chapter

EROS AND PSYCHE

Cast

Eros The young god of love

Psyche A beautiful mortal princess

Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty

King Psyche’s father

Sister One Psyche’s conceited sister

Sister Two Psyche’s other conceited sister

Zephyr/Voice The West Wind

Servant An invisible servant

NARRATOR: In a far, mountainous kingdom, a king had three daughters. Although his eldest two were as beautiful as humanly possible, the third and youngest, Psyche, seemed to radiate an immortal glory. She seemed to be a goddess among women. Many said she was as beautiful as Aphrodite herself. In fact, those who had once flocked to Aphrodite’s shrine began to pay homage to the mortal princess instead, and so began Psyche’s troubles.

NARRATOR: In the billowy halls of Olympus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty paced the floor, calling for her archer son. Aphrodite’s immortal features could never lose their youthfulness, but something aged and cracked was starting to show through. The god Eros hovered into the room.

EROS: (sarcastically) Sorry to keep you waiting. I was on yet another one of your little missions.

EROS: Yes, yes. She loves him, but he finds her absolutely repulsive. Just like you requested.

APHRODITE: Good! I’m sending you out again—immediately. Some stupid mortal princess has been bad for business, and I want you to fix her wagon.

APHRODITE: Don’t be smart! You can’t imagine the stress in my life. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be an aging Goddess of Beauty?

APHRODITE: (ignoring him) There are thousands of women down there—all of them trying to get the better of me!

EROS: Good grief. You look exactly the same as you did the day you were born.

APHRODITE: Exactly. Over time men grow tired of the same delicate features . . . porcelain skin, ruby red lips. From the moment I sprang from the sea foam, I was praised. They flocked about me to admire my glory. “How radiant is Aphrodite,” they said. “The sun barely compares to her glow.”

APHRODITE: Now what do they say? Every time some ugly little sow comes along, they starting praising her with, “Why, she’s as glorious as Aphrodite!” What insolence! Oh, yes, my son—men have changed. They have forgotten their goddess, but I will remind them and destroy anyone who gets in my way!

EROS: Sooo . . . Did you call me in here just to rant, or were you going to give me some details on my assignment?

APHRODITE: (angrily) This upstart princess whose beauty—allegedly—equals my own, she must be ruined.

EROS: (sigh) Let me check my contract. Is this in my job description? I thought I was supposed to use my arrows to bring love, not pain.

APHRODITE: Ha! Love is pain. You’re bound to figure that out soon enough. Now, fly down to Earth. Psyche is her name.

APHRODITE: Cause her to fall in love with the vilest man you can find—someone completely hideous. Ha! Look for a satyr. Or a shepherd. They’re usually grotesque. That will shame her! She will be the laughingstock of her kingdom. Perfect. Perfect. And once she’s fooled away her beauty on a lowly shepherd, no one will ever speak of her again! (evil laugh)

APHRODITE: (absentmindedly) Be careful, darling. Remember, Mother loves you.

NARRATOR: Eros eased quickly down through the night sky. The stars winked out at him, socketed in the dark air. Eros considered himself to be a romantic god, more romantic than some, at least, but he wondered if he would ever find love, real love—not the cheap stuff he doled out with his flimsy arrows. Would he ever cease to be his mother’s lackey and be worthy in his own right? The stars did not reply, and he flew on.

Far below, the object of his pursuit, the princess Psyche, was wearily returning to her room, which she shared with her two older sisters. It had been a tiring day. A crowd of would-be suitors had amassed before the gate early that morning, and she had spent hours being bombarded by proposal after proposal. Upon Psyche’s entrance, her two sisters looked up from their weaving.

SISTER ONE: Of course you didn’t. That’s the beauty of it all. They just showed up. Like flies to . . . beauty, or is it something else?

SISTER TWO: (sarcastically) It’s sad to think that no one will want us trolls after seeing a prize such as you.

SISTER ONE: But think, when they take Psyche to Olympus and make her one of the goddesses, we’ll be able to go visit her! What excitement!

