Mythology and Folklore: Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche

Here is part 2 of my reading of Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche.

Venus and the Goddesses

Not only does Psyche get punished for her transgression, but Cupid gets punished as well.
Yikes! Don't want to anger a Goddess. Venus is very jealous, and her jealousy is not even justified.

Psyche's Prayer

This section of the story makes me wonder how Venus inspired such loyalty? The story has not been painting her in the best light. She is beautiful, but she is also jealous and wants to hurt a mostly innocent person in the story.

Venus and Mercury

I find it interesting that Psyche considers seeking out Venus at the some time that Venus is getting desperate to find her. It thickens the plot and adds tension.
A lot of the story has been predictable, but at this point I do not know what would happen first, Venus finds Psyche, or Psyche surrenders herself to Venus.

Venus and Psyche

I feel really sorry for Psyche, and I have for most of this tale. The author does a good job of making her seem kind and sweet and undeserving of these troubles.
I enjoy the fairytale style elements on this tale. The ants helping the girl is a nice touch.

Psyche's Next Task

I enjoyed the description of the two lovers who are under one room but in different rooms, not able to keep each other company.
Psyche did not get help from any of the Goddesses he appealed to, but people seem to be willing to help her out with her tasks.

The Third Task

Three is a very common number found in stories. It's more interesting than describing a single task, but the reader also doesn't get bored with an endless list of tasks. I may incorporate this number into some of my writing as well.
I've heard many lines very similar to this in rhymes "Off with you! Where are you going? See here! What are you doing? Beware! Be gone! You’ll die!" It is the warning that Psyche gets when trying to accomplish her third task

The Jar of Beauty

Many heroes have had to travel down to to underworld. Some classic examples of this are Odysseus, Hercules, Orpheus and Persephone.
The description of how to get to the underworld is very long. It would be easier to read if it had been broken into more than one paragraph.

The Sleep of the Dead

This section could have used more detail. Psyche opens the jar and sleeps, then immediately she gets saved. Letter her sleep for longer or drawing out this section. A problem immediately followed by a resolution seems really abrupt.

The Wedding Feast

This is the end of the tale of the tale of Cupid and Psyche, and they couple finally get their happy ending.
At this point the reader has almost forgotten about the original story, but end ending ties back into the beginning. The characters are once again the captured girl and the old women. A full loop of a story, or reflecting back on the beginning can be a powerful writing tool.

The Escape

The girl escapes the robbers and old woman by riding away on an Ass.
Both of the stories have a similar ending, the princess makes it through and finds her way to her husband.

Mythology and Folklore