Comparing Daphne And Apollo And The Rape Of Proserpine

“To Rule or Not to Rule”
Gods are almighty and powerful beings that stand on the shoulders of mortals and commanding them at will. Who deemed them rulers of the land? Ovid’s Metamorphoses, is a collection of mythological stories carrying the same trend- transformations. In the stories of “Daphne and Apollo” and “The Rape of Proserpine” a God has turned a mortal into a new physical form due to pettiness or protection from another god. In both instances, the gods at fault were told no or simply embarrassed and resulted to child-like tantrums to get their way or steer clear from trouble. Gods seem to be just as human as the mortals are, except with powers, so what makes them fit to rule? Should they be the ones to make the laws of the land?
The …show more content…
This story coincidently starts with one of Cupid’s arrows as well; one of his arrows has hit Pluto, god of the Underworld, causing him to fall in love with Proserpine, the daughter of the goddess of nature, Ceres (Dryden). Pluto, then, proceeds to kidnap Proserpine from the field. Though the story does not say why Cupid has shot an arrow at Pluto, one can only assume that it was done for the sake of getting even, and once again, a mortal suffers at the hands of childishness (Dryden). Meanwhile Proserpine is in the Underworld, Ceres has killed all of Sicily’s crops because of her grievances over the loss of her child (Dryden). While this act could quite possibly be justified and part of the steps of grief, this is not the only thing Ceres has done. While rampaging over her daughter’s kidnapping, Ceres manages to turn a boy into an eft for making fun of her greediness, and from this she causes grief to the young boy’s mother. “Amaz'd the dame the wondrous sight beheld, And weeps, and fain wou'd touch her quondam child” (Dryden). The mother was so astonished and seemingly disgusted with her child’s new form, and Ceres is all to blame. Ceres should have more sympathy for children and avoid from causing others to feel the pain she does. Then, another into an owl because he has informed her of bad news of Proserpine (Dryden). How was the boy wrong? He was only reporting news like the goddess had requested. The gods seem to have heightened emotions, and tend to act emotionally; the addition of having almost endless abilities probably is not a great combination. To be a great leader one needs to focus; a leader cannot focus on minor things (Bornstein). These stories seem meaningless, and the gods come across as moody teenagers approaching puberty. Ceres needed to focus on finding her daughter and ensuring her return from the