The Consolation of Philosophy

by

Boethius

The Muses Character Analysis

A group of nine goddesses who, in the tradition of Ancient Greece, inspired people to create art. Boethius wrestles with the Muses at the very beginning of the Consolation, as he struggles to write a poem about his recent misfortunes, but Philosophy soon shows up and kicks the Muses out of Boethius’s room, declaring that “Reason” must triumph over “Passion.” The Muses represent Boethius’s integration of both prose with poetry, and of Greek tradition with his contemporary Roman Christianity.

The Muses Quotes in The Consolation of Philosophy

The The Consolation of Philosophy quotes below are all either spoken by The Muses or refer to The Muses. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Classical Philosophy and Medieval Christianity Theme Icon
).
Book I, Part I Quotes

While with success false Fortune favoured me
One hour of sadness could not have thrown me down,
But now her trustless countenance has clouded,
Small welcome to the days that lengthen life.
Foolish the friends who called me happy then:
For falling shows a man stood insecure.

Related Characters: Boethius (speaker), The Muses, Fortune
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Consolation of Philosophy LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Consolation of Philosophy PDF

The Muses Quotes in The Consolation of Philosophy

The The Consolation of Philosophy quotes below are all either spoken by The Muses or refer to The Muses. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Classical Philosophy and Medieval Christianity Theme Icon
).
Book I, Part I Quotes

While with success false Fortune favoured me
One hour of sadness could not have thrown me down,
But now her trustless countenance has clouded,
Small welcome to the days that lengthen life.
Foolish the friends who called me happy then:
For falling shows a man stood insecure.

Related Characters: Boethius (speaker), The Muses, Fortune
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis: