Change In Ovid Research Paper

The tale of Apollo and Daphne is an ancient fable from Greek Mythology that tells the story of Apollo and his desire for the nymph Daphne. The renowned Roman poet Ovid retells this mythical story in his epic poem titled Metamorphoses. Known for his comedic style and infatuation with love poems, Ovid’s works are vastly different than his colleagues. Ovid made an effort to distance himself from the traditional epic poems involving a hero and his journey such as Virgil and The Aeneid. Contrastingly, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, there is no protagonist hero or narrative unity. However, the one thing that remains constant in Metamorphoses is the theme of change. This theme of change is displayed both figuratively and literally in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The first lines of Metamorphoses state, “My mind leads me to speak now of forms changed into new bodies” (1.1-2). Immediately, the theme of change is made apparent. Ovid then provides his own telling of the creation of the universe. Initiated by a creation god, a lifeless bulk of mass is transformed into a world filled with vegetation, bodies of water, and a plethora of creatures. The god Prometheus changes a lump of clay into the first human being on Earth. Ovid’s creation of the world is guided by the supernatural change of inert matter to beings and landscapes full of life. This displays the immense power

Daphne prays to her father and cries, “Help me, dear father! If your waters hold divinity, transform me” (1.751-752). Peneus answers his daughter’s prayers and transforms her into a mighty laurel tree. Daphne’s, “supple trunk is girdled with a thin layer of fine bark over her smooth skin; her hair turns into foliage, her arms grown into branches / her head becomes the summit of a tree; all that remains of her is a warm glow” (1.764-769). The once beautiful Daphne is destroyed when she is changed into a laurel