Have you ever read a story and felt that you had heard it before? This might be because authors of fiction often draw on other works for inspiration—including old myths and tales. As a result, modern stories might feature a familiar theme, or plot, and character types, such as a hero or villain. They might also have a familiar theme, or main message. Some themes, such as “true love,” continue to connect to audiences. Look at the cartoon below. The left image shows the ancient Greek story of King Midas, who wished that everything he touched turned to gold. The right image shows a modern retelling of this tale. Make notes in the margins about what is similar in both versions.
Read the chart below. Notice the elements that are the same and different in each version.
Be careful what you wish for.
Granted wish, turns daughter to gold, regrets wish
Regretful hero whose greed causes him to lose what he loves most.
Be careful what you wish for.
Granted wish to be famous, has no privacy, regrets wish
Regretful heroine whose greed ends up making her life worse.
The notes about similarities in both versions of the story revolve around the central theme of caution regarding wishes. Both stories depict a character—King Midas in the ancient tale and the modern heroine—who makes a wish tied to greed (turning everything to gold and achieving fame, respectively). Both characters experience regret after realizing that their wishes lead to unintended negative consequences, ultimately causing them to lose something precious—Midas loses his daughter, and the heroine loses her privacy.
This illustrates the common theme of “be careful what you wish for,” showing how desires can lead to unforeseen problems. The characters share a similar arc of regret, emphasizing the idea that greed can have detrimental effects on one’s life and relationships.
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