Polydectes (Pol-Ee-DECK-Teez), Evil King of the Island of Seriphos (SERR-I-Fos), Fell Madly

Name______Date______Period______

Perseus and Medusa--Pronouns

A. Write the antecedent of the underscored pronoun on the line.

Polydectes (pol-ee-DECK-teez), an evil king, fell madly in love with a beautiful woman named Danae (DAN-eye). (1) He ___ wanted to marry(2) her , but he wanted nothing to do with her adult son, Perseus. Hoping to get rid of Perseus, Polydectes ruthlessly tricked (3) the young man into brashly undertaking a deadly mission; to bring (4) him _____ the head of a dreaded monster, Medusa.

B. Correct the pronouns used incorrectly. Write a “C” on the line if correct.

Medusa was one of three fearsome Gorgon sisters who lived far away in a secret hiding place. The sisters had brass claws, golden wings, boars' tusks, and masses of hissing snakes for hair. Anyone who looked into (5) they’re______frightful faces instantly turned into stone.

Fortunately, the gods Athena and Hermes, as well as three nymphs, offered to help Perseus. Athena gave (6)them______a shiny bronze shield and Hermes gave him a sword that could not be bent by the Gorgons' scales. The nymphs gave Perseus winged shoes so that (7)they could fly, a cap that made (8) her invisible, and a pouch in which to carry the Gorgon's head.

Perseus flew first to the home of the aged ones. (9)Them three women, who were sisters to the Gorgons, were born with gray hair and shared a single eye and tooth among (10) they . Wearingthe cap of invisibility, Perseus snatched the eye as one sister passed (11) them to another. Threatening to keep the eye, Perseus coerced (12) it into revealing the Gorgon's secret hiding place.

Perseus arrived at the cave of the Gorgons, where, by good fortune, (12)they______were all asleep. In order to see Medusa without turning to stone, Perseus located (13)your_____ grotesque face in a reflection on his shiny shield. (14) I______swiftly cut off (15) you’re head, dropped (16) her into (17)mine bag, and fled from Medusa's angry sisters. When Perseus returned home, the evil Polydectes laughed at (18)me and asked what was in (19) our____ sack. Perseus pulled out the horrifying head of Medusa and turned Polydectes to stone.1

Medusa's severed head retained (20) it’s power to turn people into stone, so Perseus carried (21)them on many adventures, using it to defeat (22) us ______enemies. Eventually, in gratitude for (23)her _ protection, Perseus gave Medusa's head to Athena, who placed it on (24) his breastplate to ward off evil.