Man-into-Beast Changes in Ovid, G.B. Riddehough (Gurgle 7)

About this episode

The episode explores themes of transformation and identity in Ovid's Metamorphoses through an analysis of G.B. Riddehough's article.

Ok, AdNaserinos, you have slogged your way through 214 episodes of this humble podcast, patiently enduring many digressions, running gags, and inside jokes. You have also heard the hosts gush over the wit and brilliance of Publius Ovidius Naso, and the many vignettes mined from his Metamorphoses. For this Gurgle, Dave and Jeff take a quick bite of an important article from the journal Phoenix, Winter 1959, by G.B. Riddehough. Citing Ovid's "wonderful power of differentiation", Riddehough seeks to connect the dots between the endless changes into birds, bears (no beets), fish, and other bestial creepy crawlies that fill the pages of this most unconventional epic. What themes emerge? When a human being takes on fins, scales, feathers, or fangs, does he retain his core identity, a man trapped in an animal's body? Or is there something else that's happening? What does it mean to be quintessentially human, to possess humanities? And what happens when that is ripped away? For keen interpretive insight on Ovid, this is one you don't want to miss.

People in this episode

Hosts: Dave, Jeff

Topics covered

• Ovid's Metamorphoses
• identity
• transformation
• humanity
• literary analysis

Keywords

• Ovid
• Metamorphoses
• transformation
• identity
• G.B. Riddehough
• literary analysis
• humanity
• bestial changes

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Metamorphoses

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