CASA Essay competition: THE EXPRESSION OF GRIEF IN THE APOLLO AND HYACINTHUS EPISODE IN OVID’S METAMORPHOSES AND IN FANFICTION

Abstract

Ovid’s Metamorphoses expresses Apollo’s grief for Hyacinthus as understood by ancient Romans. A fanfiction work, The making of flowers, a tragedy by Kekune, reimagines this grief for a modern audience. This paper analyses how this is accomplished in the fanfiction. It examines the contrasting expressions of ancient and modern grief by analysing the use of Jenkins’ fanfiction writing strategies of recontextualisation, altering the timeline of the canon, and refocalisation. Examining such strategies illustrates how the fanfiction creates a better understanding of Apollo’s grief for modern readers, by providing reasons for the characters’ conduct, their psychological motivations, and the emotional context for their grief.