...together. Pyramus and Thisbe written by Ovid follow the same archetype and both stories have symbols that can overlap. Furthermore, the stories, share a common ending, the lovers taking their own lives. The misunderstandings that the characters face in trying to make their admiration for each other face a blunt end. The story and play have metaphors that can cross over as they follow the course of events; it shows that even the best intentions of love can have dire consequences. One thing that both stories share is the split between the parents. Ovid integrates how Pyramus and Thisbe can’t see each other, but their hidden love grows stronger. The only thing that separates them is a wall and their parents. Ovid wrote, "...in houses so close together that one wall was common to both". (947) Since the two stories, share the same archetype Shakespeare follows with the family grudge. It draws a line between Romeo and...
Words: 690 - Pages: 3
...phrase “star-crossed lovers” was first coined by famous playwright William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.” (Shakespeare 1-6). However, Shakespeare is far from the only author with this concept. This same archetype is found in many traditional stories from all over the world and is still widespread in today’s culture. We feel for these characters, we want to read these dramatic stories of lost love and cry, because throughout the years, and the change of countries this concept still resonates. This archetypal relationship is present in all forms of literature and tradition from all over the world. From Roman mythology, we find the story of Pyramus and Thisbe who grow up with adjoining houses and fall in love through a hole in their walls because their parents won’t allow them to meet. Finally, they run off but a miscommunication occurs and they both commit suicide. Also, from Celtic mythology, we find the story of Tristan and Isolde who are separated by his marriage to another. His wife eventually allows Tristan to die out of jealousy of Isolde. In Scandinavian culture, we find the story of Hagbard and Signy. Miraculously, despite Hagbard slaying many of Signy’s brothers she continues to love him and kills herself after he is executed for his crimes. In Persian tradition, we hear the story of star-crossed lovers Layla and Majun in which Majun is driven mad with love for Layla who is already...
Words: 775 - Pages: 4
...The oldest love story in the world * The Story of Pyramus and Thisbe -is the oldest love story in the world. It's a story we still tell - and it's a tragedy.It's a familiar tale to all of us although we may not instantly recognise the names of the ancient lovers. You know it very well, it's the story of young lovers whose union is thwarted by their opposing parents and whose lives end in double suicide based on a misunderstanding. The story was recorded by the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses written sometime in the 1st century. Ovid heard the story from the Greeks, who heard the story (it is said) from Tunisian traders who heard it from Persian travellers. The 14th century saw a revival in its popularity with Petrarch recording the story in 1340, Boccaccio in 1342 and, in 1386, Chaucer wrote The Legend of Thisbe. So Shakespeare used the sorrowful story of Pyramus and Thisbe in Midsummer Night's Dream and enriched the plot in Romeo and Juliet, but he borrowed the story from Ovid, who borrowed it from the Greeks, who borrowed it from the Middle East. It was the basis for West Side Story. Pyramus and Thisbe, the Plot Legend tells us that Pyramus was the handsomest youth, and Thisbe the fairest maiden, in all Babylonia, where Semiramis reigned. The two lived in adjoining houses and contrived somehow to strike up an aquaintance by conversing through a crack in the shared wall. Friendship flourished and blossomed into love as the young couple shared their...
Words: 2148 - Pages: 9
...Theseus Philostrate – Master of the Revels Egeus – father of Hermia, wants her to marry Demetrius Hermia – in love with Lysander Helena – in love with Demetrius Lysander – in love with Hermia Demetrius – in love with Hermia at first but later loves Helena The Fairies Oberon – Titania's husband and King of the Fairies Titania – Oberon's wife and Queen of the Fairies Robin Goodfellow/Puck – servant to Oberon Peaseblossom – fairy servant to Titania Cobweb – fairy servant to Titania Moth – fairy servant to Titania Mustardseed – fairy servant to Titania First Fairy, Second Fairy The Mechanicals (An acting troupe) Peter Quince – carpenter, leads the troupe and plays Prologue Nick Bottom – weaver, plays Pyramus Francis Flute – bellows-mender, plays Thisbe Robin Starveling – tailor, plays Moonshine Tom Snout – tinker, plays Wall Snug – joiner, plays Lion Play Summary A Midsummer Night's Dream opens with Theseus and Hippolyta planning their wedding, which takes place in four days. Theseus is upset because time is moving so slowly, but Hippolyta assures him the four days will quickly pass. Their relationship has not always been so loving. Theseus won Hippolyta during a battle. While they discuss their relationship, Egeus enters with his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors, Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Lysander argues that he is as good of a match as Demetrius, but Egeus won't listen. Instead...
Words: 1876 - Pages: 8
...The main characters in both pieces of literature believe that they are destined to be together. Romeo and Juliet are not destined to be together. Juliet’s judgement is clouded by the fact that she is betrothed to Paris. Romeo just cares about getting over Rosaline and ending the feud. Pyramus and Thisbe are just afraid to be apart and have to find someone else. All these characters are just looking for excuses not to be alone. When Juliet is told that she will marry Paris. She doesn’t want to disappoint her mother, so she agrees. Juliet does not want to marry Paris so she keeps her eyes open for another suitor. Juliet thinks that if she finds someone else everything will be better. Fate was a big theme in Romeo and Juliet. This is well illustrated by the saying star-crossed lovers. If this was true people...
