In book two, "Of Mortal Children and Immortal Lusts", of Ovid's Metamorphoses we see the story of Jove and Callisto, a story in which Callisto is raped by Jove yet Callisto is seemingly blamed for the said occurrence. Although in the beginning of his writing Ovid implies that Callisto is in fact a victim and not at fault, as the tale progresses that stance seems to change into blaming Callisto for beings raped, this is amplified by both Juno and Diana blaming Callisto for the rape.
In the beginning Jove is said to be inspecting the walls of the heavens after a great fire, as he is in Arcadia, Ovid writes the Jove "gets stuck on an Arcadian nymph, Callisto... and passion burns into his deepest marrow" (46; bk. 2, paragraph 5, lines 562-564). …show more content…
When Callisto rejoins Diana's group Ovid writes about "[h]ow difficult it is not to reveal a guilty conscience in one's countenance" (47; bk. 2, paragraph 7, lines 616-617). This implies that Callisto has something to be guilty about, like willingly having sex with Jove, instead of being victimized by Jove. Nine months later we see the repercussions of Jove's actions, Callisto is pregnant. This is discovered when, after a hot day, Diana wants to cool off in a small stream, when Callisto does not undress some of the other members of the group rip off Callisto's robe "baring her body-and her crime as well" (48; bk. 2, paragraph 2, line 637). This says that Callisto committed the crime rather be the victim of one, and because of this Diana quickly banishes her for no longer being a virgin. It does not matter what the circumstances of losing her virginity were, all that seems to matter is that now Callisto is seen as some kind of unclean person. As we progress it is seen that Callisto is called a handful of awful things like Jove's concubine, his mistress, a homewrecker, and a slut, all these things are said by or around Juno, who although probably knows exactly what her husband did still blames the woman he raped for his actions. As a result of Juno's anger she turns Callisto into a bear to "take away the beauty that delight you and my husband both, you thoughtless thing"
In the beginning Jove is said to be inspecting the walls of the heavens after a great fire, as he is in Arcadia, Ovid writes the Jove "gets stuck on an Arcadian nymph, Callisto... and passion burns into his deepest marrow" (46; bk. 2, paragraph 5, lines 562-564). …show more content…
When Callisto rejoins Diana's group Ovid writes about "[h]ow difficult it is not to reveal a guilty conscience in one's countenance" (47; bk. 2, paragraph 7, lines 616-617). This implies that Callisto has something to be guilty about, like willingly having sex with Jove, instead of being victimized by Jove. Nine months later we see the repercussions of Jove's actions, Callisto is pregnant. This is discovered when, after a hot day, Diana wants to cool off in a small stream, when Callisto does not undress some of the other members of the group rip off Callisto's robe "baring her body-and her crime as well" (48; bk. 2, paragraph 2, line 637). This says that Callisto committed the crime rather be the victim of one, and because of this Diana quickly banishes her for no longer being a virgin. It does not matter what the circumstances of losing her virginity were, all that seems to matter is that now Callisto is seen as some kind of unclean person. As we progress it is seen that Callisto is called a handful of awful things like Jove's concubine, his mistress, a homewrecker, and a slut, all these things are said by or around Juno, who although probably knows exactly what her husband did still blames the woman he raped for his actions. As a result of Juno's anger she turns Callisto into a bear to "take away the beauty that delight you and my husband both, you thoughtless thing"