Pyramus and Thisbe free essay sample

Shakespeare certainly used this play in his Midsummer Nights Dream, in which the merchant characters stage their own version of the tragic love tale. Characters .. Pyramus: Handsome youth of Babylon who falls in love with his neighbor, Thisbe. Thisbe: Beautiful young girl of Babylon who returns Pyramuss love. Parents of Pyramus and Thisbe: They oppose a relationship between Pyramus and Thisbe for reasons not explained in the story. The parents play no active role in the story. Semiramis: Queen of Babylon and the subject of myths and legends. After the death of her husband, Ninus, she ruled Babylon for many years. Semiramis is the Greek name for Sammu-ramat. Semiramis plays no active role in the story. Ninus: King of Assyria and late husband of Semiramis. He plays no active role in the story. However, it is at his tomb that Pyramus and Thisbe meet after running away. Pyramus and Thisbe (PLOT SUMMARY) . We will write a custom essay sample on Pyramus and Thisbe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page . In Babylon during the reign of Queen Semiramis, Pyramus and Thisbe live in separate houses sharing the same roof. Of all the young men in the region, Pyramus has no equal in the magnificence of his looks, and Thisbe is fairer than the fairest nymph. . When they grew up, their acquaintance turned into friendship—and friendship into burning love. But their parents now stand between them, forbidding them to see each other or even to speak of their love. However, The fire of love the more it is supprest, / The more it glows and rages in the breast. When the wall dividing their homes was built, shrinkage in the cement left a crack in the wall that went unnoticed except by the two lovers. Through it, they whisper their sorrows and joys. Desperate with love, they attempt to kiss, but the crack is too small. Even so, they often remain at the wall through the night. In time, they decide to run away and meet at the tomb of Ninus, next to a tree bearing white berries. During the hours before their planned nighttime escape, they are â€Å"impatient for the friendly dusk† to appear and â€Å"chide the slowness of departing day. † After the sun sinks in the western sea, Thisbe steals away, her face veiled, and quickly arr ives at the tomb. And then a lioness rush’d o’er the plain, Grimly besmeard with blood of oxen slain. . The frightening sight quickens her thirst, and she runs to a nearby brook to drink, losing her veil along the way. Afterward, in a nearby cave, she calms down as she awaits the arrival of Pyramus. Meanwhile, the lion roams back across the plain, discovers the veil, â€Å"and mouthing it all o’er, / With bloody jaws the lifeless prey she tore. † . Pyramus, who had to delay his departure until he could sneak past the watchful eyes in his home, arrives late. In the moonlight, he sees the paw prints of the lioness and, to his horror, finds the torn and bloody veil near the tomb. He upbraids himself Tis I am guilty, I have thee betrayd, Who came not early, as my charming maid. Whatever slew thee, I the cause remain, I namd, and fixd the place where thou wast slain. . He kisses the veil and cries over it, then withdraws his sword and plunges it into his chest. When he falls back onto the ground, blood spurts so high that it stains the white berries on the tree. They turn deep red, and the roots of the tree alter themselves so that they will produce only purple berries henceforth. . After Thisbe leaves the cave to search for Pyramus, she hears him sighing near the tomb. When she arrives there, she recognizes the tomb and the tree. But the color of the berries bewilders her. And then she finds the body of Pyramus, quivering. She shriekd, she tore her hair, she beat her breast. . She takes Pyramus in her arms, bathes him in her tears, and kisses him, asking â€Å"Whence sprung thy cruel fate? † He opens his eyes for a moment, then closes them and dies. When Thisbe sees the bloody veil and the sword, she realizes what happened. She then says she hopes that the cruel parents of her and Pyramus will witness the results of a prayer she recites: Oh! see our ashes in one urn confind, / Whom love at first, and fate at last has joind. . She then asks that the tree display the blood of not only Pyramus but also her own. And then in her bosom [she] plungd the sword, All warm and reeking from its slaughterd lord. The prayr, which dying Thisbe had preferrd, Both Gods, and parents, with compassion heard. The whiteness of the mulberry soon fled, And ripning, saddend in a dusky red: While both their parents their lost children mourn, And mix their ashes in one golden urn. Pygmalion and Galatea The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is quite known and popular till nowadays. Pygmalion, a famous sculptor, falls in love with his own creation and wishes to give this creation life. This simple and imaginary concept is actually the basis from a psychological understanding of male behaviour and wish. This nice myth is considered as the depiction of the masculine need to rule over a certain woman and to inanimate his ideas into a female living creature. The modern concept of Pygmalion is thought as a man who â€Å"shapes† an uncultivated