Sean Briones10/07/09Period 3

Everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet.

It has been replayed and rewritten more times than any other play.

It might surprise you to know that the story is older than you think; reaching back to ancient Greek mythology in the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.

In the city of Babylon lived neighbors and enemies Pyramus and Thisbe.

But the two children did not meet each other until they were teens.

Their two houses were separated by a huge wall built so that their families would not see each other.

associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

It seems that the youth's families hated each other for some old reason that no one really remembered anymore.

However, the hate led them to continue their rivalry.

They were told and expected by their family from a young age to hate the other family.

Edith Hamilton. “Mythology. Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes.

Eventually, Pyramus and Thisbe did meet through a hole in the wall.

They fell in love before they knew the others names.

Once their families found out about their relationship, they were not allowed to ever speak to one another again.

wikipedia pyramus and thisbe

The two (through another smaller hole in the wall) whispered and passed notes of their love.

They tried to make the hole larger by chipping at it until it was large enough that they could almost kiss but their parents found out.

The wall was fixed to prevent something like that again.

associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

Thisbe was locked in her room. She was allowed out only when given

permission by a family member or another guardian.

Thisbe worked on her attendant until she agreed to help her by passing notes back and forth to Pyramus.

associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

They did this for awhile until they couldn`t stand being apart.

They made plans to run away together so they picked a spot that was familiar to both of them.

That spot was under a mulberry tree.

Edith Hamilton. “Mythology. Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes.

Thisbe, with the help of her attendant, managed to sneak away first.

She disguised herself with a hat and veil so that her family or anyone besides Prymas could not recognize her.

She set out.

associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

As Thisbe waited, a lion came to the stream that was right next to the tree.

Thisbe crawled (because she was scared) to hide in the bushes. But she dropped hat and veil.

The bright hat and veil caught the lion's attention and the lion played around with them, ripping them. When it was playing with the hat, the lion cut its paw. The blood of the lion was left on the veil and soaked the ground around it.

Bulfinch, Thomas (1856). The Age of Fable, or, Stories of Gods and Heroes (2nd ed

When Prymas arrived and saw the scene he thought the lion killed Thisbe.

He took his knife and stabbed his own heart.

He didn`t know Thisbe was sleeping behind the tree.

Edith Hamilton. “Mythology. Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes.

Thisbe woke up and saw Prymas with a knife in his chest, the hat and veil, and his blood everywhere.

She pieced it together and figured out what must`ve happened.

She cried for hours and couldn't ease the pain.

She grabbed Prymas`s knife and killed herself.

associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

They say when Pyramus stabbed himself and his blood stained the mulberry tree.

The tree`s berries were stained red. They used to be white.

The tree has kept this color in honor of the two lovers who could not be together in this life.

Edith Hamilton. “Mythology. Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. United States., NAL PENGUIN INC. 1969

Kutchinsky, Charlotte. “Did Shakespeare Plagiarize Greek Mythology?” associatedcontent.com N. p. ,18 Apr. 2008. google. web. 4 Dec. 2009.

Edith Hamilton. “Mythology. Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. United States., NAL PENGUIN INC. 1969

Bulfinch, Thomas (1856). The Age of Fable, or, Stories of Gods and Heroes (2nd ed.)

Ovid Metamorphoses iv.55-166 wikipedia pyramus and thisbe