Analysis of Themes
Hubris
Hubris, a common theme in ancient texts, is the overarching subject in this myth. Ovid displays hubris through Arachne's excessive pride as well as through her undermining of Minerva's divinity by challenging her to a weaving duel. Ovid shows Arachne's hubris in the modern sense of unrestrained arrogance as well as in the classical sense of believing oneself to be equal to or better than a god. This is also seen in "Daedalus and Icarus" in Book VIII. As Daedalus and Icarus flew through the air, a gods-only region, shepherds and farmers watched in awe and thought them to be divine beings. Similarly, Niobe, Queen of Thesbes, declared that she is more worthy of worship than Latona, goddess of Roman mythology, because she has fourteen children instead of Latona's two. In response to this hubris, Latona killed all fourteen of Niobe's children. In all three of these myths the main character(s) were heavily punished: In Arachne's case she was publically shamed and then turned into a spider, in Daedalus's case he lost a son, and in Niobe's case she lost all fourteen of her children. Hubris was seen as the utmost disrespect to a god and was punished accordingly. The act of hubris played an integral part in the relationship between mortals and gods, showing that although gods and mortals may be alike in some regards, gods have the true power. Because hubris is such a broad topic, it is seen in more detail throughout many different aspects of the text.
Conflict
The rules are clear: humans must respect gods. But conflict with gods is inevitable in the Metamorphoses as interactions between humans and gods are bound to have acts of disrespect. In this myth there is conflict between Minerva and Arachne because Arachne disrespects Minerva's authority and Minerva takes offense to quickly. There are two main ways this is shown through the text. One is that Arachne does not heed Pallas Minerva's advice. Minerva, disguised as an old woman, says: "Don't reject my advice: may very great fame be sought by you between mortals for the making of wool; but give way for your god, you reckless girl" (30-32). She tries to persuade her to only compete among mortals and not against a goddess. But Arachne does not listen and makes fun of the old woman (Minerva), committing yet another act of hubris. Another reason for the conflict between them is that Minerva, the divine goddess of weaving among other things, feels threatened by Arachne's talent. When both the young maid and the goddess finish their weaving, the goddess agrees that Arachne's tapestry is superior to her own. This is an especially humiliating loss because Minerva a divine being whereas Arachne is just a lowly mortal. She slashes at Arachne's tapestry and attacks her with the shuttle, leading to Arachne's suicide und ultimately her transformation into a spider. The infuriation that Minerva feels in that moment is the result of several acts of hubris and disrespect in her interactions with Arachne.
Age
Not only are the differences in status important in the relationship between Minerva and Arachne, but age also plays a key role. At the beginning of their interactions, Minerva, disguised as an old woman says: "Not all which older age holds we should shun: experience comes from the going of years," (27-28). To which Arachne replies: "With weak mind and worn out tedious age, you come here, and having lived too long does harm to you," (37-38). Whereas Minerva says that old age brings knowledge because of the many experiences, Arachne argues that old age brings harm as one has seen too much. This is another example of the conflict between the two weavers. In the ancient times and in most cultures today respecting one's elders and believing their words is a given. But Arachne ridicules the old woman and disregards her advice. Age is a common theme in Ovid's writing. It also plays an important role in the relationship between Daedalus and Icarus. Icarus didn't follow his father's advice about where to fly and therefore fell to his death. Both Arachne and Icarus didn't follow the advice their elders gave to them and both faced rather horrible consequences. Ovid sends the reader a very clear message about respecting ones elders: if one disregards an elder, there are bound to be consequences.
Depiction of Gods
The depiction of gods is a very important theme in this myth, as it displays the characters' beliefs about the role gods have in society. During the weaving competition both Arachne and Minerva weave in allusions that display the power of the gods, albeit very different ones. Minerva weaves an image of her victory over Neptune for the position as the patron god of Athens, showing her great strength. In the four corners of her tapestry she weaves in images of "contest... each with miniature figures, in their own clear colors, so that her rival might learn, from the examples quoted, what prize she might expect, for her outrageous daring," (85-86). She created renderings of hubristic mortals and the consequences they faced, warning Arachne about what is to come. Minerva's depiction of the gods show them as powerful beings who are able to meet out punishment. Arachne's depiction captures the gods' power but in a different way. She weaves the tales of gods deceiving or mistreating 21 different mortal women, shedding a different perspective on their power over humans. Arachne sees the gods as beings that misuse their power to do good. This depiction of the gods, which seems to Minerva yet another act of hubris, further enrages her, giving her another reason to despise Arachne. Both Arachne and Minerva's perspectives are elaborated on and make sense, leaving the reader with conflicting emotions about who to believe.
Pity
The theme of pity plays an important role in this myth because it shows the harsh goddess' soft side. Pallas Minerva, disguised, tells Arachne: "With your words, ask for forgiveness with a begging voice: She will give you pardon if you ask," (32-33). This shows that despite the several acts of hubris that Arachne has committed, Minerva is still willing to be forgiving. This is a surprising statement because Minerva is known for her harsh punishments. The pity that Minerva displays at the end of the myth is an indication of her affection towards the talents of the girl. After Minerva destroys Arachne's work and hits her on the head, Ovid writes: "The unfortunate girl could not bear it, and courageously slipped a noose around her neck: Pallas (Minerva), in pity, lifted her, as she hung there, and said these words, ‘Live on then, and yet hang, condemned one, but, lest you are careless in future, this same condition is declared, in punishment, against your descendants, to the last generation!’" (134-138). Although Minerva is irritated with Arachne's behavior, she is deeply touched by her talent in weaving. Therefore she resurrects her and transforms Arachne into a spider, so that her talent may live on a through an entire species. The theme of pity plays an important role in the relationship between Arachne and Minerva, as it displays the more forgiving side of Minerva and ultimately helps Arachne's talents be preserved.