As a type of exercise in interpretation, some examples of myth starting with BWS' Adastra in Africa
A myth is a connection of the soul to the physical surround and setting, and depends on the emphasis one places on head or body, psyche or matter.
Arguably, the modern order has dispensed entirely with this s dichotomy, and matter is now simply a branch of the great head or ego - see Blake's Newton, prev. Primal surround of natural force are no longer part of the picture (in the head.)
Euripides' The Bacchae (prev) is always capable of reinterpretation. For awhile it was thought Euripides had backtracked on his denigration of the gods, and Pentheus' fate was seen as just punishment for his disavowal of Dionysus.
Dionysus is always a slightly insecure deity, as even his own family scoffed at his a mother's liaison with Zeus. While travelling around Asia, though, he gained a loyal following, especially of women or Maenads.
Arriving in Thebes in Euripides' play, he is determined to assert his divinity, and his followers take matter into their own hands.
By the 19th century, though, the interpretation switched to assume Euripides supports Pentheus's social reforms and his punishment was unjust by a false god.
An earlier play, Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, has another very liberal interpretation of the 'facts'. According to Hesiod (7th century or about 200 years previous), Prometheus was a trickster who stole fire and ushered in the era of Pandora. His fate was just; but in Aeschylus's retelling Prometheus lists all the good works he is responsible for, such as metallurgy, architecture.
Parting on many details, Promethesius's fate was unjust (Prometheus Unbound is a sequel which is largely lost.)
Tragedy is a physical situation or setting acting on the psyche, and creating a physical reaction. The two parts, psyche and physical, have to act together, and there is always a capacity for interpretation.
The world is not neutral, in other words, and the physical contains the primal rhythms of life; the psyche reacts to this situation. This physical aspect of tragedy was emphasized by Nietzsche, who took the 19th century view that Euripides had intended to disparage the god Dionysus through his play, and had lost the classical roots (note: Aeschylus is the earliest and Euripides the latest of the Athenian tragedians.)
Whether that's so or not, interpretation is a part of the physical acting on the psyche- whether in warrior mode, gaiety, or the joy of the kill (hunting, Diana.)
These physical situations are also seen in Daphne, who was attracted to Apollo and vice versa, but also repelled as he was her brother. She ended up as the laurel, a symbol of purity and evergreen immortality (Daphne is an aemula or emulator of Artemis.)
Contradictions are inherent in physically primitive situations where the psyche is concerned. I suppose you can see where this is leading to? Where the physically primal situation is suppressed, conflicts are neutralised. The modern scene resembles a gigantic head from which the body is a mere outgrowth. There is no dialogue and the primal strength is suppressed.
JK Rowling's whole problem is the defence of natural rhythm (menstrual) that emboldens the psyche to aspire to difference, and the affinity of difference. The modern scene neutralizes that strength with sameness. Psychological darkness overtakes the gaiety of living and pronounces 'judgment'.
This happens on a global scale with GPS technology, the smart things and metaverse of the future, corrupters of natural rhythm and psychic strength in physical situations of power and fertility (myth.)
The fire-breathing dragon of neutralising news is quite a good symbol of the electromagnetic tyranny of the ego of acolytes of the mirror of illusions (inductive logic.)
Artemis and Apollo
Smith's picture is an ambiguous interpretation of the divine twins' relationship. On the one hand, anything that hints of incestuousness is bad, as in Sophocles's Oedipus Rex. On the other, without the closeness, Daphne's joy in uniting with Apollo as a laurel would never be.
Interpretation and reinterpretation are part of the blood of life and death that modernity seeks to eliminate with the neutralizing dragon of the psycho-techno future of zero primal rhythm. Rebellion happens when the physical setting imbues the psyche with power, inspired creativity, youthful revival.
