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Interpreting the Text using Close Reading
ACTIVITY 3.3
continued
9 Never before had Arachne been matched against anyone whose skill was equal, or even nearly equal to her own. As she stole glances from time to time at Athene and saw the goddess working swiftly, calmly, and always a little faster than herself, she became angry instead of frightened, and an evil thought came into her head. Thus as Athene stepped back a pace to watch Arachne finishing her work, she saw that the maiden had taken for her design a pattern of scenes which showed evil
or unworthy actions of the gods, how they had deceived fair maidens, resorted to trickery, and appeared on earth from time to time in the form of poor and humble people. When the goddess saw this insult glowing in bright colors on Arachne’s loom, she did not wait while the cloth was judged, but stepped forward, her grey eyes blazing with anger, and tore Arachne’s work across. Then she struck Arachne across the face. Arachne stood there a moment, struggling with anger, fear, and pride. “I will not live under this insult,” she cried, and seizing a rope from the wall, she made a noose and would have hanged herself. The goddess touched the rope and touched the maiden. “Live on, wicked girl,” she said. “Live on and spin, both you and your descendants. When men look at you they may remember that it is not wise to strive with Athene.” At that the body of Arachne shriveled up, and her legs grew tiny, spindly, and distorted. There before the eyes of the spectators hung a little dusty brown spider on a slender thread.
10 All spiders descend from Arachne, and as the Greeks watched them spinning their thread wonderfully fine, they remembered the contest with Athene and thought that it was not right for even the best of men to claim equality with the gods.
My Notes
Unit 1 • The Choices We Make • Part 3: Arachne 33
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