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PYRAMUS AND THISBE

Pyramus and Thisbe is an ancient Greek love story that inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Both stories consist of two lovers who belong to families that hate each other who were supposed to live happily ever after together but one assumes the other is dead and kills himself and the female finds his dead body and she kills herself. The author’s intent for this story was tragedy and romance. The original text as well as many adaptations are executed implicitly because symbolism is used often in conversation in the time the tale was written. In the story, Pyramus and Thisbe, “seal their two fates with a fracture” (Carter). This illustrates that they were destined to fall in love at a young age and they set their fate in stone. “Hughes uses the word ‘sealing’ to symbolise that their fate can’t be changed and this is effective because their love cannot change either” (Pepera-Hibbert). The author’s aim was to communicate to the audience that fate can be decided for people before they even know it and it cannot be changed.
 * Aim **
 * By: Mariz DelosSantos **

Works Cited

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Pyramus and Thisbe Summary." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

Bulfinch, Thomas. "Pyramus and Thisbe." Ancient/Classical History. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

Pepera-Hibbert, Jason. "Key Quotes from Pyramus and Thisbe." Prezi.com. N.p., 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

Carter, Carolyn. ""Sealing Their Two Fates with a Fracture": Ted Hughes's "Pyramus and Thisbe" as an Emblem of the Paradox of Translation." :: ETD. N.p., 4 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

Pyramus and Thisbe was written for the Roman people in order to provide them with an entertaining, tragic romance. Most myths from ancient Greece and Rome are created in order to explain the existence of natural phenomena or to praise the deities that were widely believed in at the time, therefore they were written for the common people. However, the gods have no involvement in the story: “ The tragedy that unfolds between Pyramus and Thisbe once again suggests that it is not the job of the gods to step in and make everything happy” (Mythology Summary and Analysis). The story of Pyramus and Thisbe, though it explains the existence of the red mulberry fruit, is written in order to entertain the common masses of Rome. It is a simple but powerful story, showing the love between two young people who could not be separated, even by death. The story is meant to be tragic and romantic, but simple and easy to understand. The plot can be easily understood, even by those who may not have had much education, such as the common folk of Rome. Pyramus and Thisbe’s tale was meant to appeal to a wide audience. Therefore, the tale is rich, bold, dramatic, and simple to follow.
 * Audience **
 * By: Blaire Krakowitz **

Works Cited

"Mythology Summary and Analysis." Mythology Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of Pyramus and Thisbe; Orpheus and Eurydice; Ceyx and Alcyone; Pygmalion and Galetea. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

The story of Pyramus and Thisbe had a great impact on the historic value of many people. An article states, “ [|Geoffrey Chaucer]  was among the first to tell the story in [|English]  with his [|The Legend of Good Women] . [|John Gower]  also uses the story, with some alteration, as a cautionary tale in his [|Confessio Amantis] , while [|Amoryus and Cleopes]  is a 15th-century version” (“Pyramus and Thisby”). Not only has this story managed to appear in several different cultures, but in different guises in different peoples. The piece manages to create history because it has been loosely based upon in such titles like Romeo & Juliet and is a part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This tells the audience that not only is it popular, but it had such a heavy historical impact that it is worth being presented more and more. This impact affects how some plays were written as well, such as Romeo & Juliet; William Shakespeare seemed to find the story of Pyramus and Thisbe very significant, basing many of his plays and writings upon this story. A simple story of lovers who are doomed to die impacts many people deeply, possibly because they feel as if they relate to the case of tragic love, requited or not.
 * Historical **
 * By: Kyra Stek **

"Pyramus and Thisbe." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Pyramus and Thisby, by Thomas Bulfinch." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

The story of Pyramus and Thisbe is thought to be the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. The two stories are very similar in plot, “Pyramus and Thisbe are a couple of young Babylonians in love. Unfortunately, their families totally hate each other” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Romeo and Juliet is possibly the most famous of Shakespeare’s work. The ancient romantic play has inspired many modern love stories. Pyramus and Thisbe has allowed Romeo and Juliet to help develop the romance genre in stories and movies in entertainment. With the arrival of love stories, people can experience entertainment in an emotion other than comedy. Without the creation of this story, movies and books about love wouldn’t be the same.
 * Cultural **
 * By: Bethany Stewart **

Works Cited

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Pyramus and Thisbe Summary." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.