SISTER ONE: (angrily) Jealous of what? You being auctioned off like a piece of meat?

SISTER TWO: Don’t think your looks will bring you happiness, dear. Father will marry you off to the first old king who offers him a good price.

SISTER ONE: It is you who should envy us—at least we dog-faces won’t be miserable the rest of our days.

NARRATOR: Psyche’s eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself onto her bed.

SISTER TWO: Well, goodnight, sister. Don’t cry too much, or you’ll ruin those beautiful eyes of yours.

NARRATOR: Shortly after, Eros entered Psyche’s chambers. He had come to see this beauty for himself before he cursed her with one of his arrows. The god—invisible to human eyes— floated above her.

NARRATOR: Psyche raised her head from the cushions to dry her eyes. At the sight of the girl’s face, Eros felt his guts tighten into a knot, and a feeling he’d never known before radiated throughout his body. At once, his mission was forgotten. His only desire was to console this gorgeous creature. He started to materialize, to make himself known, but then he remembered . . .

EROS: (despairingly) I am a god. She is a mortal. We could never be together. Mother would drive her to madness—or worse.

NARRATOR: To his surprise, Eros felt his own heart breaking. How many times had he broken the hearts of others? Now he knew how much pain he had caused. He was suddenly sure of one thing: He could cause this lovely maiden no more hurt. He dissolved into the night, his task abandoned.

NARRATOR: Despair coursed through him. He had seen the love of his life, but she could never be his.

EROS: (to himself) Wait a minute! Could it work? I’ll ask Apollo. He’ll speak the truth.

NARRATOR: The course of the young god’s flight veered toward Olympus. His cousin, Apollo, the God of Light, received him there, and together they hatched a brilliant scheme—one that would allow Eros to have his love.

A week later, Psyche’s father, the elderly king, burst into his children’s chamber room distraught. As the old man fell to his knees, his three daughters ran to him.

KING: (through tears) Oh, gods! The Oracle of Apollo has spoken a terrible prophecy! Zeus, help me! I can barely utter the words.

KING: The Oracle has spoken. Olympus is furious. My daughter has set herself up to be as beautiful as the goddesses—an unforgiveable sin. And unless we wish our kingdom to be destroyed, we must take Psyche to the holy mountain . . . and . . . and . . .

KING: A terrible beast! A winged serpent! Oh, my daughter. Forgive me. I cannot resist the will of the gods. They will destroy us if we disobey.

NARRATOR: Psyche saw her sisters staring at her anxiously. They were not as thrilled as she had expected them to be.

NARRATOR: Dawn broke, and wailing was heard in the streets of the kingdom. Black cloths were draped from every balcony. The word had spread quickly throughout the night: The beloved princess Psyche was to be sacrificed to the gods. A solemn precession led the princess up the mountain. As for the sacrifice herself, her spirit had left her. She prepared herself for nothingness.

NARRATOR: Even though everyone lamented her death, no one was brave enough to go against the will of the gods. They left her there—alone on the mountain to await her monstrous bridegroom. Psyche sat silently upon a rock and watched the black procession make its way back down the mountain path. A thin rain began to fall. She wrapped her wet robes around her and closed her eyes. A faraway sound reached her ears—wind—growing louder and louder, until it was almost upon her. Surely it must be her serpent husband come to claim his bride.

NARRATOR: An unseen force lifted her from the rock and into the air. She timidly opened her eyes. Ahead the clouds had parted. Perched atop a spindly peak, shining like a jewel, was a glorious palace.

NARRATOR: She dared to look over her shoulder. To her shock, it was no winged beast that carried her, but a bearded little man.

ZEPHYR: (insulted) Of course I’m not, you dumb girl. I’m Zephyr, the West Wind.

ZEPHYR: Good gods, no. The last thing I need is a wife. I’m free! Free as, well, the wind. The master of that golden hall there is a friend of mine, and I owe him a favor or two. He’ll be your husband.

