Greek Mythology: Metamorphosis :: essays research papers

Greek Mythology MetamorphosisMetamorphosis is a key element in Greek mythology. This ability to changeshape or form is a major development in the stories of Arachne, Zeus, and Daphne.Al close completely of the gods had the power of metamorphosis.     The commencement story was the one of Arachne. Arachne was a mortal, who was agreat weaver. She was the best of all the mortals. She even thought she was as unplayful as one of the gods. cypher was as good as the gods at anything. Shethought she was as good as the god Athene. Athene was the god of arts. WhenAthene heard Arachne guess she was better than her, Athene challenged Arachne to acontest. The winner would chose the losers punishment. Arachne accepted andwent first in the competition. Hers was very beautiful, but she was no matchfor Athene. Athene was weaving most things that happened to the gods. Whilethe crowd watched Athene, Arachne new that she had lost, so she went and hungherself. She soon shrivele d up and had eight legs. That is how the Greeksexplained the way spiders came to be.Another cause of metamorphosis is Zeus. Zeus was the business leader of all gods.He had probably the most changes in Greek mythology. He was always changing toget a girl to marry him. The most important change was when he got his firstwife Hera. Zeus had take in Hera to marry him every year for three hundred years.One inclement night Zeus changed into a pigeon, and flew onto a window seal penny-pinchingHera. She let what she thought was a helpless little pigeon in finished thewindow. She did not know it was Zeus at the time. Hera petted the bird andtold it she loved it. At that time Zeus changed into himself and Hera had tomarry him. That made her the queen of all gods. The Greeks believed in havingmany wives. And the sneaky god Zeus was he had over one hundred wives, none ofthem where as important as Hera.     Daphne was another example of metamorphosis. Daphne was not one of thegods of the Pantheon. One of the gods from the Pantheon loved her, his name wasApollo. Apollo liked chasing Daphne. Daphne did not like to run, so one dayshe cried out "please number me into a tree". Her wish was granted. She wasturned into what we know today as the laurel tree.