Exploring Gendered Violence from Tragic Episodes in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Abstract

This thesis discusses how Ovid integrates scenes and characters from tragedy into his Metamoprhoses. I examine how Ovid repurposes violence from tragedy, a form of violence that is typically gendered female and occurs in the domestic sphere, into the larger space of epic. Ovid’s generic blending is first discussed in his Pentheus and Caenis episodes, where perception of gender leads to violence committed against ambiguously gendered characters. Next, I propose that Ovid confronts his readers with the violence from the tragic origins of Philomela’s character in order to underscore the inherent similarity between epic and tragic violence. Finally, I examine how Ovid manipulates the violent expectations for Medea’s tragic character within epic’s ability to encompass many times and places.