An Outline of Cupid and Psyche

[sdi]

Cupid and Psyche is obviously an allegory of the descent and reascent of the soul, and keys to unlocking it can be found in Plato's Republic and Symposium and Plotinus' Enneads (III v, VI ix). But it is helpful to have an outline of the fable so one can unpack it, point by point. On this day of Venus, in the hopes of helping any who are interested in hazarding the attempt, here is a first draft of such an outline—I do not believe I have missed any salient points, but I'll do another pass over it at some point to double-check (and welcome any corrections in the comments)!

Going through the story like this, so as to pick out each important feature, was a very valuable exercise! There were a number of points in the story that I hadn't noticed or paid much attention to, and which are crucial to the philosophy behind it.

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1. A king and queen have three beautiful daughters. The youngest and loveliest daughter is named Psyche.

2. The multitude worships Psyche instead of Venus.

3. Venus is enraged and summons Cupid to punish Psyche by causing her to fall in love with the most wretched of men.

4. Cupid is enchanted with Psyche, pricks Himself with one of His arrows, and resolves to marry her.

5. Psyche's sisters are happily married. Psyche, worshipped only from afar, sorrows her loneliness and hates her beauty.

6. Psyche is told in an oracle that she is to be wed to a monster fearsome even to Jove. Her family laments and her wedding is celebrated as if it were a funeral, but Psyche resigns herself to her fate.

7. Psyche is left alone on a lofty mountain. Zephyr carries her to a richly decorated palace in a beautiful valley.

8. Psyche discovers that the palace is hers by marriage and is filled with servants which she can hear but not see. She enjoys the palace.

9. Cupid and Psyche are illicitly wed. Cupid comes to Psyche every night, but always leaves before morning and Psyche never sees Him.

10. Psyche's family is in mourning.

11. Cupid warns Psyche against her sisters. Psyche sorrows her loneliness and begs permission to see her sisters and give them gifts. Cupid consents on the condition that Psyche tell her sisters nothing of Him and that she never attempt to look at Him.

12. Psyche entertains her sisters at her palace and gives them lavish gifts. The sisters inquire after her husband, but Psyche keeps Him a secret. The sisters burn with envy and resolve to destroy her.

13. Cupid tells Psyche that she is pregnant, and again warns her against her sisters, saying that if she keeps Him a secret from them, the child will be divine; but if she reveals Him, the child will be mortal. Psyche rejoices.

14. Psyche again entertains her sisters at her palace. The sisters again inquire after her husband, but Psyche keeps Him a secret. Psyche's sisters nonetheless deduce that she has married a god and burn with greater envy.

15. Psyche's sisters convince her that her husband is a monster and urge her to take a lamp and a dagger in the middle of the night, look upon him, and slay him. Psyche is tormented by fear and worry.

16. Psyche discovers her husband is Cupid and intentionally pricks herself with one of His arrows. Cupid awakens, sees that his wife has broken her promise, admonishes her, and takes flight.

17. Psyche throws herself into a river, intending to kill herself, but the river carries her to a riverbank downstream.

18. Psyche meets Pan. Pan advises her to cease attempting suicide, lay aside her sorrow, and instead assuage Cupid through worship.

19. Psyche wanders. She chances to meet her sisters, one after the other, telling them that her husband was Cupid, and that, as punishment for her attempted murder, banished her and would wed the sister, instead. Each sister, blind with lust, rushes to Cupid's palace and dies.

20. A seagull gossips Cupid and Psyche's story to Venus. Venus is scandalized. She berates Cupid and locks Him in a room, but is prevented from punishing Him further through the intervention of Ceres and Juno.

21. Psyche wanders. She eventually chances upon a temple of Ceres and a temple of Juno, one after the other, and beseeches aid. Ceres and Juno each refuse, but do not detain Psyche.

22. Venus summons Mercury to proclaim to all that She has placed a bounty on Psyche. Psyche hears of it and hastens to the temple of Venus.

23. Venus taunts and torments Psyche.

24. Venus assigns Psyche the task of sorting a large heap of mixed grains under a severe time limit. Psyche is stupified by the enormity of the task. A colony of ants take pity on Psyche and complete the task for her.

25. Venus assigns Psyche the task of collecting fleece from a flock of violent sheep. Psyche attempts to drown herself in a neighboring river, but a reed takes pity on Psyche and advises her on how to complete the task safely, and she does so.

26. Venus assigns Psyche the task of filling a jar from a Stygian spring guarded by fierce dragons. The spring advises Psyche not to make the attempt and she is petrified with fear. An eagle takes pity on Psyche and fills the jar for her.

27. Venus assigns Psyche the final task of taking a box to Hades and asking Proserpine to fill it with some of Her beauty. Psyche climbs a lofty tower with the intent of jumping from its top, but the tower takes pity on Psyche and advises her on how to complete the task safely, even amid traps laid by Venus, and she does so.

28. Anxious to be reunited with Cupid and hopeful of claiming a little of the beauty within, Psyche opens the box before delivering it to Venus; however, the box contains only death. Psyche dies.

29. Cupid escapes confinement, puts death back into its box, and awakens Psyche with one of his arrows.

30. Psyche delivers the box to Venus.

31. Cupid pleads his case to Jove. Jove summons all the gods and legitimates Cupid and Psyche's marriage.

32. Psyche is fetched to Olympus and given ambrosia, making her divine. A wedding feast is held.

33. Psyche bears Cupid a daughter, whom they name Pleasure.

Comments

[thinking_turtle]

Thanks, Greek myths are good food for thought! Where can I find the full version of Cupid and Psyche myth you are summarizing? Why does Psyche "intentionally prick herself with one of [Cupid's] arrows?"

[sdi]

Where can I find the full version of Cupid and Psyche myth you are summarizing?

I have a full version of the Cupid and Psyche myth available here, translated into English by Thomas Taylor (1822). The Latin original and modern translations into many languages are widely available: look for the Metamorphoses or Golden Ass, written by Apuleius; the Cupid and Psyche myth takes up chapters four through six of it.


Why does Psyche "intentionally prick herself with one of [Cupid's] arrows?"

Cupid is the god of Love. To be wounded by Cupid's arrow is to fall in love. To intentionally wound oneself with Cupid's arrow is to willingly choose to love (rather than to merely fall in love). In the myth, this is a problem: Psyche only chose to love after beholding the form of Cupid (that is, she chose a physical love rather than a spiritual one).