Rape A Common Narrative Element - 2066 Words

A common narrative element in most Greek and Roman mythology is rape, whether it be at the will of the gods or mortal man. From these unions, deities and heroes are born, and/or social institutions are reinforced. Most stories of rape follow a similar structure: the god, or man, sees a beautiful woman and fills with love or burning passion, he devises a plan/disguise to rape her, and the significant other learns of the affair and is vengeful. In this essay, I will analyze how two rape stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses compare with each other while following the structure of rape in mythology that I have presented. In addition, this essay will discuss the deeper implications of each myth and the use of rape as a narrative element, such as†¦show more content†¦Thus, he cuts her tongue off and continues to rape her. Then, Tereus goes home and tells Procne her sister is dead. After a year, Philomela wove her story and gave it to an old woman to take to her sister. Procne uses the festival for Bacchus to retrieve Philomela and decides to kill her son, Itys, as revenge. They serve the feast to Tereus, telling him it was a ritual meal for husbands only, and he gladly eats the meal. Procne tells him what they did and Philomela throws Itys’ bloody head at him. He chases them around the castle and they turn into birds to flee. Tereus also turns into a bird (Ovid, Met. VI. 430-721). Following the structure of rape in mythology, Jove and Tereus were overcome with aching emotion when seeing a beautiful woman. In both myths, their lust is likened to a burn or fire and I believe the narrative attempts to persuade the audience to sympathize with the abuser. For instance, when Jove first spots Callisto, a â€Å"†¦fire ran through his marrow-bones† (Ovid, Met. II. 410). In comparison, when Tereus laid his eyes on Philomela, he â€Å"†¦took fire, as ripe grain burns, or dry leaves burn, or hay stored in the hay-mow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ovid, Me t. VI. 457-458). There is a difference in tone between the two descriptions, however, both explain the urge as painful. By describing their feelings as painful, the myths are putting the rapist in the position of victim. In addition, I propose the stories normalize the act of rape byShow MoreRelatedHow Undergraduate College Women in the United States Perceive Rape and Sexual Assault671 Words   |  3 Pageswhich students experience unwanted sexual encounters are also shifting. It is implied that since the rates of date rape have decreased, yet rates of sexual assault have remained the same, that sexual assault and rape rates during casual sexual encounters are on the rise. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how undergraduate college women in the United States perceive rape and sexual assault as a potential threat of engaging in random hook-ups or casual sex. 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