Echo and Narcissus
An Allusion from Ivy Day
The Story
 Echo, a young Nymph, would distract Hera,
wife of Zeus (King of the Olympians), from her
husband's scandalous affairs; when Hera found
this out, she took Echo's voice, leaving her only
able to repeat others' words
 After Narcissus was born, his mother found in
the Teiresias Oracle that her son "would live to
a ripe old age, as long as he never knew
himself”
 Narcissus grew up to be a gorgeous nymph,
attracting much love and admiration from all
 When Echo, who had developed a love for
Narcissus, approached him, he denied her
 Heartbroken, Echo faded away, leaving her voice
behind
 Ameinius, another admirer, committed suicide to
demonstrate his love for Narcissus, prior to which
he asked the Gods to punish Narcissus
 Artemis, a goddess, made Narcissus fall in love
 One day when Narcissus came to a spring, he
bowed down to drink and saw his reflection in the
water
 He fell in love with his own reflection
 Narcissus could not bear this lack of fulfillment,
so he killed himself
 Where he died, a narcissus flower grew
John Milton’s “Comus”
"Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen
Within thy aery shell
By slow Meander's margent green,
And in the violet-embroidered vale,
Where the love-lorn nightingale
Nightly to thee her sad song mourneth well;
Canst thou not tell me of a gentle pair
That likest thy Narcissus are?
O, if thou have
Hid them in some flowery cave,
Tell me but where,
Sweet queen of parly, daughter of the sphere,
So may'st thou be translated to the skies,
And give resounding grace to all heaven's harmonies."
John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
"That day I oft remember when from sleep
I first awaked, and found myself reposed
Under a shade on flowers, much wondering
where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how
Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
Of waters issued from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved
Pure as the expanse of heaven; I tither went
With unexperienced thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Bending to look on me. I started back;
Smooth lake that to me seemed another sky. It started back; but pleased I soon returned,
As I bent down to look, just opposite
Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks
A shape within the watery gleam appeared,
Of sympathy and love. There had I fixed
Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire,
Had not a voice thus warned me: 'What thou
seest,
What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself;"
[Paradise Lost, Book IV]
William Cowper’s “On an Ugly Fellow
“Beware, my friend, of crystal brook
Or fountain, lest that hideous hook,
Thy nose, thou chance to see;
Narcissus' fate would then be thine,
And self-detested thou would'st pine,
As self-enamoured he."
Familiar Works…
 Harry Potter
 Narcissa Malfoy
 Gilderoy Lockhart
 Voldemort
Possible:
 The Great Gatsby
 Jordan Baker
Not an Allusion:
 Hamlet
 Hamlet to Queen: “You go not till I set you up a
glass/ Where you may see the (inmost) part of you”
(III.iv.24-25)
Sources
 Pontikis, Nick. "Echo & Narcissus." The Myth
Man Persona. 1998. 3 Dec 2006
<http://www.thanasis.com/echo.htm>.
QuickTime™ and a
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_%28m
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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 www.ces.ncsu.edu/.../
narcissus/flower_drift.html