Epics the Aeneid and Metamorphoses a Comparison - 1045 Words

Epics The Aeneid and Metamorphoses: A Comparison Both Vergil and Ovid imbedded underlying meanings in their epics The Aeneid and Metamorphoses. In this paper I will focus on the underlying meaning in the Underworld scene in Vergils The Aeneid (lines 356 through 1199). I will also focus on three scenes in Ovids Metamorphoses. Both epics contain a larger message about the importance of the Roman past for its present and future under Augustus. The story of Aeneas in the Underworld can be interpreted as a brilliant rendition of the story of Romes past, present, and future. When Aeneas descends into the Underworld, he is escorted by the Sibyl (lines 347 - 349). This gives the readers a clue that what is to happen in the upcoming text†¦show more content†¦Anchises lists the descendants of Aeneas, leaving special mention on Caesar by placing him directly after Romulus. Augustus is glorified as the son of a god, and many great deeds are spoken on his behalf. The epic ends on a sad note: that of Marcellus death. (Lines 1148 - 1182) This sad ending foretells that Rome will never achieve its full potential, yet it will achieve much. Ovid takes a different approach to his story-telling. Instead of constructing elaborate events which have double meanings, he simply tells several stories. Ovids works are less complex than Vergils, and there is much less meaning within his stories. When Pythagoras is speaking, a recurring idea in his speeches is to not eat the flesh of another animal. (Ovid, p337 - 338) On a symbolic level, he is lecturing about taking another persons life. In this sense, Pythagoras may be speaking against murder, and against war. By stating that ... creatures trying to kill us may be killed ... (p 337) he is implying that it may be necessary to defend ones life against attack, but one should never attack another. In view of Romes past, this lecture may have come about as a result of the Punic Wars when a large deportation of males from Rome as soldiers caused a serious manpower shortage withi n the city. (Short Histories, p 25 - 27) Another important message in Pythagoras speech is that of change. Pythagoras gives several examples ofShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast the Portrayal of the Gods in Virgils Aeneid and Metamorphoses2692 Words   |  11 PagesTHE PORTRAYAL OF THE GODS IN VIRGILS AENEID AND OVIDS METAMORPHOSES. There is a significant difference in the treatment of the gods in the Aeneid and the Metamorphoses, even though both authors were writing in the epic tradition. Virgil wrote his Aeneid in the last ten years of his life, between 29BC and 19BC, after the Battle of Actium, in 31BC, which was significant, as it established Octavian as the sole emperor, Augustus, of Rome. The Aeneid is a celebration of Augustus achievementsRead MoreCompare And Contrast The Gods In Ovid And The Aeneid1987 Words   |  8 Pagesperceived to be differently described in the two books and that makes the analysis of the gods in the essay to be conclusive. Ovid and Virgil are writers in the epic tradition but the way they treat gods in Aeneid and metamorphoses displays a difference. Aeneid was written between 29BC up to 19BC after the battle of Actium was fought in 31BC. The Aeneid was written as a celebration of the various achievements of Augustus and helps in rejoicing the development of Rome during that period of time. The bookRead MoreLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pagespoetry at a monastery at Whitby.[1] This is generally taken as marking the beginning of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Much of the poetry of the period is difficult to date, or even to arrange chronologically; for example, estimates for the date of the great epic Beowulf range from AD 608 right through to AD 1000, and there has never been anything even approaching a consensus.[2] It is possible to identify certain key moments, however. The Dream of the Rood was written before circa AD 700, when excerpts wereRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesnotable example. Burlesque: A humorous imitation of a serious work of literature. The humor often arises from the incongruity between the imitation and the work being imitated. For example, Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock uses the high diction of epic poetry to talk about a domestic matter. Confessional poetry: An autobiographical poetic genre in which the poet discusses intensely personal subject matter with unusual frankness. The genre was popular from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, due in