Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). Cupid and Psyche part B
Characters/Setting
Aphrodite (Venus)- becomes enraged when she finds that Cupid
fell in love with Psyche when she ordered him to exact her revenge on the girl.
So angry that she beats Psyche until she is unrecognizable and then gives her a
task. Very cruel.
Juno and Ceres- Try to mollify the Goddess and provide meaningful
defense for Cupid, Venus doesn’t listen, kind, want to help Psyche and Cupid.
Psyche- tries to pray to the other Goddesses but they cannot
help because of their loyalty to Venus. She is so desperate and full of grief
that is willing to confront Venus.
Mercury- asked by his sister (Venus) to find Psyche, makes
an announcement to all describing her features and last known whereabouts. He
finds her and brings her to Venus.
Jupiter- kind, loyal, willing to help Psyche in her time of
need out of his loyalty to Cupid.
After Cupid and Psyche get married, the format of this tale
returns to story-within-a-story
We are reminded again that this is a retelling as we are brought
back to the donkey’s perspective of the demented old woman speaking to the
young captive.
Lucius the donkey- Brave, noble, wants to rescue himself and
the young woman
Plot
When Venus finds out that Cupid
fell in love with Psyche, she becomes enraged and sets out to find her and
exact her revenge herself. Psyche, desperate and full of sorrow, tries praying
to Juno and Ceres so that they will help her. Because of their loyalty to
Venus, they cannot help her and leave her to fend for herself. Out of
desperation, she wants to seek pity from Venus herself. Meanwhile, Venus calls
on her brother Mercury to bring her Psyche. When he does, she beats and tortures
her, and when she has beaten her senseless, she gives her a series of difficult
tasks. When Psyche is completing the third task, Jupiter rescues her out of his
loyalty to Cupid. Once Jupiter helps her finish retrieving the jar of beauty,
Venus orders that Psyche go to the underworld to give the jar to Hades’ wife. As
she begins her summit, she is advised to take an alternate route to get to Persephone
and is also warned to not look into the jar as she goes. After she carried out
this task, she is tempted by the contents of the jar. When she looked in the
jar, she was encompassed by the sleep of the dead. Cupid finds her in this
state and wakes her, telling her to finish the task at hand. Cupid then goes to
Jupiter and asks for his help in return for another beautiful woman. Cupid and
Psyche are married and live happily ever after, in spite of his mothers attempt
to get rid of Psyche. After finishing the story of the old woman’s retelling,
the donkey hears of the plans to carry out his murder and escapes, simultaneously
rescuing the young girl.
Themes
The theme of harmful curiosity
continues in part B of this story.
Themes of romance and undying love
are revealed as Psyche carries out difficult tasks to prove her love for Cupid.
Cupid also risks it all to save Psyche and even forgoes his old ways because of
his love for Psyche.
Loyalty, bravery, danger, and fear are
common themes as well.
The primary story of Lucius starts
to mimic the secondary story when the donkey rescues the young captive, just as
Psyche was rescued many times from Venus’ wrath.
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| Venus chides Cupid by Giordano, Blogspot |
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