The Golden Ass: The Tale of the Murderous Wife story
A wicked stepmother plots to murder her stepson after he spurns her romantic advances. This is an inset story from Book 10.
26 total · 6 major · 20 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| coping with unwelcome romantic attention | major | A young man was horrified by his lusty stepmother's romantic overtures. |
| hell hath no fury like a woman scorned | major | After suffering romantic rejection from her stepson, a stepmother took up a woman's weapon and began murdering all those she wanted to be rid of. |
| poison murder | major | A wicked stepmother had a cup of poisoned wine prepared for her stepson to get revenge against him for having spurned her romantic overtures, but her biological son inadvertently drank it and died. |
| stepmother and stepson | major | A lusty and wicked stepmother tried to coerce her stepson into sleeping with her. |
| unrequited love | major | A wicked stepmother lusted after her stepson to no avail. The stepmother accused the stepson of having made a pass at her and more. |
| wicked stepmother stereotype | major | A wicked stepmother tried to poison murder her stepson after he refused to sleep with her. |
| coping with being tortured | minor | The stepmother's villainous slave withstood the wheel, the rack, a flogging, and fire. |
| coping with the death of a child | minor | The father's face was "streaming with tears", and his "white hair torn and smeared with ash" in the immediate aftermath of his beloved son's funeral. |
| euthanasia | minor | The stepmother's villainous slave told the physician he needed a strong poison for a incurably sick man who wished to end his life. |
| exile | minor | The wicked stepmother was exiled for life. |