Atalanta in Calydon: Analysis of Setting
**Atalanta in Calydon: Analysis of Setting** explores the rich backdrop of ancient Greece, focusing on themes of fate, mythology, and gender roles. Set in the city of Calydon, the poem highlights a critical moment when King Oeneus forgets to honor Artemis, resulting in a devastating wild boar sent to wreak havoc on his lands. The narrative draws on the cultural significance of Calydon and its connection to ancient Greek heroes, who gather to confront this formidable beast.
The setting extends to Arcadia, a region known for its rugged wilderness and the upbringing of Atalanta, a prominent female character. Raised by a bear, Atalanta embodies strength and independence, challenging traditional gender norms as she participates in the hunt. The tension between her accomplishments and the expectations of male warriors, particularly with Meleager's decision to award her the boar's spoils, highlights themes of gender and societal roles within the context of Greek mythology. This analysis invites readers to consider the interplay of setting, character, and myth in shaping the narrative’s deeper meanings.
Atalanta in Calydon: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1865
Type of work: Poetry
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of work: Antiquity
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
*Greece
*Greece. Ancient Mediterranean land in which the poem is set. Greece is famous for its gods, myths, and philosophy that individual destinies are controlled by fate. By employing the setting of an ancient and pagan Greece, Swinburne is able to express an anti-Victorian point of view.
*Calydon
*Calydon. Ancient Greek city that is at the center of Atalanta in Calydon. When Oneus, the king of Calydon, mistakenly forgets to pay homage to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, Artemis sends a wild boar to ravage Calydon. In addition to killing all who get in its path, the great boar destroys the farmlands, vineyards, and olive groves of Calydon. It then becomes incumbent for Greek heroes to come from far and wide to hunt down the boar and kill it. From a swamp, the boar attacks the hunters, and only after a fierce fight is it killed by Meleager.
*Arcadia
*Arcadia. Mountainous region of ancient Greece from which come some of the warriors—including the beautiful athletic, virginal Atalanta—who hunt the boar destroying Calydon. Atalanta has grown up in the Arcadian wilderness, where she was reared by a female bear. Because of her rugged childhood, Atalanta is a fierce hunter and wounds the mighty boar with an arrow. Prince Meleager is so taken with her that he decides that she should be awarded the head and hide of the boar. This angers Meleager’s uncles, who believe that a woman from Arcadia should not be given the spoils of the hunt.
Bibliography
Cassidy, John A. Algernon C. Swinburne. New York: Twayne, 1964. A comprehensive study of Swinburne’s life and work. Part 3 of chapter 5 posits that Atalanta in Calydon is a response to Mary Gordon’s rejection of the marriage proposal that Swinburne may have made.
Henderson, Philip. Swinburne: The Portrait of a Poet. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1974. Chapter 6 deals with various works, including Atalanta in Calydon and Poems and Ballads.
Louis, Margot Kathleen. Swinburne and His Gods: The Roots and Growth of Agnostic Poetry. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1990. Tracks the changes in Swinburne’s attitude to fate, in which context Atalanta in Calydon is a key work.
Rutland, William R. Swinburne: A Nineteenth Century Hellene. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell, 1931. Proposes that Swinburne is an authentic tragedian in the classical tradition. Offers a comprehensive dissection of Atalanta in Calydon. Contains a useful appendix on various versions of the story of Meleager.
Thomas, Edward. Algernon Charles Swinburne: A Critical Study. London: Martin Secker, 1912. Chapter 1 opens this pioneering exercise in apologetics with a discussion of Atalanta in Calydon.