Alcyone and Ceyx

This chapter, I liked a lot. Since childhood I have liked Greek myths and stories, and this is all what Metamorphoses is about. I am very glad we can now read the modern play and don't have to listen to the weird Latin-English story narrated online. I understand much better now, and I'm liking it a lot.

This story was very cute; it talked about Alcyone and Ceyx, who loved each other a lot, but one day, Ceyx had to go on a voyage, living Alcyone a widow. Even though she fought and screamed and cried, Ceyx was decided to protect her and continued along with the plan.

Alcyone waved at the ship for as long as she could see it, and then went back to sleep in an empty bed, where Ceyx had one slept. Meanwhile, Ceyx was with his sailors on the boat, when the god of the seas, Poseidon, became mad and decided to throw a storm at them. The ship started sinking, and people everywhere were screaming, thinking about their families, their wealth, and everything else. Ceyx only said one thing over and over again, Alcyone! Alcyone!

After surviving for a long time, he couldn't do it any longer, and the sea ate him, while he was still pronouncing Alcyone's name. Alcyone still came every day to the shore to wait for Ceyx, expecting to see him any day. The gods became sad at seeing Alcyone so hopeful, and decided to send Sleep to tell her the fate of her husband.

When Alcyone knew the truth, she was very sad, but when Ceyx's body reached the shore where Alcyone was, and she saw his dead body, she ran towards him. In the way, she transformed into a bird, like the dead body at her feet, so both lovebirds could live together forever.

I really liked this because of the love story, and how it shows that even if the gods are mean sometimes, they can also grant your wishes. In Alcyone's and Ceyx's case, they got granted their biggest wish, which was to stay together forever.

I also liked thinking how this isn't really the true story, but an interpretation done not-so-long ago, much easier for us to relate to and to understand. I liked the idea of true love and how Mary Zimmerman describes indestructible love and how she manages the story. This seems to relate a little to the Iliad, because of the similarities in characters and obviously in time period.

I wonder if the play finishes with a connection between all plays, or if it will just continue being different stories told by the laundresses. I think I am enjoying this reading much more than the other books we have read in class until now.