ZEPHYR: Are you fixated on snakes for some reason? I’ve heard my friend there called plenty of names, but never that. I’m to take you to his house, and then he’ll be along shortly. You’ll find the servants of the palace ready to accommodate your every need. They’re not winged serpents either; they’re spirits. You do know what a spirit is, don’t you?

NARRATOR: The West Wind swooped down low and set Psyche neatly upon the front step of the palace.

ZEPHYR: All ashore. Now, when your husband shows up, don’t talk him to death with all those stupid questions of yours. If you can’t say anything smart, don’t say anything at all. I don’t want to have to come back here when he realizes what a ninny he married. If you’ll excuse me, it’s hurricane season.

NARRATOR: The little man dissolved into a faint breeze and blew away. Psyche turned to face the palace doors. With the slightest pressure from her fingers, they swung open, and behind them stretched a long, hushed hall. An unexpected voice at her shoulder caused her to jump.

NARRATOR: Seeing only air to the side, she waited for the voice to speak again.

SERVANT: We are here, although you cannot see us. We are the spirits of the house. We serve the master—your husband.

SERVANT: The master has commanded us to give to you whatever you may require.

SERVANT: As we are invisible to you, he is invisible to us. His goodness is all that we see.

SERVANT: It is already prepared. The master will arrive tonight—in darkness.

NARRATOR: Psyche quickly acclimated herself to her otherworldly surroundings. The voices spoke calmly to her, and objects floated of their own accord, lifted by invisible hands.

PSYCHE: (to herself) Is this really happening? Or did I go mad back there on the mountaintop, and this is all a hallucination?

NARRATOR: As night fell, the phantom guided her to the sleeping chambers. There she lay down to await her mysterious husband. Sleep—as if another spell of the house—overcame her.

She awoke much later. The room was pitch black, and she felt that someone or something was very near.

NARRATOR: Psyche started as the voice spoke in her ear. She felt his touch upon her arm.

PSYCHE: I don’t understand. If you don’t want me to be afraid, then you should show yourself. I have left my home and my family to come here, and yet I’m forbidden to see my husband’s face?

EROS: You can never gaze upon me, Psyche. Your love is all I desire, and you would never truly love me if you were to see my true nature.

PSYCHE: How can you know that? Not knowing is worse than any appearance could be!

EROS: I shall keep you here, and we shall spend each night as husband and wife. But when the day comes, I must be gone from your sight.

PSYCHE: (angrily) It’s unfair! If you make me a prisoner here, you must at least give me some right . . .

EROS: This is the way that it must be. You must learn to live with this curse as I have. Trust me, Psyche.

NARRATOR: So Psyche’s life began its mysterious routine. She would spend her days idly, always attended by the spirits of the house. In the blackness of midnight, her husband would return to her and caress her in that hour but then disappear by the dawn. By some other enchantment, even as they touched, she could never tell his true form. It shifted beneath her fingers, refusing to be identified. He loved her true enough, and over time, the absence of his appearance ceased to concern her. Whatever her husband truly was, giant serpent or bodiless spirit, Psyche quickly grew to return his love. Though she had her nightly companion, Psyche’s days were lonely affairs. She often thought of the father and two sisters she had left behind.

PSYCHE: I miss my family. Other wives have their families over for a visit. I would like to do the same.

PSYCHE: But they’re my family . . . I miss them. Surely you can understand. I need some human companionship.

EROS: It’s not a good idea, Psyche, but, because I love you, I will have Zephyr bring them here. They may only stay for a day, and then they must return home.

NARRATOR: The next day Psyche waited on the front step of the palace anxiously. At last she saw Zephyr approaching from afar—bearing three bodies in his arms.

ZEPHYR: Be quiet already! I never thought I’d be missing the annoying questions of your sister!

ZEPHYR: Of course they are. I told the fools that everything would be okay. I’ve been at this for thousands of years, and I’ve never dropped anyone yet—unless it was on purpose.

NARRATOR: The West Wind deposited Psyche’s family in a heap before her feet.

