Cupid and Psyche Chapter Two Q#4

4.) Describe Psyche's funeral-marriage. How is the sadness of the occasion underlined?

Psyche's funeral marriage is very dismal. First of all, it's intended for her to be taken away by some "vipereum malum" (line 14), which is not the most pleasant thing. There are also many more authorial choices setting the sad and gloomy atmosphere of her funeral marriage. Her mother and father "lamentantur dies plurimos" (line 16), putting the foundation down for the reader's sympathy for them. In addition, the torch that was supposed to light the way in the happy marriage procession "atro cinere marcescit", another very dismal and literally dark effect. On top of this, nobody is happily singing during the procession but the marriage hymn finishes in "lugubris ululatus", which more pity emerges from. And, personally, the most upsetting and flat out depressing part of this chapter that most definitely underlines the sadness of her funeral marriage, Psyche wipes her tears with her own veil! "puella nuptura deterget lacrimas ipso suo flammeo" (line 20). Also, Psyche does not get ready for a marriage but she attends to "exsequias suas". Being called a funeral marriage, it is to be expected that it will not be a very happy occasion. Apuleius definitely gets the point across that this is sad: there is crying, everybody is described as "miser" or "misella" or any other synonym for sad, and poor Psyche has to wiper her tears with her veil while preparing for her last rites, not even a marriage.

Apuleius/Question One (Prose 2010)

1.) On the basis of the first few sentences of this chapter, what sort of story do you think this is going to be?

Immediately it is understood that this is going to be a sort of fairy tale. For one thing, it introduces some "rex et regina" who are "in quadam civitate" (line 1). There is no particular king and queen and the setting is no particular place. Not only this but they have "tres filias pulcherrimas" (line 1), very characteristic of a fairy tale. A king and queen with beautiful princess daughters. The story further continues to show signs of a plot of a fairy tale, since one of the daughters in particular is the most beautiful, Psyche. The first four lines set you up not knowing exactly where this is and not knowing who it is exactly about, since in a fairy tale it can be anywhere and about anyone. Just like Sleeping Beauty or any other fairy tale for that matter, this story could be anywhere and could be about any girl who is particularly beautiful.