Bridgerton season three part one has been out a full week now and even though we all binged the first four episodes in one sitting, I’m still reeling over it. So much so that any sort of Bridgerton hidden symbolism people have spotted is keeping me sane until part two is released.

And now someone has noticed some hidden symbolism with Penelope and Colin that was even teased in the TRAILER of the show. So basically we’re all blind or uneducated. @catquinn on TikTok posted a video sharing the symbolism, so here we go:

So you know that whole scene in the final ball in episode four when they have the dancers? Well, on the floor in that scene is a big painting of Eros and Psyche from Greek mythology. Why are Eros and Psyche significant? Well, Eros AKA Cupid is assigned to find Psyche a husband, sounds like Colin and Penelope right? Just wait.

 

So, Eros accidentally shoots himself with an arrow and falls in love with Psyche, just as Colin is in love with Penelope! Psyche also has two sisters (Like Pen), and Venus (we know from Queen Charlotte that the Queen is associated with Venus) is incredibly jealous of Psyche, just like Queen Charlotte is jealous of Lady Whistledown.

But there’s more, Psyche is depicted through art with butterfly wings and who else is covered in butterflies throughout the show? Penelope!

Via Netflix

The characters of Eros and Psyche originated in the ancient Greek and Roman cultures (located in the Mediterranean).
We have written references to Eros dating back to the 8th century BC. That means 2800-ish years ago! Those are in ancient Greek poetry. The oral tradition (people telling stories and histories) could date back longer.

The story of Eros and Psyche comes to us from a Roman author in the 2nd century AD (only about 1900 years ago). The book it comes from is called The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, by a Roman (Numidian, modern day Algeria) author named Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (but we usually just call him Apuleius!), which is filled with stories about transformation.
Many characters in the story have two names- a Greek name and a Latin (the language of the Roman world) name. For example, Aphrodite (Greek) is Venus (Latin); Eros (Greek) is Cupid (Latin); Psyche (Greek) is Anima (Latin).

Who is Psyche?

Psyche is a princess in a royal family. She is mortal. She is the youngest of three daughters. Her sisters are both married.
Her beauty is often compared to that of Aphrodite (big mistake, Aphrodite hates that).
Potential husbands are often intimidated by her beauty. As a result, she has a hard time finding a husband, unlike her sisters.
Her beauty leads the people of her family’s kingdom to neglect their duties to worship Aphrodite, worshiping Psyche, instead.
At the start of her story, Psyche is naïve and easy to manipulate. She often gives in to her impulses. As her story progresses, she matures significantly. Eventually, she drinks Ambrosia, gifted to her by Zeus, and becomes immortal.
Psyche is associated with butterflies.

Who is Eros?

Eros is the son of Venus/Aphrodite (and sometimes has a father, but sometimes doesn’t). He is immortal. He is a member of the Pantheon (which is a Greek word to describe the family of the Olympian Gods).
Eros is the god of love Eros is depicted as a handsome young man, often with wings.
Eros carries a bow and quiver of arrows, with which he shoots individuals to make them fall in love.
Eros, in mythology, is described as a “most indiscreet youth, whose own bad habits show his disregard for public morality” (Apuleius, The Golden Ass 4. 28 – 6. 24). By the end of the Psyche/Eros myth, he has matured into a man, from a youth.

Then as well as having the big painting of Eros and Psyche on the floor, Cressida Cowper also calls Colin and Penelope Eros and Psyche when she’s trying to flirt with Lord Debling and in episode two Gregory gets a bow and arrow off Colin from his travels which he preceded to aim at Colin, just like cupid’s arrow!

I am obsessed with the minds of these people.