1Long ago, the lands of Ancient Greece were inhabited by a race of giants called the Titans. Their leader, Cronus—whose mother w
as Earth and whose father was the Sky—sat high and mighty above all as the ruler of the world and king of the heavens. Cronus greatly enjoyed his powerful position. He did everything he could to make sure that no one would ever take his place. His son Zeus, though, longed to become king. Zeus challenged Cronus to a war, and Cronus accepted.
2Zeus defeated his father and became the new ruler of the heavens. His first task was to punish the Titans for opposing him. He sent most of the giant warriors away from the earth. Zeus had a special punishment, however, for the Titan warrior Atlas, who was known for his bravery and strength.
3“You have a heavy burden to bear, Atlas,” said Zeus, “for as I place this pillar on your shoulder, you must support the heavens forever.”
4So Atlas took up his new role, holding the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. As he stood, he wondered how he would ever escape his terrible fate. As luck would have it, one day he received a visit from the young warrior Hercules, who needed his help.
5 “Atlas, I am on an important mission,” Hercules explained. “If I complete ten great tasks for my new master, I will be made into a god. But I am told you are the only one who can help with my next task. I must steal the golden apples from the garden of Hera, Zeus’ wife—the one guarded by the dragon with one hundred heads.”
6As Atlas crouched on the ground under the weight of the heavens, he started to form a plan.
7 “I know just how to get the apples,” he told the warrior, “and I would be glad to help. But first I’ll need for you to take the weight of the heavens while I’m gone.” So the two transferred the heavens onto Hercules’ shoulders and Atlas ran off to collect the apples, amazed at his newfound freedom.
8Atlas collected the golden apples quickly, and when he returned, he laid them at Hercules’ feet. The warrior was overjoyed.
9 “Your joy will be short,” Atlas told him, “for I do not intend to hold the heavens any longer. The burden is now your own.”
10 “Alas, Atlas, you have fooled me,” Hercules admitted sadly. “I’ll accept my fate, but I wonder first if you might help me put some padding on my shoulders where the pillar must rest. You see, I’m not as strong as a giant, and I need some extra help holding all of this weight. Might you hold the heavens for me while I arrange the padding?”
11Atlas agreed and took on the weight once more. Then he watched as Hercules scooped up the apples and scampered away, calling thanks over his shoulder as he disappeared from Atlas’s view.
Question:
Read the selection called "Atlas's Great Fate." While reading, try to find as many themes as possible. (Recall that theme refers to the main idea of a literary work. The theme of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, for instance, might be that it is never too late to change.) Then describe these themes in detail. Provide evidence from the text to support your conclusions.
