The Goddess Venus is probably one of the most well known mythical beings of all time. She is known as the Goddess of love and fertility. The story of how Venus was born is that she was born out of the sea. This directly correlates with how this play begins; with the cast of characters washing up on shore from the sea. The start of Venus had her as a Goddess for agricultural fertility in Rome. However, as more was learned about ancient Greek history, Romans, “increasingly identified Venus with that goddess" (myths encyclopedia) and therefore became more about love as well. The ancient people of Rome created many temples to worship her in. As Venus became more about love more of the temples appeared.
Romans used the temples of Venus to pray for matters that concerned love, fertility and beauty. All of these things directly relate to what the main point of the play is. A couple falls in love and the women take sanctuary in a temple of Venus. It is not surprising that a play from Roman time would include multiple Gods in it.
Venus was such a prominite figure in ancient times she was used in other plays as well. One source describes Venus as such in the play, "But though their strains charmed the hearts of the spectators with their sweetnewss, Venus was sweeter far; and she began to move gently and to advance with slow and lingering step and body gently balanced to and fro and softly bowing head, and with delicate gestures she kept time to to the soft sound of the flutes..."(Apuleius, pp.36). This quote I felt showed how the character Venus was portrayed on stage back in ancient times and I feel that it shows a lot about why Venus was in The Ropes and just how prominent she was.
Venus was such a prominite figure in ancient times she was used in other plays as well. One source describes Venus as such in the play, "But though their strains charmed the hearts of the spectators with their sweetnewss, Venus was sweeter far; and she began to move gently and to advance with slow and lingering step and body gently balanced to and fro and softly bowing head, and with delicate gestures she kept time to to the soft sound of the flutes..."(Apuleius, pp.36). This quote I felt showed how the character Venus was portrayed on stage back in ancient times and I feel that it shows a lot about why Venus was in The Ropes and just how prominent she was.
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| One of the most well known paintings of Venus. The Birth of Venus, painted by Sandro Botticelli. |
Sources:
"Venus" Myth Encyclopedia. http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Tr-Wa/Venus.html 31 October 2010
"Temples" Roman Temples. http://www.castles.me.uk/roman-temples.htm 31 October 2010
"A Pantomime Production" from The Metamorphoses, Apuleius (b. Ca. 124). A Source Book in Theatrical History: Twenty-Five Centuries of Stage History in more than 300 Basic Documents and Other Primary Material, A.M. Nagler. Dover Publications Inc. 1952. 31 October 2010
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