Extra Reading Diary: Ovid III

The Race by Noel Halle

• Eurydice was bitten by a snake
• “What, then, could she complain of, except that she had been loved?”  Interesting.  Even though Orpheus’ love made him turn back and kept her frommou coming back, it came from a good place.
• Apollo loved Hyacinthus, but he died.  Apollo mourned him greatly.
• Pygmalion thought most women were wicked.
• Venus’s admiration for Pygmalion was fair and she heard his prayer.  The statue came to life.
• His reaction to her coming to life is interesting
• Golding’s translation of Ovid was very much a cautionary tale, especially from a religious standpoint.  It is interesting to see that other translations have bits of that, which is shown in the story of Myrrha.
• “Cupid denies that his arrows hurt you, Myrrha, and clears his fires of blame for your crime”
• It is very obvious that Shakespeare was influenced by and pulled from Ovid.  Several of his plays come to mind when reading Ovid
• The whole story of Myrrha is creepy. 
• Interesting that she is still pregnant while she is a tree
• Adonis is her child
• It is interesting to see a woman being a competitor.
• Adonis didn’t think to thank Venus, even though it was not out of malice intent