Ovid's Metamorphoses' Influence on Later Authors
As anyone who has read Ovid's Metamorphoses will know that because of
his style of writing and the way he manages to link two stories, that
are not even remotely related, together and makes it seem as if one is
a follow up to the other; that they have been in some way influenced
by him. The Metamorphoses has not just influenced people because of
the way it is written, but it is also a wonderful collection stories.
Most of the examples in this essay of the authors and artists that are
or have been influenced by the Metamorphoses have been taken from Book
VII and Book VIII.
George Fredrick Watts', an artist who lived from 1817-1904, painting
'The Minotaur' portrays the Minotaur with sympathy.
Ovid's very brief account of the Minotaur and how he came to his end,
Ovid describes him on page 183, Book VIII:
"…there Minos imprisoned the monster, half-bull, half-man, and twice
feasted him on Athenian blood…"
Watts has evidently used Ovid's description of the beast, above as
inspiration when he was planning the design and what the painting will
be trying to convey to people once it is completed. Watts must have
been so inspired by such tiny detail in the book and this may have
made him go against the traditional view of the Minotaur. The message
that Watts is trying to get across to us, is that even though he is an
abomination of mankind, he is still, to quote Ovid "half-man" and
therefore he has the needs, feelings, and urges that all humans have;
as well as the needs and urges of a bull. This is why in the painting
the Minotaur is shown in a sympathetic light, but it also evident that
the reason why he is looking out across the sea is because he is
anticipating the arrival of his human rations from Athens. Even though
it may look as if the creature is yearning to be free from the
confines of the Labyrinth.
There is no doubt in mythology that the king of gods, Zeus, is the most supreme and powerful, ruling the sky. He controls the thunderbolt, a symbol of power feared by both gods and mortals. The Greeks and Romans honored Zeus above all other gods. He is without mistake, the god of all gods. Their stories of Zeus are plenty; his designs have molded mythology from his birth. Zeus' victory in outwitting his intelligent wife, Metis, by swallowing her pregnant, was the gateway used by the Greeks and Romans to show Zeus as the greatest god to come since his father and grandfather. However, as the stories of the gods and goddesses unfold, the Greeks and Roman's interpretation of Zeus' characteristics are different. Zeus is always upheld as the king of gods, but his other personal attributes to his godly rein are conflicting. Zeus' characteristics of fearfulness of female deities, cunningness and use of trickery, and lust in Ovid's Metamorphoses compared to the Theogony are opposed due to Hesiod's true respect of Zeus versus Ovid's lack of respect of Jupiter in Roman mythology.
a way to express how they were feeling so they put their words into paintings and sculptures.
"Where did man come from? Where did time begin? Who, or what, created all things?" These are questions that mankind has sought to answer from the beginning of existence as it is known today. Many stories and fables have been told and passed down from generation to generation, yet two have survived the test of time and criticism.
Ovid wrote the Metamorphoses nearly two thousand years ago and Dante wrote Purgatorio 1600 years after that - two pieces of literature that dealt with topics which transcend humanity's perceived reality. Each piece of literature attempts to arrive at a truth concerning the essence of human existence, Dante seeks answers within the confines of Catholic dogma while Ovid approaches existence from a paganistic perspective. This demonstrates two very different approaches to the same exact query. Mankind has questioned the existence of a metaphysical realm for generations and consequently shapes the nature of the supernatural world.
Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to discover that he has been transformed into a repugnant vermin. One may never know what initiated this makeover, but the simple truth is that Gregor is now a bug, and everyone must learn to live and move on in this strenuous situation. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the characters that interact with Gregor, including his mother, his father, and his sister Grete, must come to terms with his unfortunate metamorphosis, and each does so by reacting in a unique way. Gregor’s family members are constantly strained by this unusual event, and all three of them are pressed to their breaking point.
Ovid's story of Erysichthon is told in the epic Metamorphoses at lines 738-878 in book 8. Erysichthon was a man who is guilty of a sacrilege involving the sacred grove of the goddess Ceres. The goddess punishes him by casting the dreadful Famine upon him, where she would hide and consume Erysichthon with a voracious hunger. This punishment for cutting down the sacred oak of Ceres is severe indeed, bringing misfortune not only to him, but upon his whole country. He even resorts to selling his own daughter for money to feed himself as a result of his ravenous desire for food. His daughter cries out to Neptune who enables her to be able change her form into a fisherman so that she could elude her masters. In the end, Erysichthon consumed by his hunger, tore at his own flesh in order to feed himself. The story can be broken down into three parts, which each individually defines a mood that adds to the atmosphere of the story. There is the initial introduction with Erysichthon defacing the sacred oak tree of Ceres, the journey to enlist the aid of Famine in punishing Erysichthon and finally the exploitation of Erysichthon's daughter and his ultimate demise. The story has an ominous mood throughout the development and unraveling of Erysichthon's punishment, although there are instances when the mood is lightened, if only for a few lines. The murky seriousness of the story is complimented with the depressing fate of Erysichthon and his daughter as he is driven to madness. This balance is appropriately built up as the plot is unfolded, in addition to a suitable mixture of the humour and seriousness. Details that describe the living environment and emotions of the characters are brought forth in a passive yet elegant manner. In union with the mood however, the details give a cruel and harsh reality that gives the reader a true feeling of the poem.
