- 1
Who is Io? Why has she been turned into a cow?
Io was a mortal woman who Zeus fell in love with. Her father forced her to go to Zeus, against her wishes. Hera, Zeus's wife, found out about her, so to protect her, Zeus turned her into a cow. However, Hera also finds out about this and sends Argus, a herdsman, to follow Io, driving her all over the world. Hephaestus kills Argus, but then Hera sends a gadfly to continue to torment her.
- 2
Why do you think Aeschylus includes Io's story in this play?
By including the story of Io's suffering, Aeschylus provides another example of something terrible Zeus (and the new gods) did. Because Zeus cannot control his desires, Io...
Join Now to View Premium Content
GradeSaver provides access to 2360 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11007 literature essays, 2767 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.
