Section VI
Ovid's
Metamorphoses
Books I-V
This week we will begin discussing Ovid's Metamorphoses. The following questions have been
carefully crafted to help you with your close reading, prepare insightful comments to impress your TF,
and, of course, your written assignment.
Study Aids:
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Check out pages 12-14 of your Sourcebook for Dr Tarrant’s Overview of Ovid’s
Metamorphoses.
Use the Mythology guide on the coursesite for quick reference of major deities
The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (1996): available online, in all Harvard Libraries –
including the reference rooms of Lamont [DE5.O9 2003] and Widener [RR 3511.4.5] – and in
most House Libraries
Pierre Grimal, Dictionary of Classical Mythology: available in the reference rooms of
Lamont [BL 715.G713 1986] and Widener [RR 3521.12.2].
H. J. Rose, A Handbook of Greek Mythology, Including its Extension to Rome: available
in several libraries on campus, and can be found in the Fine Arts reading room [RFA
79.57.77.100]
Discussion Questions:
1. Compare the stories of Actaeon (pp.61-64),
Narcissus (pp.67-73) and Hermaphroditus (pp. 90-93).
What similarities do you see in the characters and the
setting? Could you pick out a common theme to these
stories, and how would you describe it? What do you
think is the significance of natural settings (groves and
springs) in these stories?
2. In the story of Apollo and Daphne (pp. 16-20), how is
Apollo presented? In his speech to the fleeing Daphne (pp.
18-19) what arguments and rhetorical techniques does
Apollo use? (Here you might like to use the help of the
section on rhetorical figures in the sourcebook (SB pp. 1415) to see how many rhetorical figures you can identify).
What is the impact of mentioning Augustus at the end of
the story (p.20). Could you see any similarities between this
story and Ovid’s treatment of “love” in the Ars Amatoria?
3. Consider the way in which Jupiter is
presented in the first five books of the
Metamorphoses (especially Counci1 of
Gods/Lycaon pp 8-11, Io pp.21-27, Callisto
pp. 40-45, Tiresias p.67, Ceres –in Minerva
and the Muses pp. 123-125). What contrasts
are there in these episodes, and what
consistent elements? Compare Ovid’s
Council of the Gods (pp. 8-11) with the way
Virgil handles a similar episode in the
Aeneid (pp. 243-247 Mandelbaum), do you
notice any differences?
4. Read Io pp.21-27, Semele pp. 64-66,
Athamas and Ino pp. 94-99 and consider how
Juno is presented. How does Ovid’s portrayal of
Juno differ from Virgil’s in the Aeneid? In what
ways is it similar?
5. Think about the role of narration in the following stories: Daughters of
Minyas pp. 81-94, Song of Pierides and Song of Calliope pp. 115-128.
How does the person narrating the story affect the way in which we read the
story- for example, how does the fact that Calliope narrates the story of
Ceres as part of a competition affect the way we view the divine characters
in that episode?
6. Like Virgil’s Aeneid, the Metamorphoses can be viewed
as a poem about origins. How does Ovid deal with issues
of origin and development (of knowledge, customs,
technologies, etc.)? How are these issues dealt with in
Ovid’s account of the ‘Four Ages’ (Humphries pp. 5-7)?
How might that passage be applied to the context of
Augustan Rome?
Written Assignment:
My intention is to tell of bodies changed to different forms…
Write a response to the following, making sure to cite specific passages to support your
argument. Limit your responses to 300-400 words. Do not exceed 400 words.
Choose a single instance of metamorphosis from Books I-V and write on the following
questions:
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Where does the metamorphosis occur within the story? Does it begin the
story or serve as its climax? What effects does this metamorphosis have on
the story and the character?
What form does the metamorphosis take? How does it reflect on the
character transformed?
How would you describe the tone of the metamorphosis (tragic, grotesque,
comic, etc.)?
Post-metamorphosis, is any part of the character left unchanged? Does the
unchanged portion serve as a comfort or torment for the character changed, or other
characters in the story?
How extensive or detailed is the description of the metamorphosis?
How does the story relate to those immediately preceding or following your chosen
Metamorphoses story?