Week 2: Cupid and Psyche

Note - my notes are a little strange. After having to write so many for so many different classes (often while sleep deprived and with more readings due soon) I've developed an odd style heavy with sarcasm. This is actually how my notes looked in my Ancient Epic Poetry class, with Homer and Virgil. Plenty to snark at there. But It helps me remember the plot and characters though, so whatever. Just thought I'd explain so no one was completely taken aback - I know it's a rather odd way of doing it.

Reading Diary Week 2 – Cupid & Psyche

• Is the main guy man or horse? Oh, a dude, but is he a captive or a tag along?
• Wow, poor nameless girl.
• It’s a wedding but the bad guys couldn’t find any loot? Yeah, right.
• Ugh, that dream sucks.
• This is all reminding me of Helen, especially with the sly way the captive is endearing herself to the old woman so easily.
• Frame story time!
• Oh look, 3 sisters trope. Fairy tale time
• Oh no, don’t do that. Did Clash of the Titans teach you nothing? Don’t compare women to goddesses – it always ends bad
• Troy already happened? Oh yeah, you should definitely look out. Despite not being born from Juno, Venus sure is like her.
• Cupid, cute and happy? Um- NOPE. These violent delights have violent ends and all that – Rick Rordan certainly hit that nail on the head.
• Psyche – that sounds like such a terrible name. Wonder if she ever got mocked?
• Uh oh, child getting revenge for Momma on a mortal? Sounds an awful lot like Leto to me, and that sure ended badly.
• Yes yes, Venus is lovely, move on please.
• Never ask Apollo’s oracle – things always end badly
• Oh she’s gonna pull a Loki and birth a monster, awesome. Things are so totally looking up.
• Oh she has backbone – that’s great. Love a heroine with spunk.
• Abandoned on a cliff – because that’s not stereotypical at all.
• Oh yay, descriptions of wealth. At least this guy doesn’t ramble on as bad as Homer can (God that man can talk).
• Went from Roman to Beauty and the Beast. Okay then. Odd.
• Pfft. Nature dictates that after being bedded a lot – even though you could classify it as marital rape – she grew to love it because women are base, sexual creatures. Hey look, antiquity and early Christian England shared some things in common after all.
• Don’t look – anyone else thinking of the hero exiting the underworld with his wife?
• This is going to go so badly. Stupid women, geez. Couldn’t you have just sent a letter? Like seriously.
• Hmm, wonder if Neptune and Pluto ever went on rants like this, Jupiter is the youngest son after all. Oh well, Pluto probably doesn’t care either way. In the actually myths he’s very apathetic like that. He only ever gets like one mention in the entire Iliad after all – and that only when the earth shakes so much he’s worried it might fall and crush the underworld.
• Thank God I have no sisters.
• You can't look! Anyone else thinking Semele, mother of Dionysus?
• Aren’t you a god? Like seriously, just bar them from your home.
• Well at least she’s mainly thinking of the child. And it’s the Furies fault – makes more sense. But goodness, her sisters are cowards.
• Oh look, from Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty. That’s 3 fairy tales, we’re on a roll
• Oh wow, way to go Psyche! And did I mention how stupid the sisters are yet? Because they are. SO. Stupid.
• Oh yeah, let Juno and Ceres give counsel on proper punishment for this – because that’s such a good idea and going to work so well.
• Good call – Greeks believed if you ticked off just one god, you were screwed for life. Romans kinda went the other way though, thinking you just needed on solidly in your corner and then after that who cared about the others?
• What? What are all these reasons? You liars, I’ve never heard of those rules before! Thanks for all the help guys. I can see you really pity Psyche.
• Well that search was over quick.
• Now we’re getting into tasks – more fairy tale stuff!
• Yay ants, they’re often very helpful in these tales.
• Oh no, not the golden sheep! That never ends very well for someone
• Oh look, she finally learned her lesson about good advice
• Snakes on the Styx - sounds slightly Dante now
• Oh, very clever bird, very clever indeed
• Inanimate objects speak a lot in these kind of tales
• Dogs eat barley cake now, okay…
• Oh no, you were doing so well!!! Don’t do it Psyche! Opening a jar you’re not supposed to never helps, did Pandora teach you nothing?
• At least Cupid is helping out, she caught a good one
• Oh yeah, like your slut-ness is Cupids fault. Keep telling yourself that Jupiter
• You slandered me with adultery – I’ll help if you give me a girl prettier than yours. Wow. Way to show your true colors Jove
• Huh, well that one ended pretty well – I’m surprised.
• Back to the frame story, yay!
• Lucius is apparently a poet, nice
• Oh, he IS a horse. Okay then. (Or Donkey, whatever)
• Wait, he’s a man turned into a donkey?
• And they ride away into the night, and live happily ever after. Yay fairytales.