Transformations In Ovid Essay, Research Paper

Transformations in Ovid

Transformations from one form or signifier into another are the cardinal subject in Ovid s Metamorphoses. The popularity and eternity of this work stems from the mode of narrative stating. Ovid takes narratives relevant to his civilization and clip period, and weaves them together into one work with a linking subject of transmutation throughout. The yarn of wit that runs through Metamorphoses is consistent with the sarcasm and commentary of the work. The subject is presented in the gap lines of Metamorphoses, where the poet invokes the Gods, who are responsible for the alterations, to look favourably on his attempts to compose. The alterations are of many sorts: from homo to animal, animate being to human, thing to human, human to thing. Some alterations are reversed: homo to animal to human. Sometimes the transmutations are partial, and physical characteristics and personal qualities of the earlier being are preserved in mutated signifier.

In the narrative of Daphne and Apollo, the main agent of transmutation is love, represented by Venus and her vernal and arch boy, Cupid. When the God Apollo brags to Cupid of his great might exemplified by his licking of the python, Cupid humbles him by cut downing the great God to a shameless lover with his gold-tipped pointer of love. A transmutation of kinds takes topographic point when the Cupid s pointer work stoppages Apollo. Apollo transforms from a crow God who claims high quality over Cupid by stating, You be content with your torch to excite love, whatever that may be, and do non draw a bead on to congratulationss that are my prerogative, ( p. 41 ) to a adult male possessed by desire. Despite his powers of strength and domination, the God of War is humbled by Love. A lesson is being taught to Apollo by Cupid. A failing is spotlighted and exposed, and the function of Apollo is about wholly reversed. He is transformed from a front man of power to a crazed lover with no power over his love.

Merely after hiting Apollo, Cupid strikes Daphne with a blunt, lead-tipped pointer intended to set love to flight. The first transmutation of Daphne occurs at this point. Not by her ain pick but brought upon by the pointer, Daphne no longer is interested by the chance of love. Although no physical alterations take topographic point, the character is evidently different than old to being struck. At this point, Daphne and Apollo have both been transformed to the same grade but in opposite waies.

Metaphor is used throughout the description of Apollo s pursuit of Daphne. Upon meeting Daphne, Apollo falls frantically in love with her. Overcome by Cupid s pointer, Apollo sets aside ground and becomes engulfed by his hope of achieving his love. Before being transformed, Apollo would most probably have paid small or no attending to Daphne, but now, Apollo is overcome by his lecherousness for beauty. Ovid compares Apollo s love for Daphne to a fire in a coppice. This metaphor used by Ovid is really effectual. The alteration that goes through Apollo is really sudden and fast. The imagination of a fire quickly distributing through coppice conveys the thought of an about violent alteration. The God is consumed with a desire for the miss. His pursuit is fueled by a hope to get the better of the ultimate futility of his actions. He sees every portion of her as beautiful, her eyes, hair, face and even speculates as to the beauty of her concealed parts. Unsatisfied by the sight of Daphne and desiring more than merely a glance of her beauty, Apollo follows Daphne as a hound chases a coney. The hope for his bootless love keeps Apollo stopping point on Daphne s trail, and fright motivates Daphne to remain merely out of range. When Ovid tries to convey the strength of the flight, he says, He gave the fleeing inaugural no reprieve, but followed near on her heels, and his breath touched the locks that lay scattered on her cervix, ( p. 43 ) Finally, burdened by mortal exhaustion, Daphne prays to her male parent to present her from her torture. As the words leave her oral cavity, Daphne is transformed for the sec

ond clip. Her legs become roots, her weaponries become subdivisions, her hair becomes foliages and the transmutation is complete. Unlike her first transmutation, this clip the transmutation is physical in nature. At this point, Daphne s overall transmutation is made more terrible than Apollo s. Ovid says, Nothing of her was left, except her reflecting comeliness. Stunned by what has occurred, Apollo ends the pursuit but still stares yearningly at his love in her new signifier. Through the new bark covering Daphne, Apollo is still able to experience her crushing bosom. Still under the influence of Cupid s pointer, Apollo pledges to stay faithful to Daphne despite her transmutation. To honour Daphne and her beauty, he institutes the usage of the laurel subdivision as a symbol of Rome.

Although a complete metabolism has taken topographic point, Daphne and the tree are one in the same. Her physical traits have been altered, but the love of Apollo for the miss remains despite the transmutation. Embracing the subdivisions as if they were limbs he ( Apollo ) kissed the wood: but, even as a tree, she shrank from his busss. ( p. 43 ) Daphne in tree signifier still posses human features such as a beating bosom and besides human idiosyncrasies such as the nod of her subdivisions in consent to Apollo. Although she did undergo a alteration, Daphne s supplication was non wholly answered. Daphne entreaties to her male parent to, destruct this beauty which makes me delight all excessively good. ( p. 43 ) Her beauty still remains after the metabolisms, and this suggests that the basic nature of the miss is non changed, merely her physical characteristics.

The intended significance of these metabolisms is difficult to trap down. In a manner, each transmutation is equivocal. Each transmutation solves a job but creates one every bit good. Each alteration is a positive event every bit good as a negative event. With Apollo and Daphne, the transmutation from a miss into a tree is negative in that Daphne will be unable to populate as the beautiful miss she one time was or to see life as a homo. However, after her first transmutation, her desire to stay human disappears. It was positive, nevertheless, in that it ended the pursuit by Apollo and delivered her from the unwanted love of a adult male. The incentive for alteration in this narrative is necessity. Powerless from Cupid s pointers, Daphne needs something to go on for her to get away from Apollo. Her male parent in the narrative is the 1 who initiates the alteration. He agrees with her wants and takes off the object of Apollo s desires. The beauty of Daphne remains unchanged even with her new signifier.

Significantly, Ovid has paid much less regard to smooth, logical passage between narratives than to complex repeat of subjects and images, even to extensive pun. Repeat is one manner to ingrain an thought or convey a point, and Ovid plays it to near flawlessness. The changeless repeat of transmutation bridges the sometimes awkward passages between narratives. Although each narrative in Metamorphoses may be read and interpreted individually, taken together instead than apart, the narratives can be more efficaciously linked. The usage of repeat throughout the work and changeless symbolism in each narrative aid link the narratives. The full work is in poetic signifier, and the literary techniques used are consistent with the clip period. Common symbols are used throughout. A common motive is the stretching out of weaponries predating metabolism. Besides, the imagination of runing coincides with that of sexual passion. Daphne is a huntress and is associated strongly with the wood and nature. It is suiting so that she is the character pursued by Apollo. The vocabulary of hungriness and thirst, or devouring and imbibing are associated with Acts of the Apostless of force. The changeless repeat and the imagination in Metamorphosiss are cardinal to construing what Ovid is seeking to convey to the reader. The power of alteration is the cardinal issue in each narrative and in all the narratives combined. Change as a vehicle of flight, penalty, or any agencies to an terminal is evident in virtually every narrative in the book.

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