The story of Baucis and Philemon summarizes all the key points in Metamorphoses. I enjoyed how the characters were humble and gave, even when they themselves didn’t have much to give. The gods are shown doing one of the things they enjoy doing, and have been doing all through the play, disguising themselves and toying with the lives of the mortals. Though in this story thanks to the kind hearts of Baucis and Philemon they have a happy ending as a gift from the gods.
I’ve mentioned love in many of my posts because all these tales are about love. Still the most poetic words of love I have heard all through the play have been in Baucis and Philemon:
“Let me die the moment my love dies
Let me not outlive my own capacity to love
Let me die still loving, and so, never die”
Love is part of everyone and it is demonstrated in different ways. You don’t share the same love with your brother as you would your boyfriend, but still the essence of the love you are trying to give is there. Baucis and Philemon was an old couple that had spent all their lives together. The request they made to the gods was so sweet and loving. I’ve seen old people lose their lifelong companion and it isn’t pretty. They walk around kind of lost and seem to find the other person in everything they do. I know that if I old and were given the choice to die at the same time as the person that I truly love; I would take it so suffering would not follow me in my last days.
In this music video you see examples of love in different stages. The part when they show the old man remembering his deceased wife made me think of Baucis and Philemon because they got to go together to heaven and no one stayed behind in pain.
What I also liked about this part of the play was how they go back to the first story of Midas and show how he was reunited with his daughter. After the whole cast says the words of Baucis and Philemon, it seems magical that the play would end in a way that brings conclusion to all the stories.
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