ZEPHYR: Good riddance! And tell your husband that Zephyr’s maximum occupancy is one! I think I pulled something hauling these three!

NARRATOR: As the little old man disappeared, Psyche helped her sisters and father to their feet.

KING: I can’t believe it! Psyche, you’re alive! We were walking in the garden, and the mightiest wind caught us up into the air. We thought we were dead!

PSYCHE: (overjoyed) No, father. This is where I have lived these many months! I asked for the West Wind to bring you here for a visit. I’m so glad to see you all again.

NARRATOR: Psyche led them into the glittering passageways of the palace. Her frazzled sisters eyed the luxury of her home with jealousy.

PSYCHE: Well, it’s complicated. There are many servants here. I can’t even say how many—you can’t actually see them.

PSYCHE: No, you don’t understand. Please. Don’t think I’m crazy. I’m really not.

KING: Psyche, look at this from our point of view. This is all so strange. We thought we would never see you again, but here you are in this mysterious palace where everything seems to be under a spell.

SISTER ONE: Out of the question? Psyche, dear. We’re not afraid. Bring the beast forward. We’re dying to meet him.

SISTER ONE: If he’s not hideous, then there can be no objection to his meeting us.

SISTER TWO: Psyche, we’re not judgmental people. If your husband is ugly, just come out and say it.

PSYCHE: (crying) I have never seen him—and I can never see him. He comes at night, and I cannot look upon his face. Oh gods, I am married to a beast.

NARRATOR: The two sisters looked at one another slyly as they moved to Psyche’s side to comfort her.

SISTER ONE: (soothingly) Such pain, sweet one. He is causing you so much pain.

SISTER TWO: What a stupid rule! Not seeing your own husband! How can he do this to you?

SISTER ONE: How could he banish one who loves him so deeply? It’s obviously a trick to keep you in ignorance.

SISTER ONE: The world is a dangerous place. I carry one of these with me always. Now I give it to you, my beloved sister. It may save you from your fate.

SISTER ONE: Look, if he is a man, then you may live your life happily. But if he is a monster, you must kill him—and flee—before he does the same to you.

SISTER ONE: Don’t shame our family, sister. I will have no blood-relation of mine being the concubine of a demon. Do you want that for yourself?

KING: It’s for the best, dear. Come home to us. I miss our walks in the garden.

NARRATOR: By the time Zephyr returned to carry her family back to their kingdom, cold resolve had frozen Psyche’s heart. She must see her husband’s face—at any cost.

ZEPHYR: (grunting) Have you gotten heavier since this morning? That’s it. No more favors. I don’t care what the little jerk does to me. Zephyr is getting out of the transportation business.

NARRATOR: With the knife gripped tightly in her hand and a tear rolling down her cheek, Psyche bid her family goodbye. Once they had disappeared over the mountaintops, Psyche went to her chamber and perched on the edge of her bed. She stared at the little lamp that had always sat on the bedside table yet had never been lit. Her knuckles grew white around the knife handle. Tonight would be the night. The sun finished its journey across the sky—and darkness engulfed her.

NARRATOR: He was there—her phantom mate. Tonight she remained silent, cold, and unyielding. When she finally felt that he had succumbed to sleep, she stood and took the lamp in her trembling hands. She lit its flame and—holding her blade ready to strike—turned its light upon the form of her lover. What she saw caused her to gasp. Gracefully asleep in the half-empty bed was the most perfect youth she had ever seen. Golden curls built around the handsome features of a god—his eyes closed in the serene sleep of love.

NARRATOR: As she moved to snuff her lamp, a tiny bit of oil fell from it and landed upon his perfect shoulder. His golden lashes flew open; his eyes moved from knife, to lamp, to Psyche.

EROS: (hurt) Is this all I mean to you? I told you never to look! Why did you not trust me? You betrayed me.

EROS: (growing angry) What if I had been a beast? Would you have driven the knife through my heart?

EROS: (enraged) Silence! You have broken our agreement! The spell is undone! This palace will fade away, and you will be alone once again! But I suppose that is what you wanted, wasn’t it?

