Cupid and Psyche

Psyche is the protagonist of the story, the character whose goals and choices drive the plot. A mortal girl and princess, Psyche’s beauty is her defining feature, yet her appearance is never described. Despite her beauty and the attention it gains her, Psyche is not portrayed as vain. Rather, her beauty is a curse that leaves her lonely, for no one wishes to marry her. She does not wish to be treated like an object, admired like “an exquisitely carved statue” (77); she would rather be loved. Later, this longing for human companionship from her sisters will lead to the rupture in Psyche’s marriage. The tender night-time company of her unseen husband and the comforts of unseen servants during the day are not enough to make her feel whole or happy.

When Psyche accepts the decree of Apollo and tries to console her parents, whom she calls “dearer to me than to yourselves” (78), she exhibits the important Roman virtue of piety, which means obedience to and proper respect for the gods. She shows this virtue again when she awaits her husband on their wedding night, though she “trembled and shuddered in fear” (81). Her bravery and will see Psyche through her later trials, and her resolution is one of her most marked qualities, with two significant moments of weakness.