Jonathan's presentation dealt with the character of Perseus in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, especially how Perseus changed between the two stories. He begins as a somewhat violent youth, who has no compunctions against giving the titan a face full of Gorgon. Later however, he meets Andromeda and falls in love. This pacifies Perseus, causing him to bury the head of Medusa and adapt to a more peaceful lifestyle.
This is very much like Lysistrata, where the love between men and women is able to calm the warlike tendencies of humanity and turn their endeavors to more constructive ends. I also enjoyed Jonathan's presentation because it mentioned the power of love as calming Perseus. During the discussion of Lysistrata and several of the presentations I was a bit frustrated by the sheer amount of attention that was given to the power of women over men through their sexual prowess. While I'm sure there are countless members of both sexes who are so centered on the needs of their Id, it seems a bit insulting that men are so callously indentified by a desperate need for intercourse. This presentation's focus on love made the story of Perseus seem more complete and balanced, rather than yet another example of a woman "using what she has to get what she wants."
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