EROS: Foolish girl. Love cannot live where there is no trust. You have ruined the one thing in life that has brought me true happiness. Go. Go back to your people. I can bear the sight of you no longer!

EROS: There is nothing you can do now. Go back to your mortal world, and forget that you once loved Eros, the immortal son of Aphrodite, the doomed god of love.

NARRATOR: With these words the lamp snuffed out—and the world with it. Psyche cried out and clutched blindly at nothing. Eros was gone. It may have been hours or seconds before the shining chariot of the sun rose above the peaks, but on the barren mountaintop no golden walls reflected its radiance. The palace was gone . . . evaporated. And where it had once stood sat a broken girl, her face hot with tears.

DISCUSS

Are Psyche’s sisters typical siblings? Explain.
Are Eros’ restrictions on Psyche fair? Explain.
Is Eros deserving of love, or does he deserve to be heartbroken? Explain.
How is Aphrodite’s characterization ironic?
What has this story had to say about love so far?

ANALYZE

This myth displays many motifs (repeated story elements) that would later appear in many fairy tales. Do you notice any fairy tale elements in “Eros and Psyche”? Explain.

The Four Winds

Greek mythology personified the wind as four different gods. The rough North Wind, Boreas, was an angry, cold wind who once abducted an Athenian princess to be his wife. Because of this, the Athenians considered him to be a relative, and when the Persian King Xerxes threatened Athens with a fleet of ships, the Athenians called on Boreas for help. The North Wind responded and stirred up a storm that sank the Persian ships. In modern terms boreal means “northern,” which gave rise to the Aurora Borealis (“northern dawn”) along with the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora. Eurus was the East Wind and was considered unlucky. Notus was the South Wind who brought heat and storms. Zephyr was the West Wind, a favorite of the Greeks, for he was considered the herald of spring. He was also considered to be the gentlest of the four winds, which is why a gentle wind is today called a zephyr. Like Boreas, Zephyr was the father of famous stallions—the horses of Achilles who could, of course, run like the wind.

Which is more powerful, the heart or the mind? Each controls a powerful capability, the ability to love and the ability to think. These two capabilities drive everything that we as humans do. If you had to give up one of these, which would you choose? If you were all mind and no heart, you would be a robot, devoid of emotions. Yet if you were all heart and no mind, you would be a bleeding heart—a senseless, emotional wreck. Either way, you would be just half a person.

Stoics were ancient philosophers who prided themselves on their ability to suppress their emotions and rely solely on their intellect. They believed that in order to function at maximum potential, people should rely only on brainpower and not let their emotions cloud the issue. Hedonists were the opposite. They believed that whatever your urge or emotion, you should act on it—regardless of the consequences. According to them, thinking should not figure into the equation. Basically, if it feels good, do it. Both philosophic groups got their start in classical Greece.

There are problems with both of these extremes. If you refuse to grieve over the death of a close family member, you might be considered heartless. But if you are so emotional that you cannot bring yourself to attend the funeral, you might be considered disrespectful. A healthy personality achieves a balance between the two. Your mind wins out in some matters, your heart in others.

How do the heart and mind figure into love? Love is not usually an intellectual process. If love was based solely on facts, you could simply enter your stats, your interests, and your likes and dislikes into a computer, and you would be matched you up with the perfect companion in a matter of seconds. Blind dates would be much more successful than they are now if this process actually worked. But the heart has to have input too. Love is a feeling, so it is naturally attributed to the heart. Yet if a person relies solely on his or her heart and fails to consult the mind, tragedy can ensue. Two people may be passionately in love but have fundamentally different values. If they don’t think about these differences, they may face a troubled relationship.

The Greeks showed us both concepts of a stoic and a hedonist, but they also had a tale for those who believed more in balance. It was a story about Eros, a Greek god whose name meant love, and Psyche, a mortal girl whose name meant soul or mind. As you read the story of Eros and Psyche, think about the nature of love. What comment does this story make on the subject? How will you live your life? By mind, by heart, or by a combination of the two?

