Destined to die, or just bad timing? In the drama, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and the short story, Pyramus and Thisbe by Ovid, both couples suffered a tragic death. Romeo and Juliet lived in a world where their families despised each other, leaving the two love birds to get married in secret. Although Romeo and Juliet were hopeful, their lives, along with four others, awaited a tragic ending. Pyramus and Thisbe grew up together, which allowed their love to grow. The young lovers, even though their parents forbid it, planned to run away. Unfortunately, bad timing led to the characters’ demise. Romeo and Juliet, and Pyramus and Thisbe both prove that personal choices affect the characters more than destiny does. To start, Romeo and Juliet …show more content…
“No one before had noticed it, but there is nothing a lover does not notice,” (Ovid 488) Phymus and Thisbe found a way to communicate with each other. They wanted their love, and Pyramus and Thisbe fought for it. Another example is when Thisbe came back. “Thisbe, although terrified of the lioness, was still more afraid to fail her lover.” Thisbe was petrified, and she still chose to go back to her lover. When Thisbe came back and saw Pyramus dying, she said, “Only death would have had the power to separate us. It shall not have that power now.” (Ovid 489) Thisbe acknowledges that a greater power can not control her. Pyramus and Thisbe both defy what is expected of them, showing that personal choices impact the characters more than fate does. On the other hand, some think it was fate that Romeo and Juliet even met in the first place. They believe that it was fate because Romeo decided to go to the party. However, people fail to realize that he was going to the party to get his mind off Rosalind, by meeting a girl. “Show me a mistress that is passing fair,” Romeo said. Romeo is brash and impulsive, and he falls in love easily. Even if he didn’t see Juliet, he would've fallen for another girl's