The+Monster

The Exorcist IT -Pennywise the Dancing Clown- The Werewolf Medusa

What makes a monster? Is it the freakish and ghoulish appearance, or is it the twisted and psychotic mind that makes one rampage through town’s devouring and murdering anyone in its path? Monsters have developed and redeveloped throughout history, and humans generation to generation have witnessed this evolution. Monsters have gone from hideous beasts, to humans exhibiting deformed faces, cryptic figures, and distorted minds. Compared to mythological "creatures,” monsters of modern film tend to be more of a realistic stature. Monster is known to be a legendary creature who is remarkably evil or demented, or for a lack of better words, not in their right mind. Traditional monsters lacked absolute insane iniquity, but had more of a grotesque appearance and awkward or resentful vengeance.

Medusa, Chief of the Gorgons, was one of three sisters and the daughter of pre-titan Gods in Greek mythology. Unlike both of her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, Medusa was the only mortal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa). Beautiful and confidant, Medusa would often compare her beauty to that of Athena (the prevailing Goddess which Medusa resided within her temple.) Athena, with great power, became offended by Medusa’s boast of pride and felt belittled by her comparison (http://www.answers.com/Medusa). As an act of retribution, Athena turned Medusa into an evil serpent headed monster and sentenced her to live in the underworld near the western ocean, and therefore Medusa was also known as, “The Mistress of the West Gate of Death.” Medusa, although previously mortal, had mystical healing power within her blood and due to her ghastly detestation of men, whom ever dare look Medusa in the face, would turn to stone (Ancient Greece; Thomas R Martin.) In determination to deplete Medusa for eternity, Athena sent Perseus with fortitude in hopes of killing Medusa for good. Perseus set out on his journey and turned Medusa to stone by protecting his eyes with his shield, therefore reflecting her own reflection. In great pride Perseus carried Medusa’s head back to Athena who was perpetually indebted.

The werewolf, another immortal being, has esteems from many different cultures. In fact, many cultures have the same outlook of the werewolf as well as near similar stories. Known to walk earth as an ordinary human, werewolves change unexpectedly on the night of the full moon (http://www.mythicalrealm.com/legends/werewolf.html). As the full moon approaches these creatures become ferocious and sadistic with sharp cunning fangs to shred flesh with dagger like claws to savagely rip the skin of its helpless human prey. The connection with the moon heavily relies on the theory of insanity, which is ultimately the correlation between that of the werewolf. In ancient Roman civilization, cults were established and sacrifices performed when members of the cult found citizens in their society being accused of being a werewolf.

Over the centuries, monsters have been made of a great mockery. Do monsters truly exist? Or is this something we’ve created for the thrill of unconscious stimulation of fear? In the past, monsters have had monster-like manifestation, but as a modernized civilization, we essential are the monsters, not creatures-but monsters. Does this allegation take a toll on our society? The twisted antics that “modern monsters” exhibit are not necessarily innovated, but imitated from something that has in actual fact happened. As we continue to reveal monsters as humans, is demoralizing the sane, and in fact possibly influencing the insane.