Zeus jumped, startled, when Venus appeared before him. He hated how his goddesses poofed to and fro, it was quite unnerving. Zeus's jaw set when he saw the expression on Venus's face. He knew it all too well from years of hearing Venus's wishes. He bellowed, "What is it you have come for, my child?" Venus reclined on one of the marble steps below his throne and replied, "No need to bellow, you old fool. It's just me. I have come to see about your love life. You seem very tense lately and as the Goddess of Love I feel it is my duty to make sure the King of the Heavens is well attended to when it comes to love and pleasure." Zeus shifted uneasily, stammering, "My love life is fine and none of your concern. I take any damsel I wish and my desires are sated. Maybe I am tense because I have goddesses like you running around causing trouble. I distinctly remember Olympus being turned upside down only a short while ago while you were looking for that daughter-in-law of yours."
Venus waved away his comments with her slender hand. "The Goddess of Love knows the difference between sexual tension and other stresses, and it is coming off of you in waves. I remember when you used to take any damsel you wish, yes, you were much more relaxed then," the goddess continued nonchalantly. As Zeus began sputtering incoherently at this insult, Venus cut him off, "Speaking of my daughter-in-law, she is a pretty thing, isn't she? They say she is the fairest deity on Mount Olympus. A perfect damsel for the Tamer of Lightning, don't you think? I bet a pretty face like hers could relieve any and all tension those old bones have."
Zeus cocked his head and asked, "What are you up to Venus?" The Goddess of Love leaned in with a feral glint in her eye, "I need the girl gone. She torments me day and night, and my reputation is in ruins while she is here. All I ask is that you awe her with your power and seduce her, and if Cupid happens to discover you two while in the act, then it is a sad coincidence that you could not help. That love-struck fool will not be able to bear the sight of her once she is soiled, and he will exile her somewhere where I never have to see her face again. Now, can you do me a favor and bed the most beautiful girl in the world?"
Jupiter and Juno by Annibale Carracci
Story source: Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).
Author's Note: This story is an extension of Cupid and Psyche, a fairy tale written by Apuleius. Psyche is hailed as the fairest girl in all the world, and Venus, the Goddess of Love, becomes extremely irritated and jealous because the mortals are forgetting to worship her and believe that Psyche is Venus reincarnated. So Venus sends her son Cupid to curse Psyche to fall in love with someone terrible. But instead, Cupid makes Psyche fall in love with him. There is of course some turmoil including Venus trying to destroy Psyche with a number of tasks but the story ends happily ever after with Venus dancing at their wedding ceremony and Psyche turning into a deity. This did not sit well with me because Venus had this all-encompassing rage throughout the entire story that just ended at the very end quite suddenly. So I incorporated a seething grudge in this extension to show how Venus got her revenge.
Hi Marielle,
ReplyDeleteI like your story! It was very compelling and fun to read! I love stories of revenge and trickery, so I'm glad you created an additional plot line to offer Venus her chance for revenge. I like how you played to Zeus' infamous sexual appetite to provide a solution for Venus' anger. However, I think it's interesting that there are myths surrounding Venus' and Zeus' own love affair. Of course, the gods of Greek and Roman anthology are anything but monogamous. I would have liked to see this story played out. I'm curious if Venus' plot would have succeeded or if it would have been foiled as so many revenge plots are. I like the descriptive way that you chose to tell this story. The actions of the characters are very intentional and detailed. In many myths, the actions are generalized so that you wouldn't know that Venus disappears in a pink poof.
Great job and I look forward to reading more of your stories this semester!
Marielle,
ReplyDeleteYou've done well on this story; it is exceptionally well-edited, with no superfluous content. I do have to wonder how Cupid plays into the story, though. What would happen to Venus if Cupid did not banish Psyche? With Psyche as a deity now, does Cupid even have the right or power to banish her? Moreover, how can Venus claim to love her son, while working to destroy the one he loves most?
Hello there Marielle,
ReplyDeleteThat was a well written story. I don't really like it when people spend a lot of time spelling out every detail in a story. It bogs the story down and makes it hard to stay interested and try to read the whole story. You didn't compromise the quality of the story though, and I am very impressed by your ability to strike the perfect balance there. Keep up the good work!
Hi Marielle,
ReplyDeleteI love your name, btw! Great story. You definitely explained everything well, and I loved how the story was about Cupid and Psyche. I'm a psychology minor, so I always learn about the psyche as a theory. Personally, I liked all the details. It made me understand what was going on throughout the story. Personal preference, I guess! One thing that could be explained further is why Venus can't put aside her hatred from the love she has for her son. This could be a fun added description!
What a great little snapshot into the personalities of Zeus and Venus/Aphrodite! I think the dialogue does a great job of exploring what exactly the motives of the different characters are. More specifically, I like how you made sure that the things the gods represented were inherent to their actions. Venus, as the Goddess of Love, is jealous and obsessed with lust, while Zeus, as the powerful Thunder God, is masculine and pursues masculine ends. Great job!
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