Passage 1
from Pyramus and Thisbe
a Roman myth
Pyramus was the handsomest youth, and Thisbe the fairest maiden, in all Babylonia, where Semiramis reigned. Their parents occupied adjoining houses; and neighborhood brought the young people together, and acquaintance ripened into love. They would gladly have married, but their parents forbade. One thing, however, they could not forbid that love should glow with equal ardor in the bosoms of both. They conversed by signs and glances, and the fire burned more intensely for being covered up. In the wall that parted the two houses there was a crack, caused by some fault in the structure. No one had remarked it before, but the lovers discovered it. 'What will love not discover? It afforded a passage to the voice; and tender messages used to pass backward and forward through the gap. As they stood, Pyramus on this side, Thisbe on that, their breaths would mingle. "Cruel wall," they said, "why do you keep two lovers apart? But we will not be ungrateful. We owe you, we confess, the privilege of transmitting loving words to willing ears." Such words they uttered on different sides of the wall; and when night came and they must say farewell, they pressed their lips upon the wall, she on her side, he on his, as they could come no nearer.
from Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable
Passage 2
In the following excerpt of Romeo and Juliet, the scene takes place outside of Juliet's window. Romeo wants to find Juliet, and he hears her lament their situation.
from Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name!
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Romeo: [aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Juliet: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
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.
The Roman myth about Pyramus and Thisbe influenced Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Why does Shakespeare most likely transform the original text?
Shakespeare transforms the Roman myth to
A. show how unrealistic the story was in Pyramus and Thisbe.
B. engage the audience in the love story with a different theme.
C. engage the audience in the love story in a more relatable setting.
D. show how Pyramus and Thisbe were strong characters.