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Comparing Ovid's Romeo And Juliet

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When reading the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, one will immediately connect the story to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Their similarities stand out to the reader and one can quickly discern that Shakespeare was inspired by Ovid. Whether it be a small similarity or a larger difference, each change by Shakespeare is significant in its impact on the story. The most influential embellishment Shakespeare makes is changing the catalyst in his version. Although both sets of lovers die from a misunderstanding, Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are the result of politics. When the prince announces that if someone causes another death, they will be punished and Romeo accidentally kills Tybalt, causing his banishment, Juliet ends up faking her death to avoid …show more content…

This change highlights how Shakespeare is taking concepts from Ovid’s work and building on them to tell a more intriguing story. In both stories there is a young couple in love, desperate to be with each other, no matter the consequences may be. Shakespeare takes that concept and extends them to have a more gut-wrenching affect. Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe is no doubt a story that numerous people can relate to. Shakespeare’s choice to use it as a foundational story and enhance it by making Romeo and Juliet love even more forbidden allowed him to create a story that captures the innate desire all humans have for love. One embellishment Shakespeare made was changing the communication between the lovers through a hole, to corresponding though a person, Juliet’s nurse. Pyramus and Thisbe, although through a hole, still attained direct contact. Shakespeare extending the prohibited interaction to the point where there is barely any direct contact between Romeo and Juliet increases the suspense and difficulty of their

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The stories The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ both depict tales of two ‘ill-fated’ lovers and their ‘unavoidable’ deaths. But are their deaths really caused by fate? Are their lives truly controlled by destiny? If properly read, the truth about the two stories becomes clear. Their tragic ends are not the stars cursing against them, but rather the consequences of their actions coming back to haunt them.

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(Act 4, Scene 3). Here, Juliet cunningly crafts a plan to deceive her family and escape her predetermined fate. Shakespeare employs the technique of dramatic irony to heighten the tension, as the audience is privy to the knowledge that Juliet is alive while her family believes she is dead. However, this deceitful choice leads to severe misunderstandings and miscommunication, ultimately resulting in the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Furthermore, Friar Lawrence, in an attempt to prevent further violence, chooses to deceive Romeo about Juliet's death.

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Romeo spontaneously marries Juliet, not caring about the aftermath of it. This is evident when he exclaims, “Then love-devouring death do what he dare; It is enough I may but call her mine” (Act 5, Scene 3). Furthermore, Romeo is impulsive in nature and should be held accountable for his actions. Not just that, but later in the play Juliet’s rash decision to take an unreliable potion and feign her death, rather than confide in her family, exacerbated the situation, causing her own misfortune. Together, Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers naivety curated the perfect recipe for disaster.

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Both couples of these stories share a deep connection and love for each other, but are forbidden to be together because of their parents. Shakespeare very quickly introduces the problem in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, narrating, “A pair of star-cross 'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents ' strife”(Shakespeare 1.0.6-8). Romeo and Juliet’s parents’ long held adversity is directly explained to be what leads to the series of tragic events and death of the two lovers since they hold no power to be together. Likewise, in “Pyramus and Thisbe”, Ovid writes about Pyramus and Thisbe that, “Their nearness Made them acquainted, and love grew, in time, So that they would have married, but their parents Forbade it”(4-7).

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Romeo and Juliet and “Pyramus and Thisbe”, were both amazing pieces of literature that ended in very unfortunate and atrocious ways. William Shakespeare, author of Romeo and Juliet, was born in 1564. He lived a very successful life as an author and play writer during the Elizabethan era of England. Ovid, author of “Pyramus and Thisbe”, was born in 43 BC. He was a Roman poet and had many auspicious pieces of work.

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“Pyramus and Thisbe” tells the story of two young lovers who are forbidden to be together due to the fact that their families are enemies. William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells the story of the chaos and craziness that surrounds the days prior to Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. In both of these stories, the reader is able to find several similarities and differences.

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Emma Alicea Mr. Spinks Honors English 9/6th hour January 20, 2023 The Language of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary devices are great as long as people know how to use them and Shakespeare had a true understanding of how they could be used. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is interesting in the way it is not meant to be easily understood when read but is fairly easy to understand when in play form. This play is the story of two lovers from rival families that were doomed from the start. Three of the many literary devices Shakespeare used to make the play more interesting then if it went without are, dramatic irony, allusion, and soliloquies.

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At the beginning of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Hermia had the choice given by her father and the duke of Athens to either become a nun or to be executed if she refuses to marry Demetrius. The conflict that Hermia faces makes it seem as if the play will end in a tragedy. The catharsis brought in the next act when Bottom wants to act all the roles and when Flute complains about having to be the female lead in the play performed on Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding day relieves that tension. The play “Pyramus and Thisbe” had been a part of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Also, the theme of forbidden love that presents itself in “Pyramus and Thisbe” shows up in many of Shakespeare’s works such as “The tragedy of Othello”, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”

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Also, there families had much hate towards each other, and Juliet and Thisbe killed them self with a dagger only difference Juliet stabbed her heart and Thisbe leaned into the dagger. Shakespeare’s idea for Romeo and Juliet were based off “Pyramus and Thisbe”.

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Romeo and Juliet, Pyramus and Thisbe, two sets of star crossed lovers. Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, and Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe” are debatably similar. Is it a coincidence, or did Shakespeare copy Ovid’s ideas? Two pairs of lovers forbidden to be with each other, who end up taking their lives. These two stories also have their differences.

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In the stories Romeo and Juliet, and Pyramus and Thisbe there are a lot of similarities. Such as they both end up committing suicide, “Romeo there dead, was husband to there Juliet, and she there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife” (Shakespeare 476). and missing each other by minutes. There are so many instances when you read Pyramus and Thisbe that you

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In my U.S. History class, my teacher has an image of The Mona Lisa because there some history behind the picture. For example, who drew The Mona Lisa? Well, it was Leonardo da Vinci. Also, this portrait is one of the most famous portrait during the Renaissance. Back then wealthy people, like kings; nobles; etc., were able to afford the portrait, but now most people can afford it.

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When Juliet and Friar make a plan to fake Juliet’s death, Romeo does not receive the information, setting up a tragic disaster. Romeo then thinks she is truly dead and then soon the two end up dead from killing themselves over a

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In reference to the bold statements of the younglings throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet, it could be said that they were willing to ‘risk it all’, despite the circumstances they were under. These two lovers, being described as “star-crossed”, propelled the storyline in a way that was facile for conflicts to form, all of which were a result of their forbidden love (Prologue 5). Over the short course of time during the period in which their story had taken place, Shakespeare asserted the impression that all these conflicts were caused by a cruel overwhelming fate, sheer accident, and by their own willfulness. All these facets of the plot coalesced and attributed to the bringing about of Romeo and Juliet’s untimely and unfortunate death.

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William Shakespeare is known for his tragic plays, which includes the highly talked about Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet follows two star crossed lovers who are forbidden to love one another, due to an ancient grudge between their families. The two families still have a strong hatred for each other due to stubbornness , which causes the love between Romeo and Juliet to be forbidden. This forbidden love between the two causes them to act impulsively and ultimately leads to their deaths. However, they are not to be held responsible for these impulsive actions, the obstinacy of the all the family members is.

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