CLA236H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Deianira, Alcmene, Apotheosis
Document Summary
Fight with acheolous (river deity) lots of military vocabulary but something ultimately unheroic, satirical about his fight with the god. Move immediately to death of hercules (passing over his heroic deeds pretty quilty) Ovid subverts typical epic characteristics that focus on the heroic deeds and exploits. Nessus" attempted rape of deianira: the poison clock offered as a love charm. Narrative passes over hercules"s heroic deeds; moves straight to his unheroic death. Drawing on the tragic tradition: tragic irony of hercules being burnt to death where he is burning incense; gory details. Incidental metamorphosis: lichas turned into an icy rock, contrasting hercules" drawn-out fiery death. Hercules die in rather unheroic way even feminine way. Ultimate metamorphosis: from man to god; precedent for aeneas; julius, Sets precedent for roman apotheosis in the last books. Heroic labour of alcmena like the heroic labours of hercules, her agony in childbirth like his agonizing death; both victims of juno"s jealousy.