# The Labyrinth explained — Metamorphoses

> Chapter companion for Metamorphoses by Ovid.

## What happens

Theseus, aided by Ariadne's thread, navigates the Labyrinth and slays the Minotaur. He then abandons Ariadne on the Isle of Dias, where Bacchus discovers her, makes her his wife, and places her crown among the stars as a constellation.

## Themes in this chapter

### Transformation and Metamorphosis

Ariadne's crown is transformed into a constellation, symbolizing her eternal reward and the theme of celestial metamorphosis.

### Love and Desire

Theseus's betrayal of Ariadne contrasts with Bacchus's love, highlighting the dual nature of desire—both cruel and redemptive.

## Character check-ins

### Theseus

Hero who slays the Minotaur with Ariadne's help, then ungratefully deserts her.

### Daedalus

The Athenian craftsman who designed and built the Labyrinth.

### Bacchus

Discovers and marries the abandoned Ariadne, placing her crown in the heavens.

### Minerva

Implied as the goddess of wisdom, aiding Theseus through Ariadne's thread.

## Key lines

> Great Daedalus of Athens was the man / That made the draught, and form'd the wondrous plan; / Where rooms within themselves encircled lie, / With various windings, to deceive the eye.

Daedalus, the skilled Athenian, designed the Labyrinth with intricate, winding passages that confused the eye.

_Describes the construction of the Labyrinth by Daedalus._

> When Theseus, aided by the virgin’s art, / Had traced the guiding thread through every part, / He took the gentle maid that set him free, / And, bound for Dias, cut the briny sea; / There, quickly cloy’d, ungrateful, and unkind, / Left his fair consort in the isle behind.

Theseus, using Ariadne's thread to navigate the Labyrinth, escaped with her but soon abandoned her on the island of Dias, showing his ingratitude.

_Summarizes Theseus's betrayal of Ariadne after she helped him._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/the-labyrinth
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters