The Humanities Index

There seems to be an interesting parallel between Shakespeare’s character Lavinia from Titus Andronicus and Ovid’s Io from the Metamorphoses. While Shakespeare heavily borrowed from and alluded to Ovid in many of his works, explicit references to Io are not made in TA. However, both authors seems to comment on the psychological damages of rape to women and to their fathers as well. While this damage writes itself on the body of each victim as well as her psyche, both writers mordantly comment on the effects to their fathers and the traditions that they represent.

[Painting “Io Recognized by Her Father” by Victor Honoré Janssens]