Name:
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Pyramus and Thisbe
by Edwand Rivers
As told by the
Ovid, This story is similar to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
It takes place in
ancient Babylon, where these two children grew up in a one-room house that was
connected to the other. Over the years, they fell in love with each other, but
could only talk through a hole in their wall because their parents refused them
to see each other.
Finally, Pyramus
got fed up with his parents and so did Thisbe. They decided to run off one
night and elope. Pyramus gave Thisbe the location of the place they would meet,
and they agreed.
Thisbe was the
first to arrive at the first Mulberry bush outside of the city, but as she was
waiting, a lioness walked by with her jaws covered in blood from a previous
kill that day. Thisbe, frightened at her sight, ran non-stop to the nearest
cave. Soon after, Pyramus walked by and saw a cloak, his love gift to her,
covered in blood and torn to pieces with the footprints of the lioness left
behind. He immediately thought that his only love had been killed by a hungry
lion, and unsheathed his sword (her love gift to him), letting the cold, hard
steel pierce his broken heart. Thisbe, bringing courage to her heart, ran back
and found her only love lying on the ground next to the blood-covered Mulberry
bush with his sword impaling his chest.
She gasped in
horror as she asked the still breathing Pyramus what happened. Barely able to
stay awake, he told her what happened and she cried in sorrow. She took
Pyramus' blood-stained sword and asked him to wait for her while she brought
the blade into her own soft flesh. Thus they died together, in love and peace.
This is why the
berries on the Mulberry bush are red, instead of their original white, in
commemoration of the two young lovers and their great sacrifice.
1. What is the conflict in this myth?
2. What
does this myth sound like (hint: think play)…?
