The characters of the myth "Cupid and Psyche", humans and gods alike, reveal hysterical emotions and reactions towards their concerns, or wants. In other words, Rational reasoning often appears absent in the story line which, in my opinion, generates weakness and flaws in development of the relationship between the two leading characters.From the tale, we learn that Psyche is a beautiful princess, so much so that the goddess Venus becomes exceedingly jealous. With the intent to eliminate the threat to her, she instructs her son, Cupid, whom some others call Love (which is to later discuss in the paper), to make her fall in love with a dreadful monster; but e ...view middle of the document...
In Psyche's search for her "love", she decides to go to Venus, and then undertakes a series of cruel and evilly-plotted tasks that are set by her, in which she succeeds in accomplishing with help, in the hope of winning him back. The author, Lucius Apuleius, tells us that in the end, Cupid manages to rescue her from suffering, and pleads their appeal to the gods. In consequence, Psyche is authorized to become an immortal, the goddess of Soul, and the "lovers" are married in heaven.In ancient China, the intellect regard a "saint", inferior to God, as someone nearly flawless in knowledge, temperament and personality and so forth; whereas in this tale, gods are first thought to possess infinite powers in various realms, a frighteningly overwhelming force that submits the Universe. However, I find it difficult to be persuaded that Cupid represents and whose name symbolizes Love, as in the story he starts a romance with a woman simply because of her beauty. That pretty much reminds me of the "blind" confused little boy in James Joyce's short story "Araby", who gets so helplessly trapped in the infatuation for the beauty - the outer, superficial image - of his friend's elder sister. The situation, in a sense, resembles Cupid's affection for Psyche(the rather distinguishable difference being their identities), as he's attracted to her once he discovers what she looks like, and even becomes her husband in no time. It seems like he does not see what love is - does he even know what he is himself? To do him justice, Cupid might suit a lot better if there was a vacancy for the god of Erotism.
