Arachne challenges Athena to a tapestry competition. But Athena had fooled the girl, as Arachne had boasted that she was a better weaver than the god. Arachne weaves a tapestry that depicts all that the god had done wrong to mankind. This angers Athena and she tears the tapestry in half. As a result of Athena's trickery and anger, Arachne hangs herself. However, Athena feels bad that Arachne dies and she touches the rope and turns Arachne into a spider.
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated ;
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself ;
Ever unreeling them—ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,—seeking the spheres to connect them ;
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold ;
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
--Walt Whitman
The spider has become the symbol of patience and isolation. Spiders are seen in many works of literature and are usually seen as giant beasts that are big and scary. But my favorite spider will always be Charlotte. She is a great spider that uses her weaving to save her friend Wilbur. Unfortunately, my love for Charlotte does not translate to reality. Spiders are not friendly creatures and I do NOT like them. I suffer from Arachnophobia.
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