Verbal and situational parallels in Claudian's De Raptu Proserpinae

In this paper, I argue that the structure of Claudian's mythological poem De raptu Proserpinae is more closely integrated than it is generally considered to be in most of the relevant literature. I have taken a number of situational and verbal parallels into consideration, which are found in the epic's verses. In my opinion, these parallels connect some important passages together. Firstly, I direct my attention to passages which show a correlation between the feelings, physical symptoms and gestures of the mother, the goddess Ceres, and her daughter Proserpine (1.190-191, 1.265-266 and 2.248-249, 3.425-426, 3.149-150). Next, I draw a comparison between the mother's soliloquy (3.420-427) and Proserpine's monologue (3.97-106). These two episodes are linked together by several verbal parallels and constitute a quasi-dialogue (the daughter's reproaches and the mother's answer). Besides this, in the text there are a number of additional verbal parallels which indicate a correspondence between some sentences and episodes, and these are useful in that they attract our attention to the irony intended by the poet.