Ovid's is the oldest surviving version of the story, published in 8 AD, but he adapted an existing aetiological myth. Pyramus and Thisbe proved to be faithful lovers to each other until the very end. In the end, the gods listen to Thisbe's lament, and forever change the colour of the mulberry fruits into the stained colour to honor forbidden love. Thisbe, after praying to their parents and the gods to have them buried together and a brief period of mourning, stabs herself with the same sword. Thisbe returns, eager to tell Pyramus what had happened to her, but she finds Pyramus's dead body under the shade of the mulberry tree. Pyramus's blood stains the white mulberry fruits, turning them dark. Assuming that a wild beast has killed her, Pyramus kills himself, falling on his sword, a typical Babylonian way to commit suicide, and in turn splashing blood on the white mulberry leaves. When Pyramus arrives, he is horrified at the sight of Thisbe's cloak: the lioness had torn it and left traces of blood behind, as well as its tracks. Thisbe arrives first, but upon seeing a lioness with a bloody mouth from a recent kill, she flees, leaving behind her cloak. They arrange to meet near a tomb under a mulberry tree and state their feelings for each other. Through a crack in one of the walls they whisper their love for each other. Their respective parents, driven by rivalry, forbid them to wed. Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses. The story has since been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe are a pair of ill-fated lovers whose story forms part of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Thisbe, by John William Waterhouse, 1909.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |