Franciscan Value of Compassion - Term Paper Example

Franciscan value of compassion as demonstrated in Ovids Metamorphoses Book II Introduction The value of compassion requires thatone is touched by the suffering of the others, and thus sets on helping them overcome their suffering. It may entail sacrificing one’s own comfort, for the sake of the other. Compassion as a value is triggered by a feeling of love, as well as appreciation and understanding of the other person’s situation. Therefore, this discussion seeks to establish how the Franciscan value of compassion has been used in Ovids Metamorphoses Book II. The discussion holds that compassion is a Franciscan value that has come out as a major theme in this book. Discussion Compassion as a value has been demonstrated by the greatest of all the gods, the sun god, Phoebus, towards his son Phaethon. Thus, in this context, Phaethon is really suffering, because he has lived with confusion all his life, not knowing whether he was really the son of the sun god (Ovid, n.p.). So that he can end the confusion, Phaethon approaches the sun god and requests for confirmation on whether he was really his son by telling the sun god, “give me proof father” (Ovid, n.p). In return, the sun god becomes compassionate after seeing how his son is suffering the identity crisis, and thus decides to help him realize his true identity by confirming that he was indeed his son. To show his compassion further, the sun god goes ahead to tell Phaethon that he can ask for any favor and it will surely be granted to him, so that he can believe that he is really the son of the sun god. In return, Phaethon asks for one of the most greatest favor that the sun god could not even grant to any of the other gods, not even to the mighty “lord Olympus, who hurls lightning bolts from his right hand” (Ovid, n.p.). Phaethon had asked that the sun god allows him to control the sun god’s chariots of fire and his right-winged horses. The favor that Phaethon asked from the sun god created a great crisis, considering the fact that the control of the chariots of fire and the right-winged horses was the ultimate privilege of the greatest god. Additionally, the control of the fire chariots and the horses was the preserve of the sun god only, considering that they required high level of experience and abilities to control, owing to their extremely dangerous nature that could wipe the whole world out of existence (Ovid, n.p.). The sun god is put in a very comprising situation by this requests, and he even regrets having sworn to grant Phaethon any favor he would ask by lamenting, “you ask too great a favor“, adding that if only he had an option, then he would retract his promise (Ovid, n.p.). Therefore, the value of compassion comes into test once again, since compassion is a value that requires one to sacrifice his/her comfort for the sake of helping others. The sun god extended his compassion to the greatest length, by finally fulfilling the request that Phaethon had made, but not without sufficiently warning him that what he requested was too dangerous. The sun god warns Phaethon that “What you want is unsafe” (Ovid, n.p.). This was because the horses that rode the chariots of fire were too proud to be controlled by anyone else other than the sun god, and they constantly kept breathing the rage of fire out of their chest, which would cause great destruction if they were not effectively controlled. Compassion comes out again strongly in the words of the sun god warning his son, Phaethon. The sun god did not fear the destruction of the world more than he feared the suffering and death of Phaeton. Therefore, the sun god warns Phaethon that “you aspire to more than the gods can share” (Ovid, n.p.). Despite the fact that it was against the wish of any of the gods to share the or even to give control of the chariots of fire to anyone else other than the sun god himself, the compassion that the sun god had to end Phaethon’s identity crisis made him take the unimaginably great risk. In a show of concern and compassion to the possible death of Phaethon, the sun god persuades Phaethon to change his mind and drop that request, so that he could not perish. The major concern for the sun god was that Phaethon is a mortal being as opposed to the immortal nature of the sun god, and thus the dangers posed by the chariots of fire would surely leave him dead. The compassionate plea made by the sun god for Phaethon to drop the request was “Beware my boy, that I am not the source of a gift fatal to you” (Ovid, n.p.). Nevertheless, despite the eminent danger and the compassionate pleas made by the sun god, Phaethon refused to change his mind, and stuck with his request as the only way through which the sun god would prove that he was actually his own offspring. The true definition of compassion is going to all lengths in making others feel valued, appreciated and comfortable. In this respect, the sun god demonstrates the true compassionate feeling by finally allowing his son, Phaethon, to take the control of the chariots of fire, while still aware that danger was imminent. The sacrifice that the sun god made just to prove to Phaethon that he was indeed his son is immeasurable, considering the fact that it entails sacrificing his son to die because of his uninformed wishes, while at the same time risking the destruction of the whole world. Thus, the sun god tells Phaeton with no uncertain terms that “I give you that sure sign by fearing for you” (Ovid, n.p.). The struggles that the sun god had with his son before finally allowing him to take control of the chariots of fire are great. The sun god pleaded with his son to change his mind, look around and see all the good things that were on earth and ask for anything else that he would want, and it could surely be granted to him. He interprets the request made by Phaeton as being equal to strangling him. Nevertheless, while phaeton still insisted on that one request, the sun god finally gives in but not without saying, “you are putting your hands round my neck” (Ovid, n.p.). Conclusion The pleadings by the sun god to have his son change his mind, and the final decision to allow him the request is a show of compassion, indicating that the father had to go through major sacrifices, just to fulfill the wishes of his son and alleviate the identity crisis he was suffering. Thus, there is no doubt that Ovids Metamorphoses Book II has clearly established the Franciscan value of compassion, through the father-son scenario demonstrated. Works Cited Ovid, P.N. Metamorphoses Book II, Translated by A. S. Kline. Poetry in Translation, 2000. Available at: http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Metamorph2.htm Read More