Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

forbidden incestuous desire resisted in monologue

forbidden_incestuous_desire_resisted_in_monologue

A motif of the Sacred Love and Longing family, within the sub-family Forbidden and Transgressive Love. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


roman

  • The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books VIII-XV EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION.; lines 4858-4949 confidence: high

    Fable summary: Myrrha, daughter of Cinyras and Cenchris, loves her father incestuously, attempts hanging, is saved by her nurse, reveals her despair, obtains her desire by stratagem, is pursued by her father, bears Adonis, and becomes a tree.

    Myrrha is said to develop an incestuous passion for her father and then debates the desire, naming it forbidden and criminal while attempting to rationalize it.

    read in the book