DISCUSS

Which is more powerful, the heart or the mind? Explain.
Can you think of a person, living or dead, who was a stoic or a hedonist?
Why is it a good idea to achieve a balance between the two?
Some adults criticize “young love” because they feel it relies too strongly on the heart and not enough on the mind. Do you think this is true? Explain.

FUN FACT

Just as we associate certain emotions with certain organs (love with the heart, thought with the brain), it was once believed that the spleen was the source of anger and the liver was a source of courage and other strong passions. This gave rise to two idioms: “Vent your spleen” means to get rid of your anger and “lily-livered” is a word to describe someone who has a white, bloodless liver—a complete coward.

PERFORM

Write a dialogue between two teenagers, one who is a stoic and one who is a hedonist. Act out your dialogue for your classmates.

ANALYZE

In his poem “Psyche and the Candle,” Archibald MacLeish (1892–1982) analyzes the paradox of Love: “Love is a bird in a fist:/To hold it hides it, to look at it lets it go . . . /Either you keep it forever with fist closed/Or let it fling.” He ends his poem with the paradox still unsolved: “There is no answer other to this mystery.” Even though neither Psyche nor Eros is mentioned in his poem, what does its theme have to do with the myth?

WRITE

Write your own poem about the nature of love. It can even begin with the phrase “Love is . . . ”

The Greeks pictured Eros as a teenage boy, who in some representations appeared with wings. In his myth with Psyche it is obvious that Eros is not a child, but a young man seeking love for himself. This portrayal of the god goes against almost all other portrayals of his character. Eros is often shown to be mischievous, rude, and not to be trusted under any circumstances. Rather than using his arrows to bring love, he usually brings about pain and despair. In many stories he gets some sick thrill out of making some god or mortal fall in love with someone else who does not return the sentiment. In fact, some myth-makers tell how Eros actually had two types of arrows in his quiver: one for inspiring love, the other for hardening the heart against love. The second type he used just as often as the first. (Some connect the word Eros with arrows—usually because the god’s name is pronounced incorrectly—yet there is no connection between the two words.)

The type of love that Eros inspired was not considered to be a long-lasting variety. It was erotic, meaning mainly sexual and immediate. A modern term for this type of love is lust, and words like erotic and erogenous, words that deal with lust, have their roots in Eros’ name. Eros’ nature also showed the cynicism that many Greeks must have felt toward love: It usually leads to pain and despair than to happily ever after.

The Romans modified the image of Eros as teenager by reimagining the god (whom they renamed Cupid) as a young child with wings. Cupid’s arrows still had the same effect as Eros’ did, but his actions seemed more innocent because they were coming from a chubby infant-god, who was not yet old enough to understand love for himself. Painters in the Renaissance, as they were rediscovering the classical myths as a source of material, latched onto this chubby baby image and decorated their paintings with cutesy flying Cupids. Eventually the image of Cupid became confused with the images of Christian angels, and now there are pictures of cute, winged babies on cathedral walls, calendars, greeting cards, you name it. It appears that Cupid’s arrow has struck society.

The myth of Eros and Psyche did not end with Psyche alone on the mountaintop. She decided that she must get back her love. Because Eros had revealed his true identity to her, Psyche persuaded Zephyr to carry her to Olympus, where the she begged an audience with the merciless Aphrodite. (If you remember, Aphrodite’s hatred for Psyche is what caused her and Eros to meet in the first place.) The goddess’ anger toward Psyche had not cooled; in fact, it only increased after Eros returned to Olympus at the point of death from the oil burn he had suffered from Psyche’s lamp. The girl begged to see her sick lover, but Aphrodite refused, declaring that the only way Psyche could undo the pain caused to Eros would be to complete three perilous tasks. The girl agreed.

For Psyche’s first task, Aphrodite made a pile of various seeds all mixed together and commanded Psyche to sort them out by separating each kind into its own pile by the end of the night. Psyche found the task to be impossible; the seeds were too tiny and her fingers too large. She was on the verge of giving up when she heard a small voice speaking to her. It was an ant. The insect volunteered the services of his whole hill, and a thousand ants worked through the night sorting the seeds into separate piles. When Aphrodite returned at dawn and saw that Psyche had finished her first task, she was furious.