Words: 787 - Pages: 4
...No Fear Shakespeare – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by SparkNotes) Original Text -1- Modern Text Act 1, Scene 1 Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, and PHILOSTRATE, with others THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA enter withPHILOSTRATE and others. THESEUS Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in Another moon. But oh, methinks how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, 5 Like to a stepdame or a dowager Long withering out a young man’s revenue. THESEUS Our wedding day is almost here, my beautiful Hippolyta. We’ll be getting married in four days, on the day of the new moon. But it seems to me that the days are passing too slowly—the old moon is taking too long to fade away! That old, slow moon is keeping me from getting what I want, just like an old widow makes her stepson wait to get his inheritance. HIPPOLYTA Four days will quickly steep themselves in night. Four nights will quickly dream away the time. And then the moon, like to a silver bow 10 New bent in heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities. HIPPOLYTA No, you’ll see, four days will quickly turn into four nights. And since we dream at night, time passes quickly then. Finally the new moon, curved like a silver bow in the sky, will look down on our wedding celebration. THESEUS Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments. Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth. Turn melancholy forth to funerals. 15 The pale companion...
Words: 38336 - Pages: 154
...the relationship between Hermia and Helena? 11. How does Helena betray the secret Hermia tells her? Why? 12. Why do you suppose Egeus prefers Demetrius to Lysander? 13. Paraphrase Hermia’s speech, line 150-155. Quote. Prediction: Do you think that Hermia and Lysander will succeed in their plans for elopement? Act I, Scene ii 1. What is the purpose of the meeting at Peter Quince’s house? 2. Who is Nick Bottom? How does he make trouble at the meeting? 3. Briefly, what is the plot of Pyramus and Thisbe? 4. What scenes do they think might scare the ladies? 5. How do they want to handle the threat of scaring the ladies? How might this affect the artisans’ interpretation of The Tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby? 6. Do you think this is an appropriate choice of entertainment at a wedding? Why or Why not? 7. How are Pyramus and Thisbe like Hermia and Lysander?...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
...Why did Shakespeare include uneducated commoners into a serious play on love? To this day many still doubt why Shakespeare added the mechanicals to the play—especially to perform Pyramus and Thisbe, a serious play. However, the prolific Shakespeare had a ingenious purpose for the addition of the mechanicals. First, the mechanicals add a comedic value to the entire play. Also, with the addition of the mechanicals, the play engages a wide spectrum of audience from nobility to low-class labourers. Finally, the mechanicals help to support the theme of the humankind’s foolishness. Thus. the mechanicals prove that sometimes the most underappreciated characters contribute a lot to the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. One of the most important purposes...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...The most influential writer in all of English literature, William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glove-maker in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Shakespeare attended grammar school, but his formal education proceeded no further. In 1582 he married an older woman, Anne Hathaway, and had three children with her. Around 1590 he left his family behind and traveled to London to work as an actor and playwright. Public and critical success quickly followed, and Shakespeare eventually became the most popular playwright in England and part-owner of the Globe Theater. His career bridged the reigns of Elizabeth I (ruled 1558–1603) and James I (ruled 1603–1625), and he was a favorite of both monarchs. Indeed, James granted Shakespeare’s company the greatest possible compliment by bestowing upon its members the title of King’s Men. Wealthy and renowned, Shakespeare retired to Stratford and died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two. At the time of Shakespeare’s death, literary luminaries such as Ben Jonson hailed his works as timeless. Shakespeare’s works were collected and printed in various editions in the century following his death, and by the early eighteenth century his reputation as the greatest poet ever to write in English was well established. The unprecedented admiration garnered by his works led to a fierce curiosity about Shakespeare’s life, but the dearth of biographical information has left many details of Shakespeare’s personal history shrouded in mystery...
Words: 804 - Pages: 4
...Love means many things, to each person it means something different. Sometimes, the word love doesn't even mean love, it merely becomes an image of something we want it to be. In the book a Midsummer Night's Dream love can be defined in three different ways; friendship love, relationship love, and mistaken love. The friendship love comes between the couples Hermia & Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, and Thisbe and Pyramus. In act five Thisbe and Pyramus were shocked but yet accepted what had happened between the couples and set the wedding and events for them. This shows friendship love between the couples because they accepted their differences like true friends do. The next type of love is relationship love. We see it mostly between Hermia...
Words: 412 - Pages: 2
...Shakespeare’s use of comedy in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Shakespeare creates comedy in his play “A Midsummer Night’s dream” through the different scenarios in the play that take place which all have at least an element of humour. He creates comedy in a number of ways and it makes the play humorous as a whole. However he uses dark comedy in several scenes of the play. Through the lovers; Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, we see humour in the way they have love triangles. The fact that Hermia and Lysander are in love, but Demetrius chases after Hermia and Helena chases after Demetrius is humorous itself. Shakespeare’s use of comedy in the love triangles is a form of comical relief to a certain extent. This is because as tension builds up between the lovers, in act 3 scene 2 both Lysander and Demetrius fall in love with Helena because of the “Love in idleness”, which ends up in a big argument with Hermia. The fact that each character does not know why the males suddenly love Helena makes the scene, which is supposed to be serious, humorous. Shakespeare uses dark humour, however, because it is meant to be a sad and confusing experience for Hermia and Helena, though it is fiendishly comical. Furthermore, Shakespeare’s use of comedy between the lovers is not over done, like the mechanicals. The fact that both Lysander and Demetrius loved Hermia before the fairies interfered with the love triangles, shows more of the dark humour. Lysander used to think of Hermia as his “gentle...
