The film “The Hunger Games” has many similarities and relationships with world mythology. Although it doesn't seem like this film is as tied to myths as others, like Troy and Thor, many of the film's themes and situations were inspired by the stories of the great myths and epics. The overall theme of the film is courage, strength and destiny. The first theme of the film which is similar to that of mythology is sacrifice. “The Hunger Games” begins with the Harvest, a ceremony in which one boy and one girl from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games and fight to the death. Children are chosen as sacrifices to pay for the past evil deeds of their ancestors. The ritual begins and a video is played to the audience stating: “This is a reminder of rebellion, a price the districts must pay. Freedom has a price; we swore as a nation that we would never experience this betrayal again. So it was said that one girl and one boy from each district would be chosen each year to fight to the death as a tribute. This is how we remember our past, this is how we secure our future. The requirement for sacrifice to ensure survival and the availability of food for the future is similar to the sacrifices of many ancient cultures; specifically that of Egyptian myth. Osiris was killed and his body torn to pieces by his brother Set. Wherever the body of Osiris was spread; bountiful crops grew as supplies for the gods. This also relates to the myth of Persephone, who was kidnapped by Pluto and taken to the underworld. Every year when Persephone returned to earth, the world would blossom with abundant growth. When Persephone returned to the underworld, all plant life ceased to exist until her return. This shows... middle of paper ......nt, Katniss decides to break the rules and she shares a handful of poisoned berries with Peeta. She decides that she will no longer let the "Gods" manipulate the game. Just before they eat the berries, the chef's voice rings out and tells them that they both have some. The reason he decides to do this is because the crowd would be incredibly disappointed if the "show" ended this way. This is Katniss' true display of courage, defying the rulers/gods and achieving her own end. You could say that this was Katniss's destiny: that she was supposed to win the Hunger Games. Works Cited Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. 5th ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. Print. Murty, Govindini. "Decoding the Influences in 'The Hunger Games'" The Atlantic. The Atlantic, March 26, 2012. Web. November 25. 2013.