from Book I
Study Questions
What is the significance of the state of chaos and conflict of opposites before the creation of the world? Who resolves those conflicts? What does that signify? What is the meaning of the new "harmonious union" (29)? What is the significance of the ambiguity of Ovid's account of the creation of human beings? What is the relation of humans to the rest of the animals? (compare to the Genesis account).
How does this account of creation compare to that in Genesis? Is there anything in Ovid's account similar to the garden of Eden in the Bible? What is it called? What characterizes it? What is absent from that perfect existence? What is the nature of human relationships and interactions? How do people make a living? How is their economic system characterized?
Is there anything in Ovid similar to the biblical loss of paradise? What causes it? What is the significance of Saturn's (Cronos's) confinement to Tartarus (the underworld)?
Why does Ovid use metals (gold, silver, bronze, iron) to characterize the ages of the world? What are the features of each age? Is there a tendency or direction in the changes? What is the attitude toward war, ships, the cutting of trees, property, the exploitation of natural resources, wealth? What is the narrative suggesting concerning such issues and activities? How does the role and character of gold change over time?
How do people make a living in each age? How does the economic system change from age to age? Are there any tendencies or patterns to those changes?
How do human relations change from age to age? What forms of behavior and attitutes become more prevalent? Which tend to disappear?
What is Jupiter's (Jove's) reaction to the situation? What does he propose to do? Why does he change his mind regarding the method of punishment? Are there biblical parallels to these purposes and events? Who are Deucalion and Pyrrha? Why are they spared? Who are their biblical counterparts? What is the significance of their being related (cousins) and also married? What is the meaning of the oracle which advises them to "loosen the girdles of your garments and throw behind you the bones of your great mother" (39)? How is life recreated? What does this suggest? What is the nature and character of the new age after the flood? How does this fit in the history of the world? What about the present day?
What is the significance of the behavior of Lycaon? What is his attitude toward the gods and toward other people? What is the meaning of his cannibalism? What kind of a human being does he represent? Why is he transformed into a wolf? How is this related to other werewolf stories in western folklore? What is the meaning of this man-beast?