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Percy Jackson Allusions Glossary

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Percy Jackson Allusions Glossary

An allusion is a brief reference to a well-known person, story, place or idea. Read the self-contained glossary and passage below. Then use the clues to explain how mythological references can add meaning to a modern story. You do not need to have read or watched Percy Jackson.

Allusions at a glance

Use these entries as your reference during the activities.

ZEUS — In Greek mythology, ruler of the gods and god of the sky and thunder. A reference to Zeus may suggest power, authority or a storm.

POSEIDON — God of the sea, earthquakes and horses. A reference may suggest ocean power, unpredictability or a connection to the sea.

ORACLE OF DELPHI — In ancient Greece, a priestess at Delphi delivered prophecies associated with Apollo. An oracle reference can raise questions about the future and whether it can be changed.

MEDUSA — A Gorgon whose gaze turned people to stone; in a famous myth, the hero Perseus defeated her. Her name can suggest danger, a deadly gaze or a challenge requiring cleverness.

MINOTAUR — A creature with a human body and a bull’s head, associated with the Labyrinth of Crete. The hero Theseus defeated it. The name can suggest a maze, a frightening obstacle or a test of courage.

FATE AND CHOICE — Myths often ask whether events are fixed in advance or shaped by people’s decisions. A prophecy may point towards a possible future, while a character’s response reveals their agency.

A modern myth-inspired scene

Read the original scene. Its characters and events are invented for this worksheet.

When the sky split with thunder, Mara found a bronze trident etched into the museum’s flooded floor. A tour guide had once joked that Poseidon would be unimpressed by the building’s leaky aquarium, but this was no joke: seawater curled around Mara’s shoes. At the exit, a woman in a silver scarf offered a warning: “You will reach the locked gallery before dawn. What waits there depends on the choice you make.” Mara recognised the voice from a plaque about the Oracle of Delphi. She could run for help or enter the dark corridor alone. A stone statue stood beside the gallery door. Its face was so lifelike that Mara remembered Medusa, the Gorgon whose gaze turned people to stone. She looked away from its eyes and noticed a trail of muddy hoofprints leading towards the door. Behind it came a deep bellow. “A Minotaur in a museum?” she whispered. The monster might be real, imagined or staged—but the warning had changed her thinking. Mara took a breath, called security, and waited with the trident in sight. The prophecy had not chosen for her; she had chosen how to respond.

1.In your own words, define “allusion”. Then name one thing an author might allude to.

2.Match each name with the most fitting clue.

Zeus
Poseidon
Oracle of Delphi
Medusa
Minotaur

Prophecy and the future
A deadly gaze
A bull-headed creature linked to a labyrinth
Sky, thunder and authority
Sea and earthquakes

3.In “The storm at the museum”, which detail most clearly alludes to Poseidon? Quote or describe the detail and explain the connection.

4.What idea about fate and choice is suggested by the warning, “What waits there depends on the choice you make”?

The future is completely fixed, so choices do not matter.
A possible future is suggested, but a person’s decision can affect what happens.
The Oracle controls every action Mara takes.
Mara already knows exactly what will happen.

5.Mara remembers Medusa when she sees the statue. Explain what this allusion makes the reader wonder or feel, using a detail from the scene.

6.The passage says, “A Minotaur in a museum?” What does the name Minotaur suggest about the bellow behind the door? Give one reason the passage leaves room for doubt.

7.An allusion has to explain the whole myth in detail for the reader to recognise its meaning.

8.Why does the trident work as an effective clue at the start of the scene?

It directly names every god in Greek mythology.
It gives a visual hint of Poseidon without explaining the whole myth.
It proves that the museum is under the sea.
It tells the reader the ending of the story.

9.Rewrite “Mara was scared” using a precise verb or short phrase that suggests her fear without naming it directly. Keep your version suitable for the scene.

10.Write two or three sentences for a modern adventure story that include an allusion to Zeus, Poseidon, the Oracle, Medusa or the Minotaur. Make the context clue clear enough for a reader to infer the reference. Underline or identify the allusion.