many other emotions that the artist is trying to display in his painting. Although we can try and
Throughout history, humans have created art as a record of their lives and their belief systems. By studying the content, methods, and styles in works such as the Hall of Bulls in Lascaux cave, the wall paintings at the tomb of Nefertari, and the Stele of Naram-Sin, the way people generally viewed themselves and their leaders is evident. In the Hall of Bulls, the primary subject matter is animals. People in this era relied on animals for their survival. They used materials that were plentiful and easy to obtain to create images of the animals in their environment on the walls deep in the cave. While there is no way to be certain of the purpose of these paintings, the appearance of images painted atop other images would imply that overall composition was not the concern of the artists. This is in
There were two major rape narratives in the Metamorphoses: one in Book I, when Jupiter rapes the nymph, Io; and one in Book II, when Jupiter rapes Diana’s follower, Callisto. After the first instance, Ovid sympathizes considerably with Io. First, he addresses her with the title “fleeing girl” (Ovid 9), which gives her the characterization of being innocent and unwilling towards Jupiter. In addition, after the rape, Io is turned into a heifer then taken away from her home to be kept in captivity by Argus, which makes the readers sympathize with her because she is being held against her will for being the victim of rape. Lastly, Ovid conveys sympathy for Io when she looks into a river and sees that she is a heifer and becomes “terrified of herself”
Ovid’s Amores, which were originally written in Latin, have been translated by many English translators in order to allow the enjoyment and understanding of his works in more parts of the world. Looking at translations from three different authors allows comparisons and contrasts to be made between them to allow light to be shone on the original ideas which Ovid brings forth in his Latin writing. A.D Melville, Catherine A. Salmons, as well as G.S Fraser have all translated Ovid’s Amores 5, enabling English cultures to see what Latin literature customarily used or show what the translator uses to input their own ideas into these popular works. These ideas from Latin literature as well as the translators
In the poem "The Bull Calf" the stanzas go from good to bad feeling. This is the same way that the calf's life goes. This is also the way that the narrator's feelings for the calf's life go. There are also many symbols throughout the poem. Without these deeper meanings the poem is just about a calf the dies because it can't produce any milk.
The feelings of loneliness and betrayal are feelings that we all feel one too many. Some have these feelings for a few simple days, and then those feelings soon pass. For others, however, this is a feeling that is felt for most of their lives. Our loneliness may make us feel alone, when our loneliness is actually common. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the topic of alienation is an ongoing theme from beginning to end. I have interest in this passage because it reveals the writers understanding of a feeling that we all get from time to time. This novella helps us relive these emotions with an understanding that we are not alone in our loneliness.
Comparing and contrasting the protagonists’ course of life in the texts Metamorphosis and Eugenie Grandet Comparing and contrasting the protagonists’ course of life that was influenced by their relationships with money-minded characters in the texts Metamorphosis and Eugenie Grandet. To: Mrs. Monty Eugenie Grandet by Honore De Balzac and Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka are stories that reflect upon the relationships of simplistic protagonists, and their relations with money-minded people. Both protagonists (Gregor from Metamorphosis and Eugenie from Eugenie Grandet) are affected by the actions of their greedy relatives that influences the course their entire lives. Eugenie starts off living with her miserly, yet wealthy father, Felix Grandet. The author of the novel narrates, “It is true that he handed on his old shoes to her (for they fitted), but the quarterly reversion of Grandet’s shoes could not possibly considered a present, they were so worn.
Transformations from one shape or form into another are the central theme in Ovid's Metamorphoses. The popularity and timelessness of this work stems from the manner of story telling. Ovid takes stories relevant to his culture and time period, and weaves them together into one work with a connecting theme of transformation throughout. The thread of humor that runs through Metamorphoses is consistent with the satire and commentary of the work. The theme is presented in the opening lines of Metamorphoses, where the poet invokes the gods, who are responsible for the changes, to look favorably on his efforts to compose. The changes are of many kinds: from human to animal, animal to human, thing to human, human to thing. Some changes are reversed: human to animal to human. Sometimes the transformations are partial, and physical features and personal qualities of the earlier being are preserved in mutated form.
Life is a never-ending metamorphosis. It is always changing, always transforming. Sometimes a change is followed by positive results, but on the darker side, a metamorphosis can lead to damage or suffering. But of course, the concept of metamorphosis can also be related into the wonderful yet unrealistic world of magic and sorcery. Metamorphosis can mean a rapid transformation from one object to another or a distinct or even degenerative change in appearance, personality, condition, or function. The concept of metamorphosis is commonly used in pieces of literature to describe an extreme change in character or form.