Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Part A

The stories in Part A of Unit One are not empowering for women! Not only are the women victimized, but they are often attacked by Hera for being attacked by Zeus. His violent nature is shrugged off as just a characteristic of Zeus, oh well! Can we make him more accountable for his actions?  

Characters of Focus: Io, Callisto, Semele, Hera

Io: Daughter of the river god. Beautiful and innocent. She tried to run away from Zeus but could not. Hera turns her into a cow and asks for her as a gift. Zeus pleads with Hera and Io is returned to human form. 

Callisto: A virgin nymph, devoted to Artemis/Diana. Natural, caring, and innocent. Tricked by Zeus taking Diana's form. She is filled with shame and banished from the sacred woods by Diana. Hera turns her into a bear with she and Zeus' son. Saved (shown mercy??) by Zeus. 

Semele: Gullible. Hera says, "I must attack her." She is tricked into going into visiting the Heavens by Hera. Zeus can't stop his powers and she dies from the storm. 

Statue of Hera
Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Hera: Wife of Zeus. Vindictive toward her husband's victims. Jealous, angry, and cruel. Misdirecting her anger from her husband to the women. Perhaps because he is a god... Still has to work under that power dynamic. Can she have a change of heart and realize that punishing the women is unfair/not going to solve the problem of Zeus' infidelity?

Can we make Hera more forgiving? Rewrite to implicate Zeus, rather than attacking the victims? Can punishments be turned around on Zeus instead? Can he be turned into animals and transformed into constellations? Who would have enough power to do so, and how? Would he have to be tricked?

Make sure to keep Roman/Greek names straight/consistent. 

Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphases, translated by Tony Kline (2000)

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