Colin and Penelope are quite a literary couple. He's a budding travel writer, and she's everyone's go-to gossip columnist. So perhaps it's no surprise that Bridgerton season three uses stories from ancient Greek and Roman literature to represent Pauline's romantic journey.
To recap: In Episode 4, Queen Charlotte throws a ball that features a ballet featuring the Greek gods of Love and Psyche. "Maybe this little love drama tonight will inspire my love," she said of the dreamy performance.
In fact, Penelope shed tears as she watched the dancers perform a passionate story. Apparently, she was reminded of her feelings for Colin.
And she's not the only one. Later, while Cressida and Lord Dumblenn are dancing, they see Colin and Penelope having a lovers' quarrel. "They do look depressed, don't they? Eros and Psyche are fighting," Cressida said.
So, are Colin and Penelope really like Eros and Psyche?
The story of Eros and Psyche
Eros was the god of love (Cupid in Roman mythology), and Psyche was an extremely beautiful princess—so beautiful that Eros’ mother, Aphrodite, was jealous. As recounted in Roman author Apuleius's Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass, Aphrodite told her son to give Psyche a potion to thwart her potential romance.
But while trying to do so, Cupid accidentally shot himself with his own arrow, which is also known to cause people to fall in love.
Later, when Psyche found no suitor, the oracle told her family that she was destined to be with a monster. When she went to marry this monster, it was actually Cupid! But she doesn't know this, because he only meets her in the dark.
At the urging of her sisters, Psyche tried to get a better look at Eros to see if he really existed. A monster. However, he is put off by her doubts ("Love cannot coexist with doubt," he says) and flies away.
Eventually, after performing a series of tasks for Aphrodite, Psyche and Eros reconciled, and they had an immortal marriage. (Yay!) The main beats of this weird little story seem to line up with Colin and Penelope's relationship — and could be a preview of things to come.
Like Eros, Colin tries to interfere in Penelope's romantic life and ends up falling in love himself. He prevents her from marrying a "monster" (no offense to Lord Domblin, you're fine!) and offers himself as a companion, but suspicion may separate them. Sure, the reveal of Penelope's secret identity as Lady Whistle might make Colin a little flirtatious in part two, right?
Perhaps Penelope, like Psyche, will have to make some serious moves to win him back - or assuage the wrath of Queen Charlotte, who has never been a big fan of Lady Whistledown and is the closest thing to an all-powerful person . goddess.
More Mythology Easter Eggs
There are other nods to the story of Eros and Psyche in Bridgerton Season 3. In the first episode, Gregory is playing with the bow Colin gave him, and he points the bow at his brother, seemingly foreshadowing Colin's love for Penelope.
What about the butterfly print that Penelope has been wearing since Season 1? Aristotle referred to butterflies as "minds," linking insects to the Greek word for "soul." So this Bridgerton reference seems pretty deep.
