What about Narcissus angers Aphrodite so much? How does his characterization explain the punishment she chooses?

Aphrodite, also like many gods and goddesses, can be kind… or merciless. How far would she go to get revenge? The answer is very far. But the odd thing is… she then feels bad and is once again kind. ?!?!?!!?!?

           A beautiful nymph, Echo, lived in the hills, and was always very talkative. She was a wonderful favorite of Artemis and was a great help with the hunt. But, she once kept Zeus’ wife, Hera busy talking while the Nymphs sleeping with Zeus fled. Being very angry for having her pray escape; she cast a spell on talkative Echo. It was that she could not talk, unless spoken to, and only the last word of the person speaking to her.

           Awhile after the spell was cast upon poor Echo, she fell in love with a boy named Narcissus. Hoping he would speak to her, Echo followed him through the hills. Suddenly aware of someone’s presence, he asked, “Who’s here?” “Here.” Echo replied.

           This little… game of theirs went on for awhile until finally Narcissus said “Let us join one another!” She ran up to him, only to have him wrench her off him and yell “I’d rather die than you have me!” Echo ran away crying and lived among the rocks forever more. Eventually she faded into the hills, and became one with them, only her voice being left behind in the hills.

           Aphrodite, Goddess of Love watched the entire thing and felt bad for Echo, and enraged at Narcissus, for he never understood what he had done. So, as revenge and punishment, she cast a curse, so that he would fall in love with his own reflection. One day Narcissus came across a river, and saw his reflection. His immediate response was to bend down and touch it, but when he did, the image broke and disappeared. Narcissus called for his reflection, but it didn’t come. Eventually he lost his beauty, and became depressed and died.

           Aphrodite now felt bad for Narcissus, and as a way to always remember him, she planted a flower, now called a narcissus, at the edge of the river. You can now see narcissus flowers growing usually by the edge of a body of water.  

Top: Narcissus and his reflection.

Bottom: A white narcissus flower.

Explanation:

c, his tragic flaw to cause his downfall