“[By Reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the Elizabethans could](…) dig beneath its layers of fiction in an effort to recover the most precious secrets of the ancient world, whether moral, philosophical, historical, or scientific.”
It is beyond all doubt, that the great poetry of Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD) had a strong influence on William Shakespeare’s work. Understandably enough, as Ovid’s work is a classical masterpiece of Latin literature. It fascinates with its formal perfection, urban humour and Ovid’s creative fantasy. His outstanding opus is of course the Metamorphoses, the magnificent epic poem containing about 250 transformation legends of Greek and Roman mythology. Ovid’s interests in myths show also the heroides, which include fictitious love letters. Love – this is undoubtedly a central theme in Ovid’s literature. His writings Amores, Ars amatoria and Remedia amoris display that. Although Ovid’s literature was banished from public libraries by emperor Augustus after the poet’s death, his posthumous fame could not be prevented – fortunately. Ovid’s work had a great influence on medieval literature and during renaissance his mythological stories had been example for many novellas .
The role of Ovid’s greatest opus, the Metamorphoses in Shakespeare’s work, especially in his comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is going to be discussed in this paper. At first the focus lies on Ovidian literature in Elizabethan times. Then, the parody of Pyramus and Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be analysed. A special kind of metamorphosis – the one of Bottom brings up the third main emphasis.
By the way – what is a metamorphosis? It is said to be a process in which somebody or something changes completely into something different – for example a caterpillar that becomes a beautiful butterfly…
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Shakespearian Ovid
3 Pyramus & Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
5 Conclusion
6 Literature
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the influence of Ovid's Metamorphoses on William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, specifically focusing on the intersection of Ovidian mythology and Shakespearean drama.
- The reception and academic context of Ovidian literature in Elizabethan times.
- The parody of the Pyramus and Thisbe legend within Shakespeare's play.
- An analysis of animal and psychological transformations as metamorphic elements.
- The role of the "rude mechanicals" in adapting classical tragedy into farce.
- The overarching theme of love as a catalyst for supernatural and emotional change.
Excerpt from the Book
3 Pyramus & Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The story of Pyramus and Thisbe is one of the most tragic love stories ever. In Babylon a young, attractive boy and a beautiful girl have grown up together in houses built side-by-side. Their parents disapprove of their growing love and forbid them to marry or even talk to each other. But the wall that separates their houses has a hole (chink) in it through which the young lovers can talk in secrecy. The pair conspires to meet in secrecy at the sheltered grave of the Babylonian king, Ninus. On the way, Thisbe, who leaves home early, sees a lion. She is afraid and runs away, dropping her scarf. The lion, which is fresh from a feast, gnashes with his teeth and smears Thisbe’s scarf with animal blood. Pyramus, who can't get out early, finds the lion's footprints and the bloody scarf of his beloved Thisbe. Shocked by her alleged death, Pyramus pulls out his sword and kills himself. Eventually Thisbe, more worried that Pyramus would think she had changed her mind than bothered about the lion, leaves the protecting cave in which she has been hiding, and finds the body of her lover still losing blood from a self-inflicted wound. Unwilling to live without him, she takes the blade and turns it fatally on herself. Since that day the mulberry got its dark colour, soaked with Pyramus and Thisbe’s blood.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the lasting influence of Ovid's poetry on William Shakespeare and introduces the key themes of transformation and parody that will be explored.
2 The Shakespearian Ovid: This section details the pedagogical and cultural significance of Ovid in Elizabethan education and how his themes served as foundational archetypes for Shakespeare’s work.
3 Pyramus & Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The author analyzes how the tragic Ovidian myth is parodied and transformed into farce by the amateur actors within Shakespeare’s play.
5 Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, asserting that love is the primary driver for both the magical transformations in Ovid’s epics and the character arcs in Shakespeare’s comedy.
6 Literature: This section provides a comprehensive bibliography of the sources and secondary literature used for the analysis.
Keywords
Ovid, Metamorphoses, Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pyramus and Thisbe, Elizabethan literature, transformation, parody, mythology, classical tradition, Bottom, love, drama, metamorphosis, intertextuality
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this academic paper?
The paper explores the literary relationship between Ovid's Metamorphoses and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, specifically examining how classical myths were adapted and parodied in the Renaissance.
Which specific areas of study are covered?
The study covers Elizabethan education, the reception of Ovid, the adaptation of the Pyramus and Thisbe myth, and the nature of physical and psychological transformations within the play.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The goal is to demonstrate how Shakespeare utilized Ovidian themes—particularly metamorphosis—to structure his own narrative and satirize the tragic potential of the source material.
What scientific methods does the author employ?
The author uses literary analysis and comparative research to trace the intertextual connections between classical Latin sources and English Renaissance drama.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body focuses on the importance of Ovid in Shakespeare's education, the parody of Pyramus and Thisbe by the "rude mechanicals," and the specific metamorphosis of the character Bottom.
How would you characterize the primary focus of the work?
The work is characterized by keywords such as transformation, intertextuality, classical reception, parody, Ovidian influence, and Shakespearean comedy.
How does the author define the "metamorphosis" experienced by Bottom?
Bottom's metamorphosis is described as a partial physical transformation into a donkey, which leads to a scandalous, bestial liaison with the fairy queen Titania while serving as a satirical reflection of classical myths.
Why does Shakespeare choose to make the performance of "Pyramus and Thisbe" a comedy?
The author argues that by having unprofessional, "rude" actors perform the tragedy, Shakespeare creates a parody that mocks the overly complex drama titles and emotional excesses prevalent in his era.
- Quote paper
- Mandy Busse (Author), 2006, The play within the play: Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75890
