Metamorphoses · Chapter
Story of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela explained
Tereus, king of Thrace, marries Procne and later rapes her sister Philomela, cutting out her tongue to silence her.
What happens
Tereus, king of Thrace, marries Procne and later rapes her sister Philomela, cutting out her tongue to silence her. Philomela weaves a tapestry revealing the crime, and Procne, in revenge, kills her son Itys and serves him as a meal to Tereus. The sisters flee, and all three are transformed into birds: Procne into a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale, and Tereus into a lapwing.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Telethusa’s de…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Violence and Revenge
Procne's brutal revenge for Tereus's rape of Philomela drives the plot.
- Transformation and Metamorphosis
The sisters and Tereus are transformed into birds as a final metamorphosis.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“The boundless passion boils within his breast, And his projecting soul admits no rest.”
Tereus's uncontrollable lust for Philomela consumes him completely.
Describes Tereus's obsessive desire.
“Within yourself your Itys you may find.”
You have eaten your own son Itys.
Procne reveals the horrific truth to Tereus.
“Now on real wings themselves they raise, And steer their airy flight by different ways.”
The sisters are transformed into birds and fly away.
Describes the metamorphosis of Procne and Philomela.
