How to Analyze Myths

     The first thing to know is that an analysis is completely different from a summary. NO part of an analysis should be a summary.
     When you read a myth, you will become familiar with the story. You will know the events, characters, and plot of the myth. So will everyone else in class. So will I. At no time should you simply re-tell the events that take place within the myth. That would be like going to a movie with your friends, and then, right after watching the movie, telling your friends what happened in the film. They know; they were right there with you.
     An analysis is not about repeating what happened, it's about seeing into the story. You want to look deeply into the story to gain a more thorough understanding of the myth. You want to know why things happen the way they do. You want to reveal things that are not immediately noticeable.
     Your goal in an analysis is to offer up some kind of insight in your work about the myth. Make sure that when you do your writing that you are not stating the obvious of what happened.
Common ways to analyze are to:

• Look at a myth and derive the cultural values of the people who wrote it.
• Analyze a character's actions to figure out exactly who the character is.
• Examine recurring imagery or themes within a myth to determine their significance.
• Look at a myth etiologically to understand what phenomenon the people were trying to explain.

     Your goal is to offer insights about the myth. When you do, you will need to make logical deductions about what meanings lay within the myth. In order to be logical, you will have to have some kind of basis for your analysis. What made you think of this particular insight? What patterns appear in the myth?
     Help your reader (me or classmates) understand how you arrived at your analytical insight, and show them that you are not making something up that isn't there. The more evidence you can offer about your insights, the better your analysis. Have as much proof of what you are saying as possible. Comb through the myth for the information.
     If you start looking at a myth from beginning to end, you will likely end up retelling the myth and summarizing what happened. Organize your thoughts around the themes and topics you wish to talk about. Moving through the myth chronologically will only result in me marking up your work as a summary.
     Remember that myths, particularly the ones we look at in class, always have something more to say than simply the events that happened. Myths contain layers of meaning that are simply waiting for you to discover. So be bold, read closely, and offer up your insights with evidence. I'm looking forward to reading them.
Caveats
     Don't attempt modern-day analysis of characters. Judging a myth by modern standards and ideas doesn't work. Period. Myths reflect the values of their culture. You cannot judge characters like Achilles as serial killers because he slaughtered Trojans. Context within the myth matters.
     Don't fast forward. We know from watching the Lord of the Rings movies that the Ring is evil. However, in The Hobbit the ring simply turns Bilbo invisible.
     Mythology is the same way. You can't use what happens in stories towards the end (which haven't been read yet) to explain earlier myths. Stick to what you see in the story itself. However, you can go backwards and reference what happened before and discuss how that impacts what you just read.