The Single-Minded Cyclops
The story of Acis and Galatea illustrates a love triangle between Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus. Galatea is a sea nymph who is the object of both Acis’ and Polyphemus’ affection. Galatea, however, wants nothing to do with Polyphemus, and although Galatea repeatedly shows her hatred for him, Polyphemus still blindly pursues her. Ovid could have chosen anyone to be the pursuer of Galatea, so why did he chose Polyphemus? The cyclops Polyphemus was chosen because he has one eye; this single eye symbolizes how people become single-minded when they are in love.
In a prayer to Venus, Galatea mentions that, “Quid sit amor sensit nostrique cupidine captus uritur oblitus pecorum antrorumque suorum” (He senses what love is, …show more content…
He doesn’t truly think about his actions. The only that he wants is to be with Galatea. Thus, he gets angered when he sees Galatea with Acis. The story says that, “Cyclops partemque e monte revulsam mittit, et, extremus quamvis pervenit ad illum angulus e saxo, totum tamen obruit Acin” (The cyclops throws a torn off piece from the mountain. Only the extreme tip of that rock reaches Acis; nevertheless, it crushed him completely, Ovid 8.882-4). The cyclops is so blinded by his desire for Galaea that ends up killing Acis. He does not think about the consequences of Acis’ death or how it would hurt Galatea. Likewise, in the classic Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers are so deeply bound in their love that they kill themselves without thinking about the repercussions of their deaths. Therefore, it can be said that Polyphemus was going through the same single-minded, shortsighted thought process as someone in love.
Throughout the book, Polyphemus’ eye is set on one thing, Galatea. Polyphemus symbolizes the single-mindedness of someone in love. When someone is in love, they ignore their responsibilities, they change themselves, and they become blind to reasoning just as Polyphemus did because of
The story of Acis and Galatea illustrates a love triangle between Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus. Galatea is a sea nymph who is the object of both Acis’ and Polyphemus’ affection. Galatea, however, wants nothing to do with Polyphemus, and although Galatea repeatedly shows her hatred for him, Polyphemus still blindly pursues her. Ovid could have chosen anyone to be the pursuer of Galatea, so why did he chose Polyphemus? The cyclops Polyphemus was chosen because he has one eye; this single eye symbolizes how people become single-minded when they are in love.
In a prayer to Venus, Galatea mentions that, “Quid sit amor sensit nostrique cupidine captus uritur oblitus pecorum antrorumque suorum” (He senses what love is, …show more content…
He doesn’t truly think about his actions. The only that he wants is to be with Galatea. Thus, he gets angered when he sees Galatea with Acis. The story says that, “Cyclops partemque e monte revulsam mittit, et, extremus quamvis pervenit ad illum angulus e saxo, totum tamen obruit Acin” (The cyclops throws a torn off piece from the mountain. Only the extreme tip of that rock reaches Acis; nevertheless, it crushed him completely, Ovid 8.882-4). The cyclops is so blinded by his desire for Galaea that ends up killing Acis. He does not think about the consequences of Acis’ death or how it would hurt Galatea. Likewise, in the classic Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers are so deeply bound in their love that they kill themselves without thinking about the repercussions of their deaths. Therefore, it can be said that Polyphemus was going through the same single-minded, shortsighted thought process as someone in love.
Throughout the book, Polyphemus’ eye is set on one thing, Galatea. Polyphemus symbolizes the single-mindedness of someone in love. When someone is in love, they ignore their responsibilities, they change themselves, and they become blind to reasoning just as Polyphemus did because of