woman into an educated creature. Falling in love with his own creation One fine day, Pygmalion carved the statue of a woman of unparalleled beauty. She looked so gentle and divine that he could not take his eyes off the statue. Enchanted with his own creation, he felt waves of joy and desire sweeping over his body and in a moment of inspiration he named the figurine, Galatea, meaning â€Å"she who is white like milk†. He draped over her the finest of cloths and bedecked her with the most dazzling of ornaments, adorned her hair with the prettiest of flowers, gave to her the choicest of gifts and kissed her as a sign of adoration. Pygmalion was obsessed and madly in love with his creation. The spell the lifeless woman cast on him was too much to resist and he desired her for his wife. Countless were the nights and days he spent staring upon his creation. The realization of his dream In the meanwhile, the celebration of goddess Aphrodite was fast approaching and preparations were well under way. On the day of the festival, while making offerings to goddess Aphrodite, Pygmalion prayed with all his heart and soul, beseeching the goddess that she turns his ivory figurine into a real woman. Touched by his deep veneration, Aphrodite went to the workshop of Pygmalion to see this famous statue by herself. When he looked upon the statue of Galatea, she got amazed by its beauty and liveliness. Looking better at it, Aphrodite found that Galatea looked like her in beauty and perfection, so, satisfied, she granted Pygmalion his wish. The strange sculptor Pygmalion was a sculptor par excellence, a man who gave to every one of his ivory a life-like appearance. His deep devotion to his art spared him no time to admire the beauty of women. His sculptures were the only beauty he knew. For reasons known only to him, Pygmalion despised and shunned women, finding solace only in his craft. In fact, he was so condemning to women that he had vowed never to marry. Upon returning home the master-sculptor went straight to Galatea, full of hope. At first, he noticed a flush on the cheeks of the ivory figurine but slowly it dawned upon him that Aphrodite had heard his pleas. Unable to restrain himself, he held Galatea in his arms and kept her strongly. What had been cold ivory turned soft and warm and Pygmalion stood back in amazement as his beloved figurine came into life, smiling at him and speaking words of admiration for her creator. Their love blossomed over the days and before long, wedding vows were exchanged between the two lovers with Aphrodite blessing them with happiness and prosperity. The happy couple had a son, Paphos, who later founded the city of Paphos in Cyprus. Some say that Pygmalion and Galatea also had a daughter, Metharme. The bottom line is that the couple lived happily ever after. PYGMALION(SUMMARY) Pygmalion, a talented sculptor and hater of all women, created the perfect wife out of a block of ivory. Much to his surprise, he fell in love with the statue Galatea. Pygmalion, a respected sculptor of ivory, was most well known for his open loathing of all women. He found nothing to like about them, and felt they were not worthy of his time. He detested their qualities to such a degree that he vowed to never marry one. For one of his creations, Pygmalion crafted an ivory statue of a woman. This statue, physically perfect in every way, represented the most ideal woman in his own mind. It was so striking that no living woman came close, and the statue was perfect for Pygmalion because it did for him what no other living woman could it was quiet, it did not argue or cause a stir, and it fit perfectly into Pygmalions life. That is, until he fell deeply in love with his creation that he had named Galatea. Pygmalion spent his days gazing longingly upon Galatea and her perfect but inaminate curves. He looked into her eyes, and he talked to her. He dressed and adorned her with beautiful clothing and jewels. He would lie her down on a couch covered with sumptuous pillows, spoiling her as if she was not made of ivory, but as if she were living and breathing, silently accepting his love. Pygmalion went to the annual festival for Aphrodite, which was held in Cyprus. After making his customary offerings at the altar, he politely asked the goddess to give him a wife like his creation. Aphrodite heard his heartfelt plea and offered a sign to him. The flames of the altar rose in the air before him, indicating that she might have heard the artists request. Pygmalion returned home after the festival, and performed his usual routine with Galatea. He went to Galatea, comfortably resting on her couch, and planted a kiss on her ivory lips. But unlike the times before, her lips were not cold and hard, but felt warm and soft to the touch. He touched her arm, and it was not rigid, but supple. Amazed, he backed away, and he realized that Aphrodite had granted him his greatest wish. Galatea, his own ideal creation, had come to life. Pygmalion and Galateas eyes met, and they both knew instant love. Pygmalion, having obviously reformed his opinion of the opposite sex, married Galatea, with Aphrodites blessing. They had one son, named Paphos. A city, sacred to Aphrodite, was named in honor of him.