This study will analyze the concepts of justice a

This context allows the reader to see that vengeance is not a necessarily negative force, and justice can be a force which benefits even the one against whom that justice is levied. The point to keep in mind in understanding the story of Cupid and Psyche is that all the forces at work are indeed working toward the benefit of both Psyche and Cupid. Just as vengeance and justice seem at times to be forces which work against the lovers, love and desire are forces which drive them on to overcome those obstacles, and even to turn the power of those obstacles into power which helps them reach their goal.

Nancy Shumate, in Crisis and Conversion in Apuleius' Metamorphoses, introduces this religious and spiritual perspective in her interpretation of the characters of the book, emphasizing the "conversion" aspect of the lead character, an emphasis which helps the reader understand the meaning of the experiences of Cupid and Psyche as well.

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argument in this study is that justice (or injustice) and vengeance (whether justified or not), along with love and desire, work for the spiritual advancement of the individual, as long as that individual never surrenders to the forces which would keep him or her from the fulfillment of his or her desire. The reader might complain that the actions of the jealous Venus in first trying to punish Psyche for her beauty, and then in trying to keep Psyche and Cupid apart, and then in putting Psyche through such a set of challenges--that all these actions are unjust, cruel, uncalled-for. Indeed, they may be, but they are also crucially vital for not only the development of Psyche but also for the development of Cupid. One should also not forget that Venus herself seems to be a much more pleasant goddess at the end of the story than she was at the beginning. Of course, Psyche is also resisted by her sisters, and she also finds herself in deeper trouble because of her own suspicions and curiosity with respect to her need, desire and actions surrounding the identity of her "mysterious" lover, as Kenney puts it. In short, there are tremendous forces at work both within and outside of Psyche as she tries to struggle with her desire an
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Approximate Word count = 1647
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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