Reading A: Psyche and Cupid



Notes

This story is part of the Cupid and Psyche unit. Story source: Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Apuleius: The captive woman
• Donkeys and horses
• The narrator is an old woman robber
• Young + old =important
• Lucious (donkey) eating scraps instead of rich food
• Robbers --> Kidnappers
○ Also, they seem to think they are honorable robbers
• Old lady refers to robbers as her young men
Her Dream
• Robbers described as warlike gang
• Robbers kill the husband in the dream
• "Be of good heart, young mistress; don’t let a dream’s vain fantasy disturb you" - Old Lady
• The old lady tried to convince her being kidnapped was a good thing indirectly by saying if you are having a nightmare it is actually a good thing
Psyche's Beuty
• P is too beautiful for Human speech
• Psyche: adjectives
○ compared to the goddess of Venus
○ a new celestial emanation
○ The sight of the ages
○ Earthly pollution (by venus)
• Venus's son, Cupid, she uses as a weapon

Psyche's Beuty was so great people flocked to see her. 
The photo can be found here. 
The Oracle of Apollo
• More psyche adjectives:
○ Admire like a perfectly finished statue
• Wedding descriptor/march of death descriptor: smoky ash, the funeral cortege

The Magical Place
• Wakes up in her happy place (emphasis on scenery)
• Tall trees, crystal water
• Flowing stream
• A regal place--So beautiful only god could make this
○ Golden pillars, walls covered in silver, the floor is a mosaic
○ Animals roam free
• Animals were all silver
• So much gold on the inside even a night it would seem like it was day time
• So perfect it has to be heaven
• Had all the treasure in the world but nothing was locked up
• All of this was for psyche
• Invisible servants -- but not invisible animals
The Mysterious Husband
• Psyches biggest fear: die a virgin -- magical place she makes sex a habit
• Whole life everybody obsessed with looks-- now husband is invisible
• Family is distraught in reality
• Sisters now jealous of riches not looks
• Uses the term to be robbed from her husband
• Bad thing to see what her husband looks like
The Jealousy of Psyche's sisters
• Sisters are jealous of earthly things -- reversed it on psyche and called her arrogant
○ They plan on taking advantage of her
• Old lady telling the story calls the sisters "victims" of envy
○ Like how she sees the robbers
Psyche's Husband warns her
• Sisters were "breathing viperous venom"
• Calls invisible husband her light because he visits in the dark
• Fears and Doubts
• Sisters don't wait to be swept to the house -- they just jump and expect to be caught
• Lied about her husband to her sisters
• Husband getting into bed described by sisters "Slithered into bed"
Psyche's Husband Revealed
• Hot oil woke him up
• Cupid calls her: Poor innocent psyche
• Her punishment is him leaving
Psyche's Despair
• Lied to her sisters
• Sisters: venomous jealousy
• Both sisters killed themselves trying to get to cupid to be better than her sister

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