Apollo and Daphne

1. Original tale
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22693/22693-h/22693-h.htm

2. Analysis

Characters:

Apollo: Sun god, He falls in love with Daphne and chases after her.

Daphne: Daughter of Peneus, the river god. She is immune to love and runs from Apollo.

Eros: After Apollo laughs at him for playing with a bow and arrows, Eros shoots Apollo with a golden arrow and Daphne with a lead arrow. Apollo, being hit with the golden arrow, falls in love with Daphne. Daphne, being hit with the leaden arrow, has a hatred for love and is immune to weaknesses that love brings.

Scenes

Scene 1:
Apollo walks up to Eros. Apollo jests why he would need to use weapons of war. Eros responds by shooting Apollo with a golden arrow and shoots Daphne with a lead arrow.

Scene 2:
Apollo looks down upon the beautiful Daphne as he drives his chariot across the sky each day, and at night he dreams of her.

Scene 3:
Apollo goes to Daphne in the forest. She hears his footsteps and runs away. Apollo chases after her, proclaiming his love for her. Seeing that she could not outrun the god she asked her father for help. Her father hears her and turns her into a laurel tree.

3 Act Structure


Act 1
Inciting Incident: Apollo and Eros are introduced.
Plot Point 1: Apollo jests at Eros. Apollo and Daphne are shot with arrows.

Act 2
First culmination: Apollo longs for Daphne until he cannot take being away from her.
Midpoint: Apollo goes to Daphne in the forest.
Plot Point 2: Apollo chases after Daphne.

Act 3

Climax: Apollo reaches Daphne, but Daphne asks for help from her father. Daphne is turned into a laurel   tree.
Denouement: Since Daphne was Apollo's first love he made the laurel tree be his symbol.

My Interpretation of Apollo and Daphne

I believe Apollo and Daphne is about "first love". No matter, how much we may love the person we are with at the present, we still have a piece of that "first love" in our hearts. Not to say that we love the "first love" more or would rather be with than the present. The "first love" leaves an impression on our hearts whether it's showing us love is possible or gives us the knowledge to get back up after that first love is lost.

A Brief Outline of Adaptation


Boy/girl falls in love with someone (open to the idea of boy loves girl, girl loves boy, boy loves boy, or girl loves girl).

Act 1:
Friend introduces Boy/girl to the other person. (The friend represents Eros)

Act 2:
Boy/girl admires person from afar.
Boy/girl confronts person.
Boy/girl chases after person (verbally or physically)

Act 3:
Boy/girl reaches the person. Person turns him/her down, breaks heart.
Boy/girl learns from mistakes/makes the best out of situation.