The Capriciousness of Fate: How Charite of The Golden Ass Contributes to the Exploration of the Main Themes
In the ancient novel The Golden Ass, the Greek author Apuleius alternates different stories with that of the main, framing tale to create a more general theme for his work. Apuleius' main theme of The Golden Ass is the capricious nature of fate and the unpredictable whims of the gods, along with the secondary themes of the unpredictability of romantic desire. The main narrative thread relates the story of Lucius, a young man whose desires for sex and urge to learn more about magic results in his transformation into a donkey, the ass of the title. The quest for Lucius to become human again results in him overhearing a series of tales, told by other characters, that relate to Lucius' story. Most of these tales are about happy people who suddenly suffer a surprising crisis. Events force these individuals, like Lucius, to suffer a fate they did not deserve. Thus The Golden Ass uses different plots to illuminate the central theme of the capricious nature of fate. Often these contrasting tales involve romantic protagonists who, like Apuleius, are led to suffer strange events in their lives because of their desire for another person.Charite, like Lucius, is another character that experiences unexpected turmoil in her life through no
Like Lucius, Charite does not merit the punishments that are inflicted upon her over the course of the novel. Even Lucius' transformation, however, is the result of his own actions to some degree, even though his transformation into an animal is a far greater punishment than might be expected for simply trying to seduce someone. Even Psyche violates her husband's degree when she decides to gaze upon him at night. But unlike the other protagonists in the other tales, Charite's kidnapping is completely surprising, and completely undeserved. Even though he is less pure than the romantic princess Charite, Lucius is eventually restored to his human form. Lucius' tale ends happily, as does the tale of "Cupid and Psyche," another tale of romantic partners who are separated by bad people but are eventually, after all misunderstandings are cleared up, allowed to enjoy a happy marriage. Without the tale of Charite, The Golden Ass would seem to suggest that virtue is always ultimately rewarded on earth, even if moral people must occasionally suffer. Charite's tale shows how completely capricious the gods can be even towards the good people of the world. Her kidnapping is even less merited than Psyche's trials, for Charite is not disobedient of a god's command. Thus, by including Charite's tale, first, Apuleius piques the reader's interest by suggesting that the princess may enjoy a happy ending with her fiancee after he rescues her fro the bandits. Then, Apuleius dashes all hopes for Charite's joy after Tlepolemus is murdered by Thrasyllus, the long-lost rival
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1058
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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