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Ovid Similarities Between Romeo And Juliet

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A characteristic common to the world of literature is the influence between pieces of literature. Although each piece of literature may seem completely unique and original at first, the truth reveals that all literary works are connected in one way or another, taking certain elements from other pieces and adding a spin that can make them distinct stories. The close relationship of literary elements between two pieces of literature is perfectly exemplified by a narrative poem written by Ovid and a famous play directed by William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe” share similar elements of plot, conflict, and characterization, but retain their individuality through the respective …show more content…

The dominant conflict in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is that Romeo and Juliet each come from opposing families that are constantly feuding. As a result, Romeo and Juliet struggle to share a relationship because their parents would undoubtedly not approve of their love. In the play, the threat of the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets to the relationship is highlighted by “So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.” (Shakespeare 2.2.45-49). Obviously, Juliet realizes that the hatred between the two wealthy families of Verona is a large hindrance to the apparent love between herself and Romeo since she is a Capulet, but Romeo is a Montague. The quote implies that the only way for Romeo and Juliet to love each other indefinitely is if one of them gives up their family name. Of course, this conflict of interest leads to several obstacles along the storyline and terminates with the death of the couple. The main conflict in “Pyramus and Thisbe” is quite similar, as Pyramus and Thisbe come from rivalling households. Ovid expresses the conflict by saying “Theirs did - indeed they wanted to be wed, but marriage was forbidden by their parents: yet there’s one thing that parents can’t prevent: the flame of love that burned in both of them.” (Ovid). The passionate love between Pyramus and Thisbe would be perfect, except that they are caught between grudging families. Once again, this conflict proves to be major since it forces the lovers to rendezvous secretively which ends up in both of their deaths. The conflict of forbidden love is visibly common between the narrative poem and play as the concept essentially leads to all the other events in both stories. Despite how similar the conflict is between the

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