Violence, Transgression, and Art: Philomela and Arachne in the Metamorphoses Anonymous College

The Metamorphoses by Ovid centers around stories of transformation and change, and is particularly interested in the function of art throughout these tales. Art is a transformative process by its very nature, taking raw materials and using them to create something greater than the sum of its parts. In the Metamorphoses, the art of weaving in particular has extra significance. Weaving, typically a woman’s craft, allows those who create with it to speak an unspeakable truth about violence against women. Art and weaving in these stories allow individuals to transcend social and physical boundaries and speak their truth. In addition, the transformative nature of art induces transformations of the characters and their situations respectively.

Ovid’s emphasis on art and artists is noticeable throughout the whole of the Metamorphoses. Most critics agree that the text sees art, specifically, weaving, as a form of transformation: as Johnson writes, “This emphasis on the fabrication of the tapestries… confirms the views of Sharrock, that for Ovid all art is a metamorphosis of raw material into finished product” (77-8). While it is certain that weaving is a form of transformation, especially in the context of this text, the status of...