Comparing Ovid's Romeo And Juliet

You most likely know about Romeo and Juliet, but what about Pyramus and Thisbe? Pyramus and Thisbe is a story that’s very similar to Romeo and Juliet, in the sense that they have similar plots. Some of these similar events include the two lovers committing suicide over a misunderstanding, and the fact that their families outright refuse for them to be together. Granted, there are some differences present between each story, too, such as the two groups of lovers’ plans once they actually fall in love, and how they’re remembered by others after they die. To start off, these poor, unfortunate souls commit suicide; the male member of the relationship did so out of a misunderstanding, while the female member of the relationship did so
Thankfully, there are just as many differences present in Romeo and Juliet as there are similarities, one of these being what exactly the two groups plan to do, once they get together. Pyramus and Thisbe decide one night that they should run away from the authority of their parents, nothing else specified; “They decided that that very night they would try to slip away and steal out through the city into the open country where at last they could be together in freedom” (Ovid 488). Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, decide almost immediately that they’re soulmates and that they simply must get married; “Romeo. Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine. Juliet. I gave thee mine before thou didst request it; And yet I would it were to give again” (Shakespeare 407). To put into simpler words, Pyramus and Thisbe were just planning to run away, so as not to be held down by their parents, that’s it; Romeo and Juliet decided with the drop of a hat that they were destined for each other and had to get married as soon as
In Pyramus and Thisbe, the mulberry tree where the two die at is stained red with the blood of them. For a memorial, the tree stayed the deep red; “The deep red fruit of the mulberry is the everlasting memorial of these true lovers…” (Ovid 489). As a memorial to Romeo and Juliet in the play of the same name, Lord Montague and Lord Capulet promise of plenty of memorials for each party’s children, such as a golden statue of Juliet; “Montague. But I can give thee more; For I will raise [Juliet’s] statue in pure gold…” (Shakespeare 478). To conclude, Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe have their similarities, and their differences. The similarities, the lovers committing suicide and their parents refusing for them to be together, use a formula that works, and shows no signs of slowing. The differences, what the groups chose to do and their memorials, take that successful system and add their own spice to it, so they stand out in the crowd. Still, despite the similarities and differences of these stories, they’re still classic tales that have the ability to stand the test of time, and they stand it with