For her second task, the goddess commanded Psyche to fetch some wool from the back of a flock of golden sheep. The catch: These were man-eating sheep, and Psyche was sure to die if she tried to touch them. Defeated she sat down by the stream that flowed through the sheep’s pasture, and as she contemplated drowning herself, a reed began to speak to her. It told her to wait until the sheep came down to drink from the stream: Every day many tufts of their wool became entangled in the riverside brambles. When the sheep were gone, she could collect as much wool as she needed. The girl did this, and when Aphrodite reappeared, seeing Psyche holding handfuls of golden fleece, she could not believe it.

For the girl’s final task, Aphrodite sent her to a place she thought she would never return from: the Underworld. She commanded Psyche to visit Queen Persephone in Hades in order to demand that she put a bit of her immortal beauty in a box. Psyche journeyed to the entrance to the Underworld, but had no idea how she would navigate the depths. Once again in despair, she climbed a high tower in order to jump off. Before she could, the tower began to speak to her—telling her how to manage the dangers of the Underworld.

Psyche began her descent into Hades. To get past the three-headed guard dog Cerberus, the girl tossed a cake to the side of the path. As Cerberus—who apparently had a sweet tooth—bounded after the cake, Psyche slipped by. When she reached the Styx, Charon the boatman took the coins that the tower had told her to hide in her mouth and ferried her across the river. Standing before King Hades and Queen Persephone at last, Psyche pleaded her case. Her quest for love moved Persephone’s heart, and she gave the girl a bit of beauty trapped in a box. On her journey back to the surface, Psyche entertained the foolish idea of stealing some of the beauty for herself, so that she could impress Eros even more when she was reunited with him. She decided to open the box just a crack and let a bit out. When she did so, all of the beauty escaped, and Psyche fell to the ground in a faint.

The face of Eros was hovering over her when she regained consciousness. His wound had healed, he had learned of her quest to win him back, and, better yet, he had forgiven her for not trusting him. Because gods and mortals cannot marry, Eros carried Psyche to Olympus to ask Zeus what could be done. Aphrodite appeared as well, railing at the girl and her ungrateful son. Zeus had the perfect solution: No, a mortal could not marry a god, but Psyche had proven herself to be very heroic. Therefore, he would make her a goddess. The couple was overjoyed. Hebe brought forth the Olympian cup, and Psyche drank the nectar of the gods and became one of the immortals. Eros and Psyche were married and lived happily ever after on Olympus.

DISCUSS

Which image do you like best—teenage Eros or chubby Cupid? Explain.

DISCUSS

What do you think of the ending of this myth? Does it fit with the first half? Explain.

DISCUSS

Does this scene seem to fit with Psyche’s character? Explain.

In a scene deleted from this book’s version of the myth, Psyche’s cruel sisters meet a horrible death. Because her sisters tricked her into disobeying her husband’s orders, Psyche decided to play a trick on them. Before attempting to get Eros back, she went to visit her sisters and, amid tears, told them Eros’ true identity and how he banished her from his palace. She made up a second story: Eros commanded Psyche to send his sisters to him, and he would choose one of them to be his wife in Psyche’s place. All they had to do was to jump off the cliff near their home, and the West Wind would bear them up to Eros’ palace. Overjoyed, the sisters ran to the nearby cliff and jumped over its edge. Psyche had her revenge.

