Volume 19, 2007 - Brown University

102 Megan Cohen
is forced to either attempt escape or be punished for the spurning of a would-be
lover.
A potential twist on the theme of lust and unrequited love is that of forbidden
love. In several stories in the Metamorphoses, forbidden love also leads to a
transformation, emphasizing the idea that the lack of love fulfillment can be a
powerful force. Here, we see Byblis fall in love with her brother and Myrrha
join with her father. For her sin Myrrha turns into a tree, while Byblis, rejected
by Caunus, melts into a fountain from all her weeping. In a way, too, Narcissus’
transformation into a flower after falling in love with himself can be seen as the
result of a forbidden love. Though he desires himself, he wants what he cannot
have. In all of these cases, a change arises as a type of punishment for the
lovers’ unnatural desires, and it is the lovers themselves who are transformed, as
opposed to the beloved in the case of pure lust.
Jealousy also is a strong motive force in the myths. It manifests itself as the
snubbed lover, betrayed by their beloved for another. Jealousy seems to be perhaps
the most destructive of the effects of love. Though it leads to concrete
transformations into different beings as is the norm, it can also lead to a more
subtle transformation—that of death and destruction. So while Juno, consistently
abandoned by Jove for other women, turns Io into a bull, she also leads to the
downfall of Cadmus’ entire line, driving Athamas to kill his children and
causing Io to jump into the sea. Similarly, Deianira’s desire to win back
Hercules causes him to burn alive, though she does not know that her actions
will have this effect. Medea, however, ruefully kills her children after Jason
marries another woman, while Phineus’ claim to Andromeda sets off an
enormous fight at the wedding feast leading to a rampage of death and later
transformation to stone. The story of Cephalus and Procris best illustrates the
tragic effects of jealousy, as both are subject to mistrust of their partners in the
relationship, leading to Procris’ eventual unwarranted and unnecessary death
after a simple misunderstanding.
Although in the absence of trust and reciprocal, natural love, transformations
can be negative and can be punishments for wrongdoings, in the presence
of these elements, transformations can also be positive, even leading to
salvation. As Achelous says in his retelling of the story of Baucis and Philemon,
“the gods look after good people still, and cherishers are cherished” (VIII. 725-
726). For their love and pure devotion, as well as their devotion to the gods,
Baucis and Philemon are allowed to remain united even in death, and are spared
from ever having to spend a moment apart, both turning into intertwined trees
simultaneously upon death. Likewise, Alcyone’s love for Ceyx transforms him
even after his death into a bird, so that they can stay together. Pure love, then, is
seen as the strongest bond between lovers, even in death. Taking death as a
transformation again, this is what drives Thisbe, Alcyone, and Hylonome to take
their lives after their lovers die. For, as Thisbe laments, “I will follow you in
death, be called the cause and comrade of your dying. Death was the only one
could keep you from me, death shall not keep you from me” (IV.152-155).