The Metamorphoses of Ovid Group at eNotes

Be careful what you wish for.......the moral of the story

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:14:00 PST

Ovid's story of King Midas had a profound effect on the Roman people, Augustus made sure of that. How important was it for Augustus to persuade the Roman people to be happy with what they had in order for him to consolidate his power? What attributes does King Midas have that Augustus wanted the Roman people to believe he had?

This is a brilliant strategy...policticians/government leaders have...

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:08:20 PST

This is a brilliant strategy...policticians/government leaders have been doing this since the beginning of time. It's called propaganda. The playwrights and poets of Renaissance England did the same...write brilliantly, but be sure the King/Queen will approve or be amused by it or you risk losing your head.

What were the advantages for Augustus in paying Ovid for his work?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:51:54 PST

Augustus wanted his political agenda to be accepted by the people. How better to accomplish that then by having state appointed writers writing great stories which promoted his ideals.

The basic philosophy behind Ovid's "The Metamorphoses" lies in...

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:08:40 PST

The basic philosophy behind Ovid's "The Metamorphoses" lies in the fact that he was sponsored by Augustus. To understand the philosophy of Ovid's work one must understand why Augustus sponsored his writings. Augustus wanted to bring Rome under his control, hire a court poet to write about the virtures of morality, from the Emperor's point of view. There is no doubt that Ovid wrote what he wrote beautifully, words filled with...

A great set of questions. Yes, it is very relevant to highlight this...

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 12:18:18 PST

A great set of questions. Yes, it is very relevant to highlight this choice, because it is a major part of his adaptation. The other two quite related elements are the ironic tone and the shift from a more organic focus to a more literary style. By "organic" I mean Ovid calls attention to himself as a poet, and to the ways he structures his works; he links the myths, rather than compiling them. This creates both a distance from the...

In order to get Perseus out of the way so he could seduce Perseus's...

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 06:36:55 PST

In order to get Perseus out of the way so he could seduce Perseus's mother, King Polydectes gave him the task of killing Medusa and bringing back her head. For most people, this would have been impossible because Medusa was a Gorgon; just one look at her face would cause people to turn to stone. But Perseus was the son of Zeus and was aided by the gods.

What is the nature of Perseus quest?

Sat, 1 Dec 2007 11:21:55 PST

I am trying to find out the nature of the hero's quest (Perseus)

The only answer that can be given is that for some reason the two...

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:47:33 PST

The only answer that can be given is that for some reason the two families were feuding. Their houses were joined under one roof, probably with a courtyard in the middle, and their mutual hatred was so great that they built a wall to avoid having to even look at one another.The story of the star-crossed lovers Pyramus and Thisbe has influenced other writers, particularly William Shakespeare. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bottom and his group...

Why did the parents of Pyramus and Thisbe try to prevent their...

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:30:58 PST

Why did the parents of Pyramus and Thisbe try to prevent their relationship?

What are some examples of Ovid adapting Greek myths in The Metamorphoses?

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 16:17:18 PST

Is it relevant to highlight his elimination of 'the age of heroes' (in comparison to Hesiod) as a way in which the heroic ideal is predominately a Greek ideal?

Perseus was destined for greatness as soon as he was born. He was...

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:46:47 PST

Perseus was destined for greatness as soon as he was born. He was half-immortal, being the son of Zeus and Danae. But there was trouble for both the newborn and his mother. Acrisius, Danae's father, was so incensed at his daughter's giving birth that he locked both mother and child into a chest and threw them into the sea. Zeus appealed to Poseidon, who rescued them. Perseus, therefore, has always had the help of the gods to overcome...

What are the early signs of greatness and preparation for future...

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:22:28 PST

Im trying to figure out Perseus' early signs of greatness and his future signs of greatness.

There are so many examples to choose from. Here are three. Narcissus, a...

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:37:44 PST

There are so many examples to choose from. Here are three. Narcissus, a beautiful boy, is pursued by the nymph Echo, and he rejects her. All that is left of her is her voice after she spends day after day pining away for him. Then Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, made Narcissus fall in love with his reflection in a pool. Narcissus couldn't stop looking at himself, and he pined away as well. In place of his body, mourners found a flower...

In the book Ovid's Metamorphoses give three examples of the gods...

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:39:00 PST

In the book Ovid's Metamorphoses give three examples of the gods intrusion on mortal's lives and the results of the interaction.

The overall philosophy of Ovid's "The Metamphoses" is that everything on...

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:29:42 PST

The overall philosophy of Ovid's "The Metamphoses" is that everything on heaven and earth experiences change. Think of a butterfly, or a tree, or a baby: all go from one state of being to another. The first four lines of tht 12,000 line poem reveal the purpose and philosophy behind Ovid's work. The poet is considering, in chronological order, how the world began and how things have changed from those origins until his own time, 8 a.d. My...

What is the basic philosophy behind Ovid's metamorphoses?

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:46:28 PST

What is the basic philosophy behind Ovid's metamorphoses?

A good and tough question. Remember that Ovid was writing for readers...

Sat, 3 Feb 2007 16:13:16 PST

A good and tough question. Remember that Ovid was writing for readers who would likely know the core stories he was telling, and so they'd be able to fill in the background when he just sketches a bit of the story, as he does here. To see this, you'd need to recognize that Lycaon served Zeus a meal where the meat was, well, human. Zeus rejected it, disgusted, and punished him fiercely, turning him into a wolf. What this says about Greek...

What does Zeus' attitude about Lycaon's crime reveal about the...

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 18:06:31 PST

What does Zeus' attitude about Lycaon's crime reveal about the development of Greek religion?