Jacqueline Yu, Period 1, 2/2/24

Jacqueline Yu
Period 1
2/2/24
Modern Mythology 2024

Literature Circle - Reactionary Playbook of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Chapter 21 - Chapter 40 & Epilogue)

Chapter 21 (Ariadne)
Dionysus and Theseus seem to contrast each other, where Dionysus is a humanized god while Theseus is a detached hero who only seeks to act for himself and his fame. The description of the cowardness of Theseus was interesting–Heracles would have to save Theseus where his actions would grant Dionysus the opportunity to sneak Semele out of the Underworld. The retellings of many Greek myths in Ariadne are exceptional, and it is especially fascinating to read about Dionysus’s perspective on these myths. Rather than simply detailing how Dionysus wanted his mother Semele to be able to experience life outside of the Underworld, Dionysus was able to connect with mortals on the basis of love and grief. Yet, I am curious on what interactions Dionysus and Semele have after Semele was brought to Olympus and was ultimately turned into a god.


Chapter 22
Dionysus is indeed vulnerable, and acts like a mortal man. Yet, during his wedding with Ariadne, Dionysus exercised the luxuries that come from being a god, where he gave Ariadne a crown, only to throw it off her head and transform it into a constellation. I was really at a loss for words when reading about this, which does not help that it is 2 in the morning on a cold night. Instead of giving Ariadne an accessory that can lose its value, Dionysus chose to give Ariadne an entire constellation. That really is only something that a god would do…
The wedding and the succeeding births seemed too peaceful without divine intervention. The arrival of the ship with the white sails of Athens seems ominous rather than celebratory as it may disrupt the given tranquility on Naxos. Ariadne and Phaedra set aside their pasts in Crete and adjusted to their new lives, where the ship may drastically change the current course of events.

Part III
Chapters 23 - 24 (Phaedra)
The announcement of the news of the relationship between Dionysus and Ariadne was very accidental; I’m surprised that Dionysus did not put any restrictions regarding this. Further, Theseus did not restrain Phaedra after the news was revealed, where there may be a sense of trust. The stark contrast between the behaviors of Ariadne and Phaedra towards their children is appalling, but expected in a way. The affection towards their children seems to be related to the love they have towards their husbands and their previous histories. Ariadne was known for her attempts to humanize Minotaur while Phaedra disassociated herself with him. Ariadne put care into naming her children, as she did not want them to be tainted with their divine relations. Ariadne had called her brother Asterion rather than Minotaur whereas Phaedra distanced herself. When naming her children, Phaedra simply accepted the names that Theseus offered without considering potential names herself.

Chapter 25 (Ariadne)
The reunion of Ariadne and Phaedra somehow felt both grand and lackluster. The emergence of a large ship from Athens certainly glorified the reunion in a way. The tradition of hospitality in Naxos came as a surprise to me, but it really should not have been unexpected–Naxos was built on the foundation of Dionysus providing hospitality to Ariadne. It was strange how Phaedra cares more about her newfound relation to Dionysus than that to her sister. The disconnect between the two sisters was anticipated even though there were references to past memories, but Phaedra should at least show more affection towards Ariadne. I do not have siblings, but family is still family, even when you try to disconnect yourself from it when it has negatively impacted you.

Chapter 26 (Phaedra)
The introduction of Hippolytus was a change of pace that was both confusing and insightful. Theseus was quick to rape Hippolyta even though he already has Phaedra and his children. Theseus was passionate to ensure that he had an heir to the kingdom, but did not want to associate himself with Hippolytus. Hippolytus seems the complete opposite of Theseus, in a good way; Hippolytus cares more about what he has in the given moment rather than materialistic goods and fame. I hope that Theseus spends more time with Hippolytus in order to learn more about how to accept what he already has, but that is not likely even though Theseus and Hippolytus have somewhat bonded already.
What will become of Theseus if his wrongs are revealed? Will Ariadne help Phaedra challenge Theseus’s tyranny? Yet, Phaedra’s interactions with Hippolytus instigated Phaedra to venture to find her sister. Is it possible that the woman Hippolytus hypothetically cannot love is Phaedra?

Chapter 27 (Ariadne)
Phaedra’s love towards her step-son Hippolytus seems strange to me. How could someone romantically love their own family so passionately? Both Ariadne and Phaedra were not wrong in their dispute, and I hope that the argument will be eye opening for the two in later chapters. Yet, in a way, Phaedra feels selfish as she only wished to stay on Naxos for herself and Hippolytus rather than reuniting with Ariadne. I am unsure whether Dionysus would have accepted Phaedra’s request, but he may follow suit with Ariadne’s judgment.

Chapter 28 (Phaedra)
This is yet another three paged chapter with not much to commentate on. There is indeed miscommunication between Ariadne and Phaedra and I wish that the two could reconcile.

Chapters 29 - 30 (Ariadne)
The way Phaedra planted the seeds of mistrust in Ariadne is fascinating. Phaedra even told Ariadne that her words do not have to be taken seriously, but Ariadne had transformed them into an entire journey to seek the truth behind the bloody robes of the maenads. I doubt that Ariadne will forget what she had witnessed but she may try to change her beliefs to accept the fact that Dionysus asked for sacrifices in exchange for the maenads’ safety on Naxos.

