Aphrodite

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Aphrodite

The image that has been produced over time about the Goddess of Desire, the renowned Aphrodite, is one of a longhaired beauty, riding atop a scallop shell to bestow her beauteous wonders upon the mortal earth and Olympus. This is an icon of femininity and perfection, the most stunning of the already statuesque gods and goddesses. Doves and sparrows are her counterparts as is the sweet and playful Cupid in later Roman myths. However, this seemingly flawless picture of delicacy and sensual delights is far from perfect. In fact, when looked at a little more closely, the mien of Aphrodite becomes distorted, her beauty playing out to actually be her curse. In the next pages we will delve into the true nature of the Love Goddess, contemplate the source of her ‘deeds’ and then determine how high a pedestal she actually rests upon.

Perhaps it would be best to begin with the originating source of the goddess. She was not born to any parents but rather came into the universe in a very violent and grotesque manner. She was born from the sea foam surrounding the castrated genitals of Uranus. During a family spat, the agitated Cronus decided to sever his own father’s sexual organs. Certainly this explains the sensuality that was passed down to Aphrodite, as offspring from these disembodied objects. However, it also goes that while she is this emblem of beauty and passion that she should also be a symbol of violent aggression. As it becomes apparent in stories of her various acts and interactions with other gods, goddesses and mortals; Aphrodite is far from innocent. In fact she has the ability to be down right vindictive and cruel.

Perhaps one of the tell tale signs of this goddesses afflicted image is that he...

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...rom the rigid scales of justice. Even with the empowerment of legendary beauty the laws of nature and equality determine her ultimate fate. The tale of the Love Goddess is indeed more than meets the eye. From this conclusion it is not surprising that the common regard to Aphrodite is one in which only her beauty is recognized but not her actual basis.

Bibliography:

Works Cited

Abrams, M.H. General Editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature.

(Sixth Ed. Vol. II) Excerpt: Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the

Rights of Women. New York, New York, W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1993.

Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths, Complete Edition London, England, Penguin

Books, 1960.

Harris, Stephen L. & Gloria Platzner. Classical Mythology, Images and Insights

(Second Edition). Mountain View, California, Mayfield Publishing Co.,

1998.

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