The myth of Eros and Psyche has often been cited as an inspiration for the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” because of the many similarities between the two stories. Belle, the fairy tale heroine (sometimes called Beauty), is the youngest and most beautiful of three sisters whose cowardly father agrees to marry her to a hideous beast when he is caught picking roses in the garden of the creature’s castle. Once married to the beast, Belle (always attended by invisible servants) grows to love him in spite of his hideous appearance. After several months, she begs the beast for permission to visit her family; he reluctantly agrees, provided she returns within a week. Once Belle is back with her family, her older sisters become jealous at the notion of their sister living in a castle—even if it is with a beast. They rub onion in their eyes and go to Belle crying, saying they will die of grief if she leaves them again. Goodhearted Belle decides to stay away longer than she promises. At last she returns to the beast’s castle and finds him dying of a broken heart because she did not honor their agreement. Belle declares her love for him, and he transforms into a handsome prince, which has been his true form all along.

DISCUSS

What are some common elements between Eros and Psyche and “Beauty and the Beast”?
Do both stories have the same message concerning love? Explain.
How are Psyche and Belle similar?
How are the supporting characters (the father and sisters) similar?

ANALYZE

Modern commentators have viewed “Beauty and the Beast” in a new light. They propose that the fairy tale was invented to encourage girls, specifically new wives, to look past the beastly habits of their husbands and love them in spite of rude, hurtful, or even unfaithful behavior. What do you think of this theory? How does it apply to “Eros and Psyche” as well?

The Greeks had three separate words that all translate into English as “love.” Philia, which literally means “friendship,” is the type of love between friends or family. Agape is a general love, a love-your-neighbor type of love. (For this reason it is the most commonly used form of love found in the New Testament.) Finally, there is eros, love defined by sexual attraction. The Greeks viewed this type of love as sent by the gods (through Eros himself), so many of them had no reason to resist it. Many of the philosophers, on the other hand, spoke out against it. Man should not be controlled by sexual urges, they said. The mind must master them.

Psyche is also a Greek word with an important meaning. It means “soul,” “self” (more modernly translated), and “mind.” Philosophers believed that the soul was the driving force behind mankind’s decisions and should not allow emotions to rule it.

An allegory is a story told to teach a lesson or illustrate an idea. Each character within the story actually represents a larger idea or theme, and the plot of the story leads to a deeper understanding of something outside the story. Two modern examples are C. S. Lewis’ Christian allegory The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and George Orwell’s allegorical satire of Communist Russia, Animal Farm. Some mythologists think that the Greek myths are complicated allegories.

To apply this approach to the Greek myths would be to say that Zeus represents “power,” Ares represents “war,” Athena represents “intelligence,” and so on, and then try to determine some deeper meaning behind the stories by analyzing their events. Most of the myths do not make neat allegories, but many ancient Greek philosophers tried to view them this way. Many of them did not believe in the literal truth of the myths, yet they still saw value in them if used as allegories. If the myths did begin as allegories, the original meanings behind many of the stories have been lost throughout the years.

The myth of Eros and Psyche does seem like it could be an allegory. Eros is an obvious symbol for love, and Psyche, a Greek word that means “soul,” represents the soul or mind. As Psyche goes through her various trials to win back Eros, she is on a quest for love. Many times she thinks of quitting or ending her life, yet through perseverance she overcomes many obstacles, and finally Psyche (mind) and Eros (heart) become one.

DISCUSS

Think of the other myths you have read. Could any of them be allegorical? Explain.

Most people would expect the Goddess of Love to be a bit more loving than the hateful and vindictive shrew she is in the Eros and Psyche myth. This ode to love (or as she is called here, Merciless Aphrodite) paints a similarly unflattering picture of the goddess and the emotion she symbolizes. It is taken from one of the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles’ most famous plays, Antigone.

Love, unconquerable . . .
Even the pure immortals cannot escape you,
And mortal man, in his one day’s dusk,
Trembles before your glory . . .
A girl’s glance working the will of heaven:
Pleasure to her alone who mocks us,
Merciless Aphrodite. (Sophocles, 442 BC/1977, p. 224)

DISCUSS

What does Sophocles mean when he speaks of man’s “one day’s dusk”?
Why is this a negative portrayal of love?
Another ancient Greek playwright, Euripides, said this of love: “He is not a lover who does not love forever.” Do you agree? Explain.
The British poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson penned this famous quote about love: “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Do you agree? Explain.