Words: 798 - Pages: 4
...The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth Love is the main point in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which begins as Theseus and Hippolyta prepare for their upcoming wedding, but love isn’t necessarily romantic. Instead, the play shows the chance of desire, along with its depth, the sighs and tears that often make lovers confused. Throughout the play, we see how the troubled relationships between Demetrius, Helena, Hermia, and Lysander are similar to Theseus and Hippolyta and Oberon and Titania. In the beginning of the play, Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is engaged to Hippolyta. He met her in battle which he explains in-depth, "...I wooed thee with my sword, / And won thee doing thee injuries; but I will wed thee in another key (1.1.16). Hippolyta doesn't mind being a literal wife, she seems happy to be engaged to Theseus and even looks forward to their wedding night, when "the moon shall behold the night / of their solemnities" (1.1.9-11). Hermia's father, Egeus, wants Demetrius as a suitor, and acquires the aid of Theseus to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to marry Demetrius, or she’ll be put to death. But she loves Lysander, so she decides to escape with Lysander into the surrounding forest. Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in an argument over an Indian boy whom Titania has adopted. “I do but beg a little changeling buy, to be my henchman” (2.1. 120-121)...
Words: 725 - Pages: 3
...------------------------------------------------- Act 1, Scene 1 | Original Text | Modern Text | | Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, and PHILOSTRATE, with others | THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA enter withPHILOSTRATE and others. | 5 | THESEUSNow, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hourDraws on apace. Four happy days bring inAnother moon. But oh, methinks how slowThis old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,Like to a stepdame or a dowagerLong withering out a young man’s revenue. | THESEUSOur wedding day is almost here, my beautiful Hippolyta. We’ll be getting married in four days, on the day of the new moon. But it seems to me that the days are passing too slowly—the old moon is taking too long to fade away! That old, slow moon is keeping me from getting what I want, just like an old widow makes her stepson wait to get his inheritance. | 10 | HIPPOLYTAFour days will quickly steep themselves in night.Four nights will quickly dream away the time.And then the moon, like to a silver bowNew bent in heaven, shall behold the nightOf our solemnities. | HIPPOLYTANo, you’ll see, four days will quickly turn into four nights. And since we dream at night, time passes quickly then. Finally the new moon, curved like a silver bow in the sky, will look down on our wedding celebration. | 15 | THESEUS Go, Philostrate,Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments.Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth.Turn melancholy forth to funerals.The pale companion is not for our pomp. | THESEUSGo, Philostrate...
Words: 13358 - Pages: 54
...showing to the audience how interested he is in making this little play happen. Then from Peter Quince’s view I will have all the other actors in a semi circle facing both the audience and Quince , this will tackle moving and space and not make it seems like the actors are afraid to use the space ; also by having the actors in this position will propose that each actor has their own space and their own characteristics that no other character can interfere with or take away from. As a director I want the audience to instantly recognise that Shakespeare’s portrayal of Nick Bottom’s character as hilariously overt. In Act 1 scene 2 I will take Bottoms line ‘ An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. Ill speak in a monstrous little voice: ‘Thisne,Thisne!’ ‘Ah ,Pyramus,my lover dear; thy Thisbe dear and lady dear.’ I will have Bottom interrupt Peter Quince before as he says ‘An I may hide my face’ . I will do this because it will already show how humours Bottom is in a very eager way as he cannot wait to interrupt to let out how eager he is to play all characters. When Nick Bottom says this first word I will have him burst out quickly into the centre with his arms open. I will do this because having him walk in the middle will show the audience that he is purposely taking the centre stage because he wants all the attention, as he is this type of character. Thus, by having Bottom open his arms will also show that he is blocking the audience from seeing the rest of the characters...
Words: 2510 - Pages: 11
...A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world. It is unknown exactly when A Midsummer Night's Dream was written or first performed, but on the basis of topical references and an allusion to Edmund Spenser's 'Epithalamion', it is usually dated 1594 or 1596. Some have theorised that the play might have been written for an aristocratic wedding (for example that of Elizabeth Carey, Lady Berkeley), while others suggest that it was written for the Queen to celebrate the feast day of St. John. No concrete evidence exists to support this theory. In any case, it would have been performed at The Theatre and, later, The Globe. Though it is not a translation or adaptation of an earlier work, various sources such as Ovid's Metamorphoses and Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" served as inspiration.[4] According to John Twyning, the play's plot of four lovers undergoing a trial in the woods was intended as a "riff" on Der Busant, a Middle High German poem. The play was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company on 8 October...
Words: 1462 - Pages: 6
