Famous Love Story Allusions in Romeo and Juliet

1. Famous Love Story Allusions in Romeo and Juliet

2. A Few Cupid Allusions • “Well, in that hit you miss. She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow…From Love’s week childish bow she lives uncharmed (Romeo: I, i, 209-212). • “You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings and soar with them…” (Mercutio: I, iv, 17 & 18).

3. Eros/Cupid--God of Love • Eros=Greek Root meaning physical love • Aphrodite’s son • Greeks depicted him as a young man; Romans depicted as a young boy • Sometimes considered blind (Hence the saying, “Love is blind.”) • Shot special “love” arrows--gold = true love; lead = lust • If shot with his arrow, you’d fall in love with the first person you saw

4. King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid: (Mercutio: II, i, 14). • Ballad from the Middle Ages • King Cophetua was a ruler in Africa • Was not interested in women • Fell in love at first sight with a beggar lady dressed in gray (some say Cupid shot him) • Said that if he couldn’t have her as his wife he would die • Married her despite the poverty • Some stories say it ended happily others say it didn’t

5. Echo and Narcissus • “Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud, Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies” (Juliet: II, ii, 161 & 162 ) • Echo--nymph who could only repeat what others said because of a curse from Hera • Narcissus--beautiful selfish nymph who vowed to never fall in love; Echo loved him • Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection was dying; later turned into a flower • Echo wasted away in a cave for love of Narcissus

6. Allusions from Mercutio’s Speech Act 2 Scene 4 Without his roe, like a dried herring: flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in: Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench; marry, she had a better love to be-rhyme her; Dido a dowdy; Cleopatra a gipsy; Helen and Hero hildings and harlots; Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose. (Mercutio: Romeo and Juliet, II, iv, 38-44.)

7. Petrarch and Laura • Franscico Petrarch lived in the 1300s • Father of Humanistic Philosophy and his passion for reading and writing helped end the Dark Ages • He supposedly fell in love with Laura de Noves at first sight, but she was already married. • For her, he wrote numerous poems and is considered to have perfected the sonnet (a poem form that Shakespeare used frequently). • His love, Laura, possibly died from the plague which also took most of his family and friend’s lives. • When asked whether his poems were about Laura De Noves, he denied it.

8. Dido and Aeneas • Dido, also called Elissa, was princess of Tyre in Phoenicia • She left Tyre and founded. her own city, Cathrage. • Aeneas, a hero from the Trojan war, landed on her shores. • She treated him well and fell in love with him. • He spurned her love and left her. • She is said to either have burned herself alive, or killed herself with Aeneas’ sword. Dido preparing to kill herself with Aeneas’ sword

9. Marc Antony and Cleopatra • Queen of Egypt (but was actually Greek) • Married to Julius Caesar and had a child with him • After Caesar’s death, Marc Antony went to Egypt, fell in love with her and divorced his wife to marry her • They made plans to conquer Rome • Hearing a false report that Cleopatra was dead, Antony fell on his sword • Cleopatra had a asp (snake) bite her when she received the news of Antony’s death

10. Helen Who Launched a 1000 Ships: Cause of Trojan War • Helen was the most beautiful mortal woman • Married to King Menelaus of Sparta • Paris, Prince of Troy, met her at a party in Sparta and fell in love with her • Paris kidnapped her or she went willingly to Troy • The Greeks spent 10 years during the Trojan War trying to get her back • Finally they did and killed most of the Trojans (Trojan War)

11. Hero and Leander • Hero lived as a priestess of Aphrodite in a secluded tower. • Leander, who lived across the strait, saw her and fell in love with her. • Every night he would swim the strait to stay with her. • One night there was a horrible storm as he swam, and he drowned. • When Hero found out Leander died, she threw herself from her tower into the ocean and died.

12. Thisbe and Pyramus • Young neighbors who fell in love • Parents forbid the two of them from seeing each other. • Would talk at night through the wall secretly • Decided to sneak off to meet each other near a fountain • Thisbe got there first and a lioness returning from a kill scared her off--she dropped her veil. • Pyramus, seeing her veil and the bloody tracks of the lion, thought the lionness ate Thisbe. • Blaming himself for her death--he stabbed himself. • Thisbe went back later, saw Pyramus just before he died. • She then stabbed herself. • Their parents buried them in one tomb and planted a mulberry tree outside to represent their love and the blood that was spilt.

13. Bibliography "Cophetua." Wikipedia. 02/25/08. Wikipedia. 14 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cophetua>. "Echo and Narcissus in Greek Mythology." Mythography. www.loggia.com. 14 Mar 2008 <http://www.loggia.com/myth/echo.html>. "Hero and Leander." Wikipedia. 02/25/08. Wikipedia. 14 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_and_Leander>. "Pyramus and Thisbe." Wikipedia. 02/26/08. Wikipedia. 14 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramus_and_Thisbe>. Sadlon, Peter. "Laura de Noves." Francesco Petrarch and Laura De Noves. 09/10/07. 14 Mar 2008 <http://petrarch.petersadlon.com/>.