Archetypal Themes Present in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” Essay

The origins of Shakespe atomic number 18s cope with Romeo and Juliet are relatively unknown. Its hard to believe, but this prototypic root word of ill-fated love predates Shakespeare by more than than a thousand years. The Merriam-Webster mental lexicon defines archetype as the original pattern or model of which either things of the same type are representations or copies. One of the first pieces of written work to include this common archetype of ill-fated love was Ovids Pyramus and Thisbe. Written around A.D eight, and published in Ovids Metamorphoses, this poesy recounts the romance of 2 forbidden lovers who come to a tragic end, a antecedent recurring in literature. Shakespeare and Ovid two employ similar and different prototypal symbols within their work.One common prototypical symbol in both Ovid and Shakespeares work is the wall, symbolizing forbidden love. Ovid gives life to the wall by describing it as hateful, thus personifying the wall. Another example of how Ovid makes the wall more than exclusively a inanimate barrier between the two lovers is when the lovers speak to wall. A most memorable line was when Pyramus and Thisbe declared, But for you we could touch, kiss, addressing the wall as a person.In comparison, in Romeo and Juliet the wall was the Montagues and Capulets fierce hatred for one another. In A Midsummers Night reverie, Shakespeare further develops this symbol of forbidden love by casting the wall as a character played by a person. This transforms the wall into more than comely an inanimate object, but as an actual living thing that is separating the two lovers. Shakespeare and Ovid employ different means of personifying the wall, but in both, the wall is stand for as a symbol of forbidden love.Another powerful archetypal symbol in Pyramus and Thisbe is the mulberry tree. Ovid recitations the mulberry tree as a symbol of death and the ill-fated love of Pyramus and Thisbe. Ovids poem starts break with a description of the mulberry tree, informing the reader that once upon a time the red berries of the mulberry tree were actually as sinlessness as snow. Like all of the othertales in Ovids Metamorphoses, this poem is focused around change, in this particular case, the change in colour in of the berries of the mulberry tree. Ovid tells us that the berries were stained red by the blood of Pyramus as he committed suicide upon finding Thisbes blood-stained cloak. Another archetypal symbol of death, similar to the mulberry tree, is the lion used by Ovid, the antecedent of death. In fact one can view death itself as another wall that separates Pyramus from Thisbe, until she joins him in death. Archetypal symbols of death, such as the mulberry tree and the lion, appear in numerous works of literature, and can be identified in Shakespeares plays.Up until this top, I have been analyzing Ovids and Shakespeares use of archetypal symbols, but it is also important to point out some similarities and differe nces between both authors. Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummers Night Dream both incorporate elements from Pyramus and Thisbe. However, the parallels betweenRomeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe are more authentic, given that A Midsummers Night Dream is Shakespeares satire of Romeo and Julietand Pyramus and Thisbe.Both Romeo and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe have parallel plots, common symbols, and archetypal characters. On the other hand, the original Pyramus and Thisbe is somewhat similar to the amusing rendition that the characters of Pyramus and Thisbe that hindquarters and his friends from A Midsummers Night Dream perform. However, there are some differences. In A Midsummers Night Dream Ovids work is performed crudely and absurdly, meaning that Shakespeare was well aware of these oft-repeated symbols and themes and wished to takeoff them.Next time I read a piece of literature, I will have my eyes open for some of the archetypal symbols the Ovid and Shakespeare use in their work. B eing able to recognize archetypal themes and symbols gives the reader a profound and more meaningful understanding of the text. Both Ovid, in Pyramus and Thisbe, and Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummers Night Dream, employ common archetypal symbols as a way to enhance the story that they are telling.whole kit and boodle ConsultedHosley, Richard (1965). Romeo and Juliet. New Haven Yale University Press.Roberts, Arthur J. (1902). The Sources of Romeo and Juliet. Modern Language Notes