At the recommendation of a friend who study classics, I decided to continue with Ovid's Metamorphoses in Unit Ovid III.
Daedalus and Icarus: I like how the transformation of the human body in this story is the result of human intellect and innovation. This story seems a little more believable because of that, and I find myself intrigued by the fact that Daedalus' ambition to soar in the sky wasn't immediately punished by the gods.
Philemon and Baucis: There's quite a bit of character development at the beginning to set the stage of Philemon and Baucis' hospitality. Their joint transformation into trees at their death comes across as a romantic ideal, but the fact that the gods made it so helps avoid the bore of coincidence.
Ceres and Erysichthon: The image of blood pouring from the trunk of the tree captures the malice of Erysichthon in this story. I particularly enjoy the metaphor that is used to describe Erysichthon's beheading of one of his servants. Also, the voice that emanates from the wounded tree reminds me of the Forest of Suicides in Dante's Inferno!
The Famine: The description of Famine here is incredibly vivid; she comes across as the mythological Greek poster child for hunger. I appreciate the irony of Erysichthon's gluttonous dreams after he's been stricken by Famine, and I think the simile that follows brings the power of Famine to light. And what gore at the end with the autocannibalism!
Achelous: The two combatants in this story seemed much more evenly matched than I would have expected. As I noted in the first unit I wrote over, I enjoy how these stories connect to the origin of things--in this case, the cornucopia or "horn of plenty."
The Shirt of Nessus: This story involving Nessus seems to evoke the idea of karma in the sense that what goes around comes around. I wonder if the consequences would have been the same had Hercules not used an arrow dipped in lethal poison. Also, the story seems to take a stance on the danger of overthinking a circumstance as Deianira did.
The Death of Hercules: The description of the poison's effect on Hercules reminds me of the powerful string of the bullet ant. The ant's poison is said to cause pain comparable to a gunshot wound for at least twenty-four hours. At the end of the story, I like Hercules' metaphorical baptism by fire in which he ascends to the heavens upon "sloughing" his mortal form.
Birth of Hercules: If Galanthis' transformation is the origin of the use of the word "weasel" to describe someone as a falsifier, this is the first time I've heard of it! I like how lying is described as giving birth through the mouth; it evokes something false because such a feat would be impossible.
Orpheus and Eurydice: I wonder what meaning lies in the fact that Eurydice was bitten on the ankle by the snake; that area evokes an idea of tenderness if you ask me. If Orpheus' words were able to distract Tantalus from his insatiable appetite, I cannot imagine his eloquence. If I'm not mistaken, there's a reference to sexual relations between men at the end of the story; it would be interesting to get the historical context of that.
Pygmalion: "Art hides his art." What a simple, powerful way to describe the beauty of Pygmalion's creation. There's something slightly sad about his adoration of his creation. It's as if he's chosen a path to live with unrequited love. But, I suppose the question is this: is returned love necessary if one loves perfection? The answer might lie in the way in which Pygmalion reacts to the "birth" of the "ivory girl."
Myrrha: The dramatic irony created by Cinyras' lack of awareness of his daughter's incestuous love is quite powerful. It creates suspense in regard to how he'll react once he discovers what Myrrha means when she says, "Someone like you." Ovid's metaphor in which he treats guild as something conceived effectively highlights Myrrha's sin.
The Foot-Race: Venus makes herself out to be a sort of slighted victim in this story as a narrator. I also get the feeling that Venus placed the desire in Hippomenes to make love to his new wife.
No comments:
Post a Comment