The Tale of Cupid and Psyche recap

Psyche's beauty attracts worship that angers Venus, who orders Cupid to punish her. Cupid instead hides Psyche in a magical palace and becomes her unseen husband. Persuaded by her jealous sisters that he is a monster, Psyche looks at him by lamplight and loses him. She searches for Cupid and submits to Venus, who assigns impossible labors: sorting seeds, gathering golden wool, fetching dangerous water, and carrying a box from the underworld. Helpers enable her to complete each task, but she opens the final box and falls into a deathlike sleep. Cupid revives her and appeals to Jupiter. Psyche is made immortal, Venus accepts the marriage, and the divine wedding produces a daughter named Pleasure.

Psyche, the youngest of three princesses, is worshiped for her beauty, provoking Venus's jealousy. Venus orders Cupid to make her love a degraded husband, but Cupid takes Psyche to a hidden palace and visits her as an unseen husband. Her sisters persuade her that he is a monster. Psyche examines him by lamplight, discovers the god, and accidentally burns him with oil; he leaves because she broke his command. After her sisters perish through their own envy, Psyche searches for Cupid and surrenders to Venus. The goddess sets four deadly tasks. Ants sort a heap of seeds, natural and divine helpers show Psyche how to gather golden wool and perilous water, and a speaking tower instructs her journey to Proserpina in the underworld. Psyche completes the journey but opens the returned box, seeking beauty, and falls into a deathlike sleep. Cupid revives her, restores the sleep to the box, and asks Jupiter to settle the conflict. Jupiter makes Psyche immortal and recognizes the marriage. Venus accepts the union, the gods celebrate the wedding, and Cupid and Psyche have a daughter named Pleasure.

After completing the journey to the underworld, Psyche opens the sealed container she is carrying for Venus, hoping to take a little divine beauty for herself. The box contains a deathlike sleep, and she collapses. Cupid, now healed, escapes confinement, removes the sleep from her, and tells her to finish the errand. He then asks Jupiter to protect their marriage. Jupiter gathers the gods, recognizes the union, and has Psyche drink ambrosia so that she becomes immortal. This change removes the inequality between a mortal woman and a god and prevents the marriage from dishonoring Venus. Venus accepts the settlement, and Cupid and Psyche celebrate their wedding among the gods. Their daughter is born and named Pleasure, making the conclusion both a family reconciliation and an explanation of how love, soul, and pleasure come to be joined.