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Author
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Comment
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Lisa
Registered User
(2/26/03 6:55:34 am)
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cupid and psyche as the "perfect fairy tale"?
i study classics at uni & i'm currently doing research for an essay about the tale of cupid and psyche in Apuleius; the question is whether it can be described as the "perfect fairy tale". what do you think? opposing arguments would be great!
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BlackHolly
Registered User
(2/28/03 9:38:42 am)
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perfect?
Personally, I never thought of Cupid and Psyche as a fairy tale before. Since it involves gods, I've always classified it (in my mind) as a myth. Now that you point it out, I see that it does have some fairy tale elements, but I am unsure what you mean by perfect. Could you define a "perfect fairy tale?"
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Gregor9
Registered User
(2/28/03 1:06:31 pm)
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Re: perfect?
Apuleius' tale within his tale certainly includes plenty of fairy tale elements, such as--conniving evil sisters, and a "beauty and the beast" motif, a "Bluebeard" motif of the "don't be curious" sort. But the same can be said of many myths, which Graham Anderson has scoured for fairy tale elements, enough to assemble a bookful.
So I'm in BlackHolly's camp. You might argue that Apuleius represents a point where myth, folktale and fairy tale intersect--possibly a turning point in the evolution of the fairy tale (that might make an interesting essay); however, I think I'd be hard pressed to call Cupid & Psyche the "perfect fairy tale."
Greg
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Lisa
Registered User
(3/4/03 6:40:50 am)
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Re: perfect?
Thanks for your ideas!
I think the problem I'm having in arguing for or against Cupid and Psyche as the "perfect fairy tale" is that it is so difficult firstly to even define what a fairy tale is, and secondly deciding what would make one perfect!
I think i need to start by establishing what the essential elements of a fairy tale are, and then whether or not this tale contains them. Surely what makes a fairy tale perfect is a matter of opinion though, and based on a subjective view of what we would expect it to include.
In his book, Graham Anderson states that Cupid and Psyche is one of the few full fairy tales surviving from antiquity- perhaps this is why some consider it to be "perfect"- because it is an early example which later fairy tales are compared against. Maybe coming from a Classics point of view affects the argument as well!
Just a few ideas I need to work through before I start to write this essay...!
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Kevin
Smith
Registered User
(3/4/03 6:47:48 am)
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little advice
If I were you, I'd avoid deciding what the essential elements of a fairy tale are as part of an essay.
Unless you want that part to be the size of a book, that is.
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