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Cupid and Psyche

Cupid• A beautiful serious youth that gives good

gifts to men• Often seen blindfolded because love is

blinding• Was first seen as Aphrodite's companion

but later shown to be possible lovers• Son of Venus

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Cupid and Psyche

Psyche• Youngest of 3 sisters• Very beautiful that men would come from

all over to see her• Mortal

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Cupid and Psyche

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Points1.Venus became jealous of Psyche’s beauty

and wanted her son Cupid to shoot her with an arrow so she’d fall in love with an ugly beast.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 2. Cupid falls in love with Psyche but

doesn't tell Venus. He can not shoot her with one of his arrows. Psyche therefore can not find a husband.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 3. Psyche’s father goes to the oracle to ask

advice on how to find her a good husband. Apollo tells her father that she must be “dressed in deepest mourning, set on the summit of a rocky hill, and to be left alone, then a fearful winged serpent will come and make her his wife.”

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 4. The family brought Psyche to the hill. She sat at on a high hilltop waiting for something to happen; but the gentle breathing of Zephyr lifted her up and floated away from the rocky hill to a grassy meadow where she woke to find a beautiful mansion, built for a god.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 5. At the mansion, little voices took care of her by preparing her feast and by playing music for her. That night her husband came, however, she couldn’t see his face. One night he warned her that danger was coming in the form of her sisters and that they will come to weep for her but she can’t let them see her.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 6. Psyche missed her sisters and begged her husband to let her see them. He agreed and they went to Psyche’s mansion. The sisters were jealous of Psyche and created a plan to ruin her. That night Psyche’s husband warned her once again about her sisters.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 7. When the sisters visited again, they told her husband was the serpent from Apollo’s oracle and that at night she needed to hide a knife and a lamp and when he was sleeping kill the husband and see who he truly is.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events

8. When Psyche went to kill her husband , with the light she realized how beautiful he was and that he was not a monster. Some of the hot wax from the lamp fell on him and woke him up. He ran away knowing her unfaithfulness and she followed after him. He then told her that he was Cupid the God of Love.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events

9. Cupid went back to his mothers house to be healed and there told her that the person he chose was Psyche. Venus was angry with Cupid and Psyche. Psyche prayed to the Gods for their help but she was denied so she went to go and find Venus her self.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 10. Psyche went to Venus’ house and offered herself as her servant. Venus decided to train her by making her do different tasks. During the tasks, Psyche always got some form of help.

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Cupid and Psyche

Psyche’s Tasks 1. Venus put the smallest of seeds: poppy ,wheat and millet, and put them in a heap and Psyche has to sort them by nightfall. •Psyche got help from ants to help with the sorting. 2. Go to the riverbank where there are sheep with golden fleeces and cut some wool.• A green reed told Psyche not to drown herself and that it is best to get the wool on the briars when the sheep leave the bushes.

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Cupid and Psyche

Psyche’s Tasks 3. Fill a flask with evil water from the river Styx.• An eagle took the flask and filled it for her.4. Take a box to the underworld and ask Proserpine to fill it with beauty.•Guide found in tower tells her how to get to the Palace successfully.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events 11. Psyche opens the box and falls asleep. Cupid finds her and pricks her with his arrow. She awakens and he sends Psyche back to his mother’s house.

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Cupid and Psyche

Main Events12. Cupid goes to Olympus and asks Jupiter

to have Venus leave them alone. He agrees and bestows marriage upon them. He then grants Psyche immortality and there is no one on Earth to distract from Venus’ beauty.

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Cupid and Psyche

Significance This is a entertainment myth, however the lesson of trusting loved ones is clear within

the plot.

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