Pyramus and Thisbe
Ovid. There appears to be no Greek version of the story.
Story Summary:
Pyramis and Thisbe grew up in the same city next to each other. I think in today's terms they lived in a duplex styled housing. Throughout the years they fell in love, but their parents forbade the marriage and the love.
There was a crack in the wall where they could communicate with one another and even barely kiss one another. However, they desired to be together.
One day they agreed to meet at a world famous tomb of someone, and Thisbe came first. She waited and waited but Pyramis didn't show up. She saw that a lioness appeared, and she ran away, dropping her cloak on the ground.
Pyramis came along, saw the lioness and saw that she carried Thisbe's cloak with her. Thinking that his lover is dead, Pyramis blamed himself for what happened, then took a dagger and plunged it into his heart, staining the mulberry bush.
Meanwhile, Thisbe came back, for she didn't want for her lover to think she failed him, and saw that he had killed himself. Vowing not to let death separate them, she kills herself too.
In symbol of their love, the mulberry tree carried red berries, as well as an urn holding both of their ashes.
Opinion:
I do wish that instead of only focusing on English literature, I would have been given more choices to enjoy different love stories such as Pyramis and Thisbe. Interesting tale, and most likely Shakespeare borrowed it and made it world famous in terms of Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet qualities:
This is the original Romeo and Juliet story; parents forbidding lovers to meet, him thinking she died and killing himself, she the same, and eventually mercy from everyone.
Song:
I really enjoyed the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. It is very similar to Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, except this one is much more ancient and has transformation in it. It starts our with a pair of lovers who meet each other because they are neighbors, but their parents forbid them to be together. They communicate through a hole in the wall that separates their houses. Eventually, they reach a point where they can no longer stay apart from each other, so they plan an escape that will allow them to be together. They decieve the guards at their houses, and escape by the rooftops of the city. Thisbe makes it to their meeting place, a burial site, before Pyramus does. She sits under a mullberry tree with white leaves, and soon sees a lion. It scares her and she runs into a cave. The lion walks over and picks up her veil, and covers it in blood. Then Pyramus shows up, and sees the bloody veil, and thinks that Thisbe was killed by the lion. He stabs himself in the groin while under the mullberry tree, and Thisbe finds him dying there. She tries to revive him, but he dies soon after. So she kills herself also, and the mulberry tree's leaves turn red to show the blood the lovers spilled for each other.
ReplyDelete