Ovid's Metamorphoses

In Hesiod’s Theogony, the Greek family relationships were often a repeated cycle between the husband, wife and their children. Based on the generations including Ouranos, all the men that came to rule automatically loathed their child, because they believed their children would take away their power. Since this behavior was similarly recurring every generation, the women were often forced to create wicked plans involving their children’s rise to power. The cycle of power, deceit and achievement created by the families in the first generation of Greek mythology became dominant characteristics that future generations would inherit.

The “Tale of Philomene and Tereus” is an epic poem, written by John Gower, that is heavily based on a greek mythology. It focuses on the story of Philomene and how she is continuously raped by her sister’s husband who later became very angry at her for exposing his secret to his wife, Progne. This story begins in a the castle of Pandion, the king of the land.

Odysseus goes through experiences where justice prevails over hardship. For example, Odysseus loses many of his men during the trip, but he still survives. At one island, some of his men are killed and before he would get killed too, Odysseus starts sailing away with his remaining men. After finding out his men have been killed, Odysseus says, “From that place we sailed on, glad enough to have come off with our lives, but sad to lose our companions” (114-115). Even though Odysseus loses some of his companions, he is able to continue along with his journey. Shortly after, Odysseus came to the underworld and got to talk to the dead and hear their stories. While speaking to the dead, his mom appears and Odysseus realizes she is dead. She wants to talk to him because Odysseus did not see or hear from her since the start of his journey. Odysseus asks his mom how everyone is doing at home. Odysseus says, “‘But do tell me, really and truly, what was the cause of youth death? how did you die? Was it a long disease? or did Artemis Archeress kill you with her gentle shafts? And tell me about my father and the son I left behind me: do they still hold my honours and my possessions, or have they passed to some other man because people think I will never return? And tell me of my wedded wife, what she thinks and what she means to do. Does she remain with the boy and keep all safe, or has she already married the best man who offered?’ My beloved mother answered (127). Although Odysseus is very sad his mom isn’t alive anymore, he is very happy to hear how his family is doing at home. Getting the updates on his family, helps Odysseus deal the grieving he has because of his mother's death.Odysseus is able to overcome hardships, which help him develop into more of a hero.

It is inferred that the parents should take care of their children and have their best interest at heart. This however, is not the case in Greek and Roman mythology. The killing of ones own children, or filicide, was not viewed as negative upon in their era. The contemporary times contrast with the ancient Greek and Roman’s because it was justified to use any means necessary to obtain a higher status. The Greeks and Romans valued keeping a high social reputation and having respect for those of great power. The motherly union between their children conflict with the reality that the father strives to retain or gain control. These circumstances cause a tense bond between the members of the family. The strained parent to child relationship in

I will argue that we may view the woman as representative of Odysseus’ grief in his moment of pity and pain, the simile in its entirety may be regarded as analogous to a potential future for his own oikos. Should he fail to return home or succeed to return only to deceit and demise, Odysseus will initiate the splintering of his home into the rabid hands of the suitors. The simile shifts from referring solely to Odysseus to encompass the possible fate of his entire household. This promotes the idea that this hero reaps what he sows for, as the perpetrator of like monstrosity, he faces the tragedy of a future akin to that of his own surviving victims.

In Greek mythology, there is always a perpetual notion of power. The desire for power is associated with the father figure of a family. Furthermore, a father sets the tone for his family by setting rules and establishing their reputation. From the beginning of time, there has been angst in losing power, starting with the Earth and sky. Arising fear occurs when a father finds that one of his children is a threat to his throne. It also develops when a father realizes that since he sabotaged his own father, potentially his child could the same. Taking into consideration both of these cases, it is understood that a male parent in ancient Greek consciousness seeks a role having power. This thirst for power has resulted in the betrayal of wives and the attempt to destroy an upbringing of children. Through the fatherhood of Ouranos, Cronos, and Zeus, it is clear that their role is to exercise dominance, moreover keep away potential threats.

After Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, he finds many suitors, including one named Antinous, the most arrogant suitor of them all. The suitors have come in an attempt to take his wife, Penelope’s hand in marriage. He and his now adult son, Telemachus, stir up a plan to slaughter the suitors, and as everything comes together, the violence and bloodshed soon commences. Odysseus took up his bow and, “...aimed and shot Antinus square in the throat and the point went stabbing clean through the soft neck and out…” (22.15-16). Just the fact that Odysseus wishes to slaughter the suitors instead of negotiating with them, shows how aggressive and vicious he really is. Additionally, his savage and ferocious behavior goes against the ideology of modern heroism. Similarly, Odysseus takes part in brutal savagery against another one of Penelope’s suitors. Again with his bow, “...Odysseus loosed an arrow ripping his breast beside the nipple so hard it lodged in the man’s liver” (22.85-87). Odysseus gets kill after kill and takes the lives of many men, showing that he is a beast of a man, which was surely heroic at the time but would be frowned upon in today’s

Mankind has always pondered over the question of, “Where’d we come from? How did we come to be? Who or what is responsible for the forming the earth?” Men have always tried to create stories and answers to creation. One of the more popular and classic fiction accounts of creation is presented in Book I of Ovid’s Metamorphosis.

Contrary to many men who believe that a man must be strong and not show a woman his tenderness, Ovid shares his heart, saying, “do not think it a shame to suffer her blows or her curses; do not think it a shame, stooping, to kiss her feet” (Art 2. 522-553) . This is simply an outstanding statement, as it serves to show the true emotion and character of Ovid. This statement cannot be taken lightly

In Ovid’s Metamorphoses the myth of “Diana and Actaeon” is written using descriptive diction and symbolism. The symbolism creates ambiguity leading to many possible interpretations of the myth. One symbolic line is that shows the fear expressed by Actaeon and Diana is: “so deeply blushed Diana, caught unclothed” (Ovid, III, 188). Both Diana and Actaeon become caught figuratively and literally in the myth. Caught prey reacts instinctively and both Actaeon and Diana react likewise. By viewing the myth from Diana and Actaeon’s individual perspective they both experience mental anguish for being caught.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a novella that begins with an absurd concept. A man wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect. While this concept for a story is certainly absurd, Kafka contrasts this plot with a rather dull, plain narrative. It may initially seem novel to explain a ridiculous situation in a simple manner, but this causes the novella to be quite boring.

In one word, the author Ovid describes the overall content and theme of his poem with the word “Metamorphoses” in the title. Some relative synonyms of this word among others are; altar, change, mutate, develop, and reshape (metamorphose). But Ovid goes further to describe the theme within the first two lines of the poem.

Family is meant to care for each other, love each other unconditionally, and support each other. Of course, as any holiday at home can prove, complete support is not always possible. Sometimes family members hurt each other and even, in worst-case scenarios, kill each other over issues as important as protecting another or as petty as fighting over a boy. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and The Winter’s Tale, if family members operate with selfish motives, they hurt the hero and contribute to his fall; but if the family supports each other with only love, the hero can redeem himself from his fall and even succeed in finding lasting happiness.

Ovid's "Metamorphoses" is sometimes argued as a non-epic as well as a true epic. It is mainly viewed as a non-epic because Ovid's subject matter is far from the heroic themes of the "Illiad", "Odyssey", and the "Aeneid" (Keith 237). Ovid was different and was motivated to push the epic beyond its previous boundaries (Ovid). Perhaps in hopes to confirm the structure of his work, Ovid declares that he will undertake "one continuous song in many thousands of verses" (Keith 238-239). Ovid's wording here is a self-conscious declaration that he is going to write in the epic mode.

Diotima’s variation of the origin of Love (Eros) demonstrates an interesting embodiment of the Great Mother Archetype