The Myth of Pygmalion

A sculptor from Cyprus named Pygmalion fell in love with an ivory statue of a woman. To fulfill his high expectations, Pygmalion set out to create the perfect companion. But as the statue took shape, he became more inspired. Eventually, he realized that his work was not quite complete without the woman. The sculptor began to work on other projects, too, including creating the statue of his dream girl.

Pygmalion is a Cypriot sculptor

In ancient times, the Cypriot sculptor Pygmalion was known for his statues of goddesses and demigods. His work was very realistic, with figures that appeared as if they were real. Because of his hatred of women and their flaws, Pygmalion resolved never to marry, so he devoted himself to his art. As a result, his works have remained preserved in museums throughout the world.

He falls in love with an ivory statue of a woman

The myth of Pygmalion falls under the category of myths. The story starts with the sculptor Pygmalion, who was living in Cyprus. Disgusted with the immoral lifestyle of his fellow Cypriots, Pygmalion decided to make a statue of his ideal woman. His statue would be made of snow-white ivory and have the perfect proportions of a woman. However, Pygmalion fell in love with a statue made of ivory because he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

He creates the perfect companion

A recent revival of Pygmalion at Opera Memphis explored the themes of desire, control, perfection, and frustration, paired with provocative rom-com The Companion. Based on the Roman poet Ovid, Pygmalion explores the human desire for companionship, and the comic results of trying to create the ideal lover. The story follows a young woman named Maya, played by Keely Futterer, as she falls in love with a virtual programmable companion named Joe. The film also features the characters of Dax, played by Memphis favorite Marcus King. The movie also explores the future of companion robots.

He has high expectations for his creation

The Pygmalion Effect is a psychological phenomenon in which a creator of something has very high expectations for the creation. The story goes that Pygmalion, a sculptor, fell in love with one of his creations, the ideal woman, and prayed to the gods for a wife who resembled the sculpture. This wish was granted and he and the creation lived happily ever after. Rosenthal and Jacobson conducted studies to study the effect and concluded that "high expectations create an environment wherein something undesirable happens."

He prays to Goddess Aphrodite

The story of Pygmalion reveals how the goddess of love appears in his life. During his search for a bride, Pygmalion prays to Aphrodite for help. She grants his wish, turning a statue of a woman into a real woman. After a lengthy search, Pygmalion receives his dream bride and marries her.

He creates a "guttersnipe" out of the slums

This classic tragedy from Shakespeare's The Tempest focuses on a woman's journey to find her place in the world. The play explores issues of class, social identity, and human worth. Ultimately, the play satirizes the plight of the poor and deprived, while also tackling issues of social justice.

He creates a "soul of her own"

The famous Greek myth describes a young man named Pygmalion, who carves an ivory statue of the ideal woman. The sculptor falls in love with his creation and names it Galatea, and in response to Pygmalion's prayer to the goddess Venus, the statue comes to life and becomes a lady. The myth has become one of the most popular Greek plays and often re-occurs in movie theaters.