Chapters 31-32
I am glad that Ariadne is able to connect with the maenads on the basis of motherhood. The dispute between Dionysus and Ariadne feels somewhat familiar, but I cannot seem to relate to it. Ariadne wants freedom after realizing that her world is not simply bound to the limits of Naxos. Still, Ariadne should have taken more precautions, as it is unclear whether Athenians still feel ill towards her.

Chapter 33 (Phaedra)
I don’t know what Phaedra had expected from Ariadne after Phaedra instigated mistrust in Ariadne. Phaedra wanted to seize the moment, and possibly even escape on Ariadne’s ship, but it feels like the fact that Phaedra is blinded by love will put her in a similar situation that Ariande was in.

Chapter 34 (Ariadne)
I’m frankly confused but surprised that Theseus did not try to kill Ariadne. Perhaps Theseus isn’t a complete jerk..?

Chapter 35 (Phaedra)
Phaedra really should have kept her feelings to herself and preserve her current reality instead of trying to fiddle with her dreams. Phaedra’s panic for her wellbeing is warranted, but I worry for Ariadne and Tauropolis. Ariadne wanted to seek the comfort of her family after witnessing the sacrifice of a baby goat back in Naxos, only for her to be at risk of being subject to the rage of Theseus. But, how was Phaedra so certain that Hippolytus would expose her? Phaedra’s letter further cemented her fate, even though there was a possibility that Hippolytus would silently return home to the Amazon.

Chapter 36 (Ariadne)
I wish that there was a self-harm warning for this chapter–I was caught off guard in the middle of the night–but why did Phaedra choose this specific fate? Would have the devastation been prevented if Ariadne had never ventured to Athens? Then again, with the Greeks’ love for destiny on the behalf of the Fates, Phaedra’s downfall might just have been inevitable. I don’t know what I can even say regarding this whirlwind of a chapter. Even though I am not Ariadne, I feel appreciative that Dionysus was willing to stay by Ariadne’s side and wait for her to open up without Dionysus pushing for a response.

Part IV
Chapters 37-38
I never considered the similarities between Perseus flaunting Medusa’s head and Minos boasting about Minotaur. Perseus seems to be glorified as a Gorgon slaughterer while Dionysus is seen as a source of intoxication. The commentary in Ariadne and Stone Blind make efforts to challenge the notion that Medusa is the inherent villain. I somehow pity both Medusa and Perseus as the two were not given a choice. Yet, the suffering of the Gorgons brought upon the glorification of Perseus as he uses his shield with Medusa’s head to punish criminals.
Perseus is the favored half-brother while Dionysus is not seen for what he truly is; Dionysus is often compared to Zeus and Hera for their rage, even though Dionysus had an entirely different upbringing. Dionysus is often compared to a mortal man, and is even described as “boy-god”, but Dionysus is not able to understand how mortals truly perceive the gods–Perseus would rather support Hera if it means that he can escape her wrath. Dionysus’s misunderstanding is not entirely wrong, but I do hope that it can be resolved even though I am reaching the end of the book.
At this point, the ideals of Dionysus and Ariadne seem to contradict each other–Dionysus cares more about the future while Ariadne wants to focus on the present. I am more similar to Ariadne, as I want to focus on the present rather than think about life after death.

Chapters 39-40; Epilogue
I don’t know what I can even say now that I’ve finished the book. The ending feels rushed in a way–there was buildup to this grand war of Dionysus on Naxos versus Perseus, Hera, and Argives. Dionysus’s rash actions to bring upon madness in order to acquire more supporters only for him to lose Ariadne. I expected that Dionysus would fight to save Ariadne rather than simply accept her fate and turn her into a constellation, but I was wrong.
In other versions of Ariadne’s story, Dionysus went to the Underworld to recover Ariadne and bring her to Olympus. It is surprising and intriguing that Saint chose to have Ariadne carefully watch her loved ones as a constellation rather than be transformed into a goddess. It is strange how Dionysus simply left Naxos to go back to Olympus even though Dionysus loved Ariadne so much.
Additionally, Saint had an interesting take on Ariadne’s fate. In one of the early chapters, Ariadne claimed that she will not let herself have the same fate as Medusa and instead challenge it. It is ironic how Ariadne constantly made remarks on how she does not want to end up being punished for her family’s sins, only to be turned into stone during the war that Dionysus’s actions caused. I do find it somewhat strange that Ariadne crossed Perseus directly even though she was at risk of having her sons lose their mother.
Originally, I was going to commentate on how I thought Dionysus was a good man–he still is–but I am not entirely fond of how quickly he was willing to move on. Dionysus had stated that he does not want to toy with the Fates when it comes to mortals, but he had recovered his mother that he never met from the Underworld. I somewhat understand where he is coming from, but Saint depicted him as very selective.
I want to read more, but I feel like I could have been warned that the story focused more on Ariadne rather than the implications of being related to the Minotaur that I expected. Even though my expectations were not entirely met, I enjoyed reading Ariadne and was fascinated by how Saint inserted different Greek myths while at the same time, enrichening Dionysus’s character as he shares stories of his adventures.

Additional Resource:
“Ariadne.” Theoi Greek Mythology, www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Ariadne.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.