Comparing Ovid's Metamorphoses And Harrison Bergeron

Ever since we were babies, we were told to follow the rules. . But if the rules are corrupt, should we truly do as we are told?. The poem “Metamorphoses” by Ovid, as well as the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut both address this topic Emphasizing the themes of following the rules, pushing the boundaries, and striving to be different are also all addressed. By comparing these two literary works, we are shown how the plot, character traits, and the messages differ between the lives of two young men who prove that they are unique by being true to themselves.
Ovid's “Metamorphoses” describes the escape attempt of a father and son held hostage in a tower by an evil king. The father's name is Daedalus, and his sons name is Icarus. Daedalus is a very talented inventor, and conspires a plan for the two of them to fly out of the tower, and back to their hometown with wings made of feathers and wax. Daedalus is very cautious, and instructs Icarus to obey his guidance. Daedalus cares very much for his son, and …show more content…
There is a theory of Pride and Punishment, which describes a relationship between extremes which I put into my own words. When Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high or low, he was warning him to stay between the extremes, and keep a safe balance. (“I warn you to travel in the middle course Icarus, if too low the waves may weigh down your wings, if you fly too high the fires will scorch your wings. Stay between both.” lines 35-39 - Ovid). Here is how Daedalus warned Icarus about the dangers of their escape via the sky. When Icarus flew up to the sun, he had so much pride and enjoyment, that it had to be balanced out with some kind of punishment. Of course, that punishment was him falling from the sky into the ocean. Another possible message is that you should always obey your elders, and because Icarus didn’t obey his father, he payed for