Ovid

Heracles – In this work, the theme of nation is represented when his older brother becomes a ruler and he is sent to the twelve laborers. After defeating all the laborers, Lycus became very worried about Thebes and constantly thinks about Heracles and his kingship. The theme of nation takes a huge toll on Heracles and his family. Essentially, this strikes fear into Thebes. In fact, he does not want to be killed by Heracles family. Unfortunately, Heracles ends up returning and killing Lycus’s…

Ovid’s human characters in the Metamorphoses fervently revered their gods. These people held rites of worship and festivals for their divine superiors to prove their piety. To comment on the relationship between the human and the divine, Ovid’s narrator in the Metamorphoses offers a valuable note of caution in response to the tragic episode between the talented mortal Arachne and the goddess Minerva: “do not compete with gods, and do not boast” (183). The gods acknowledge their lofty position…

Book I, Apollo first attempts to rape the nymph Daphne, the daughter of the river god Peneus, who wishes to remain a chaste virgin. When he first approaches her praising her beauty in an attempt at seduction, she immediately runs away to escape him. Ovid writes, “She flees more swiftly than the lightest breeze, / nor will she halt when he calls out to her” (1.94-95). He pursues his uninterested quarry assuming that she is uninterested only because she doesn’t realize who is chasing her, saying,…

Metamorphoses is a narrative poem written by the Roman poet Ovid in the early first century BCE. The book focuses on the creation of the world and is based upon Roman myths and legends. Throughout the poem, many different types of lust are described within the myths. These varieties of lust include the craving for revenge, the longing for possessions, and the sexual desire for a person. The yearning for revenge is one of the driving parts of the book and is found multiple times, including…

Affection is not always beautiful or ideal. Throughout the Metamorphosis by Ovid there were many examples of treacherous “love” stories. However, could these actions be considered love? During his time in the Roman Empire, Ovid wrote many controversial pieces that uprooted questions about the respectfulness of the topics at hand. His writings traditionally provided deep thought for moral reflection. Within this book, there are many acts of affection that are brutal such as cutting out tongues…

A Psych Analysis of Satan (A psychological evaluation of the character of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost) In every epic tale, there is an equally as epic hero. This is shown in all of the classical stories: Achilles in The Iliad, Odysseus in The Odyssey, and Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid. Since John Milton wanted to make an English epic poem in his masterpiece of Paradise Lost, there of course had to be an epic hero. Despite this, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the protagonist of the…

In The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Ovid interprets etiological myths focusing on desires’ impact on the human form. I will focus on the daughters of Minyas and the stories they tell during this essay. All of the characters in these passages have a desire that cannot be fulfilled because their human form or human social conventions place limitations on them. Refusing to live with their desires unfulfilled, the characters’ attempt to push the limits, but are always met with resistance. Unable to…

different, they may have learned how to hide this condition better than children but, as evidenced in literature, it still exists. This paper will examine the theme of narcissism in William Shakespeare’s sonnets through the works of T.S. Eliot and Ovid as well as through the chiasmatic relationship between narcissism and immortality. This will look at Shakespeare’s transition from discussing narcissism to finding his own narcissistic nature to his procreation in his work and therefore his…

In London was where Shakespeare got his beginning. By the 1590’s Shakespeare was managing an acting company in London. It was called The Lord Chamberlain’s men. While managing this company it became very popular, also Shakespeare began publishing and selling his work. By 1597 he had fifteen plays published and by 1599 Shakespeare and a few business built their own theater on the bank of the Thames River. They later named it The Globe (“Prezi 3”). Some of Shakespeare’s earlier plays include…

A hero is often defined as, “one who exhibits extraordinary bravery, firmness, fortitude or greatness of soul, in any course of action, or in connection with any pursuit, work, or enterprise” (Oxford English Dictionary). When going on a journey, the hero must express the inner strength needed to continue on for a greater good. In The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, a poet named Dante ventures on a journey through Hell in order to find Enlightenment. Although this was a difficult but rewarding…