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Procne
Philomela is Procne’s sister. When Procne’s husband Tereus deceives her and rapes her, she is furious and distressed. She feels that Tereus has forced her to become her sister’s rival. When Tereus cuts out her tongue and imprisons her, Philomela weaves writing into a tapestry to send to Procne that informs her of her husband’s crime. Procne and Philomela then band together and seek their revenge against Tereus, killing and feeding Tereus’s son Itys to Tereus. At the end of the story, Philomela is turned into a swallow with “the red badge of murder” on its chest.
Philomela Quotes in Metamorphoses
The Metamorphoses quotes below are all either spoken by Philomela or refer to Philomela . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 6: Tereus, Procne and Philomela Quotes
But once she saw that maternal claims were making her purpose
waver, she turned away from her child to the face of her sister,
then looking at each in turn, she reflected: ‘Should Itys be able
to say that he loves me, when poor Philomela has lost her tongue?
He can call out to his mother, but she cannot call out to her sister.’
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Explanation and Analysis:
This quote occurs just after Philomela has told Procne that Tereus raped her, and the two sisters proceed to think of how to get revenge against him. In contemplating her revenge against Tereus for the wrong he did her sister, Procne finds that she is torn in several directions by the news of her husband’s crime. This quote points out that, when Procne first heard the news, she felt she had a clear purpose: to seek revenge. However, she shortly after feels that “maternal claims” are making her rethink this purpose. The quote then describes how Procne looks from her Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similiqu
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Philomela Character Timeline in Metamorphoses
The timeline below shows where the character Philomela appears in Metamorphoses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 6: Tereus, Procne and Philomela
Five years after their marriage, Procne begs Tereus to let her sister Philomela visit her in Thrace. Tereus agrees and sets sail for Athens to ask Pandion for...
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Tereus repeats Procne’s request for Philomela’s visit, adding his lustful passion to his voice. While appearing as a devoted husband wanting...
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Pandion gives permission for Philomela to visit Thrace. At Philomela’s farewell banquet, Pandion takes Tereus aside and makes him promise...
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When the ship gets to Thrace, Tereus drags Philomela onto land and into the forest. Tereus brutally rapes Philomela while she screams for her...
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Tereus is frightened by Philomela’s threats. He ties her hands behind her and pulls out his sword. She lifts her...
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Philomela is imprisoned in a stone hut. Unable to speak, she fashions a loom and weaves...
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Philomela shudders with shame, unable to look Procne in the eyes. Procne tells Philomela not to...
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Procne and Philomela drag Itys to another room. Itys pleads, but Procne kills him with a sword and...
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...flesh. When he calls for Itys, Procne tells him that Itys is inside his belly. Philomela then revels herself, tossing Itys’ head in Tereus’s face. Tereus goes mad and chases the...
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Book 6: Boreas and Orithyia
Pandion dies with grief after hearing what happened to Procne and Philomela. The throne of Athens is taken over by a new king who has many beautiful...
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