Medea, a sorceress, had helped Jason secure the Golden Fleece through treachery (including murdering her brother and betraying her father). Kingsley suggests that using evil means for good ends corrupts both the user and the beneficiary.
     • The phrase "too terrible to speak of here" alludes to Medea’s infamous revenge—killing her and Jason’s children (as in Euripides’ Medea)—but Kingsley avoids graphic details, keeping the tone child-appropriate while still conveying the horror.
   • The moral warning is explicit: "it stands for ever as a warning to us not to seek for help from evil persons, or to gain good ends by evil means." This reflects Victorian moralism, where ends do not justify means.

2. The Inevitability of Divine Justice

   • The metaphor "if we use an adder even against our enemies, it will turn again and sting us" reinforces the idea of karmic retribution. Medea, like a venomous snake, destroys Jason after he discards her.
   • This aligns with Greek tragic themes (e.g., hubris leading to nemesis) and Christian notions of sin’s consequences.

3. Heroism and Sacrifice

   • The passage shifts to noble heroes (Meleager, Heracles, the Seven Against Thebes) to contrast with Jason’s moral failure.
   • The story of Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux) highlights selfless love: when Castor (mortal) dies, Polydeuces (immortal) refuses to live without him, so Zeus lets them share immortality, becoming the constellation Gemini. This reinforces loyalty and brotherhood as virtues.
   • The tragedy of Cheiron, the wise centaur, serves as another cautionary tale—this time about unintended consequences and the dangers of temptation.

4. The Perils of Temptation and Hubris

   • Cheiron’s death is framed as a tragic accident caused by human folly:
     • Heracles, warned not to open the wine-jar, does so anyway, leading the Centaurs to fight over it.
     • Cheiron, though innocent, is wounded by a poisoned arrow (a gift from Nessus, another centaur, dipped in the Hydra’s blood).
     • His immortal suffering ("Why should I live for ever in this agony?") leads him to beg for death, a fate granted when he trades his immortality to Prometheus.
   • The wine-jar symbolizes temptation and loss of control, a common theme in Greek myth (e.g., Pandora’s box). Cheiron’s lament—"Through wine I perish, the bane of all my race"—echoes the broader Greek view of excess leading to ruin.

---

Literary Devices

1. Foreshadowing & Omission

   • Kingsley hints at Medea’s revenge without describing it, creating suspense while maintaining decorum for child readers. This technique invites older readers to seek out the full story (e.g., Euripides’ Medea).

2. Metaphor & Simile

   • "If we use an adder even against our enemies, it will turn again and sting us" – The adder (snake) metaphor conveys betrayal’s inevitability.
   • "The poison ran like fire along his veins" – A simile emphasizing Cheiron’s agony.

3. Juxtaposition

   • The contrast between Jason’s ingratitude and Castor/Polydeuces’ loyalty highlights moral extremes.
   • The shift from human heroes to Cheiron’s divine suffering underscores how even immortals are vulnerable to mortal flaws.

4. Mythological Allusion

   • References to Heracles’ labors, the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and the Seven Against Thebes assume the reader’s future familiarity with these myths, encouraging further reading.

5. Pathos (Emotional Appeal)

   • Cheiron’s suffering ("he lay down and longed to die") evokes pity, reinforcing the tragedy of an innocent victim of others’ mistakes.

---

Significance of the Excerpt

1. Moral Instruction for Children

   • Kingsley uses myth to teach Victorian values: gratitude, loyalty, and the dangers of moral compromise. The warning against "evil means for good ends" reflects Christian ethics (e.g., "the road to hell is paved with good intentions").

2. Adaptation of Greek Myth for a New Audience

   • Unlike classical sources (which often depict gods and heroes as morally ambiguous), Kingsley simplifies and moralizes the myths, making them didactic (intended to teach).
   • For example, in Apollonius’ Argonautica, Medea is a complex, tragic figure; here, she is reduced to a villainess to illustrate Jason’s folly.

3. The Tragedy of Immortality

   • Cheiron’s story explores the burden of immortality—a theme that resonates in later works (e.g., The Picture of Dorian Gray, Tuck Everlasting). His desire for death challenges the idea that eternal life is always desirable.

4. Cultural Legacy

   • The excerpt preserves key mythological motifs (e.g., shared immortality, poisoned arrows) while making them accessible. It also connects Greek myth to natural phenomena (e.g., Castor and Pollux as stars), blending science and storytelling.

---

Textual Analysis: Key Lines Explained

1. "Jason could not love her, after all her cruel deeds. So he was ungrateful to her, and wronged her; and she revenged herself on him."

   • Kingsley condenses a complex relationship into a moral failing: Jason’s ingratitude leads to Medea’s vengeance.
   • The phrasing suggests cause and effect—Jason’s betrayal is both a moral crime and a practical mistake (since Medea’s wrath destroys him).

2. "it stands for ever as a warning to us not to seek for help from evil persons, or to gain good ends by evil means."

   • This is the explicit moral of the story, framed as a timeless lesson.
   • The adder metaphor that follows reinforces that evil tools will backfire.

3. "how when one died the other would not live without him, so they shared their immortality between them"

   • The selflessness of Castor and Polydeuces contrasts with Jason’s selfishness.
   • Their transformation into stars (the constellation Gemini) links myth to astronomy, making the story feel both legendary and real.

4. "Through wine I perish, the bane of all my race."

   • Cheiron’s lament ties his fate to the Centaurs’ legendary drunkenness (e.g., their battle with the Lapiths at Pirithous’ wedding).
   • The wine-jar symbolizes temptation and chaos, a recurring theme in Greek myth (e.g., Dionysus’ influence).

5. "Who will take my immortality, that I may die?"

   • This line captures the paradox of immortality—eternal life becomes a curse when paired with suffering.
   • In myth, Prometheus later takes Cheiron’s immortality, freeing him from pain.

---

Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

Kingsley’s retelling serves multiple purposes:

• Educational: Introduces children to Greek myth while instilling moral lessons.
• Literary: Uses vivid imagery, metaphor, and juxtaposition to make the stories engaging.
• Philosophical: Explores ethics (means vs. ends), the cost of immortality, and the dangers of temptation.

The excerpt’s power lies in its blend of simplicity and depth—it tells a child-friendly version of dark myths while preserving their core themes of hubris, justice, and sacrifice. For modern readers, it offers a window into Victorian moralism and the enduring appeal of Greek mythology as a source of wisdom and warning.