The Minotaur By Ted Hughes Essay

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In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a monstrous beast part man part bull, which fed on human flesh and lived in a labyrinth in Crete. In Ted Hughes’ poem, the Minotaur is a symbolism of Sylvia Plath’s father Otto and a metaphoric representation of Otto’s rage, ferocity and terrorism of his daughter. Whilst the labyrinth is metaphorically speaking the complexity and madness that is Sylvia’s mind. Hughes begins his poem with lurid violence, anger and frustration. “The mahogany table-top you smashed” “That high stool you swung that day” Plath, in a fit of rage has smashed Hughes’ mother’s heirloom sideboard, something of sentimental value as it was “Mapped with the scars of my whole life” this could also be interpreted to imply that he too has…show more content…
The verbs and adjectives used to describe Plath make her seem violent and uncontrollable she “smashed” and “swung” whereas Hughes “Shouted” but is however, “later, considered and calmer” the alteration Hughes…show more content…
The labyrinth to many is a symbolism of Sylvia’s mind. She was so lost in the never-ending darkness of her psyche, so broken she couldn't seem to escape or fix her psychological crisis and mental breakdown that she took her own life. She reached “The bloody end of the skein” and it eventually destroys her family. In the fourth stanza Hughes asks a rhetorical question in regards to an imaginary goblin “So what had I given him”, although throughout the poem there is a great amount of self-justifying and blame as Hughes seems to be pointing the finger of blame of his failed marriage predominantly on Sylvia and her unstable mental health, I believe this rhetorical question is him asking if he was maybe responsible for her death, was his contribution to her poetry what ultimately destroyed her and aided in the breakdown of their

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