The Tragic Story of the Fall of Icarus
The story of the Fall of Icarus is one of those legends of Greek mythology that fascinates audiences especially because of the character’s desire to go beyond human boundaries as well as for the tragic consequences this brought about.
Daedalus was a major architect and inventor renowned throughout Greece but that did not prevent his and his son Icarus’ imprisonment on the iland containing the labyrinth of King Minos in Crete.
Under King Minos’ orders, Daedalus was asked to build a space able to contain the Minotaur. But instead of coming up with a prison cell, Daedalus was accountable for the construction of the labyrinth to hide the monster. It was such a perfect construction that those entering the maze were never able to leave.
However, the existence of a Minotaur was secret to even the residents of the island and wanting the monster to remain a secret, the king locked up Daedalus and his son Icarus so that the secret would never be revealed.
Daedalus knew that an escape was unlikely and, even if he managed to escape the labyrinth, Crete was patrolled by land and sea by the army of Minos.
After several days in prison the ingenious inventor had an exquisite idea, he asked his son to collect pieces of wood while he drew the draft of his new project. Daedalus then edifies wooden frames that resemble bird wings after gathering a good amount of seabird feathers which flew over the labyrinth.
He was able to finish his invention using beeswax as glue, he had built two pairs of enormous wings one for him and the other for his son Daedalus wears his wings and notices that his vention works perfectly.
Icarus is helped by his father to embody his wings and get some advice from his father “son, do not fly too low near the sea in order to avoid having the dampness stiffening the frailes gearing’s nor fly too high so that the Sun does not melt the beeswax stay close to me at all times” then Daedalus and Icarus take off and leave Crete behind.
They both struggle a bit in the beginning having to face the wind currents but they quickly mastered the whole flight. The view from the sky was mesmerizing they were both in ecstasy when Daedalus realizes Icarus was flying away from him and had a much higher altitude than his.
Concerned, he yells at his son but the young boy could not hear him as Icarus was dazzled with the flight and was flying with his eyes closed piercing the clouds. He was absolutely intoxicated with the sensation of freedom.
The youngster was getting closer and closer to the Sun and, suddenly, he sees that the sun’s heat was starting to melt the beeswax which glued the feathers and the structure of the wings together. The feathers started to fall, and so Icarus began to lose control of the flight. The wings started to crumble and the fall of Icarus was now unavoidable.
He falls from the heavens while his powerless father witnesses the fatal fall of his son. Icarus violently hits the ocean waters, Daedalus flies to rescue his son but he only finds feathers in the sea.
After a long search Icarus’ father finally finds the body of his son laying on a beach, Daedalus regrets that his invention has been the cause of Icarus his death. He buries his son and flies towards Sicily