Handout to compare Pyramus and Thisbe to Romeo and Juliet

1. Module 8 Lesson 1 Assignment 1
Pyramus & Thisbe
1. In Pyramus & Thisbe, why is the love between the two young people
forbidden?
2. What secret place does Pyramus & Thisbe find that will allow them to talk
to one another without being discovered?
3. Describe the meeting that the two plan together.
4. What leads Pyramus to kill himself at the fountain?
5. How does Thisbe respond to finding her lover dead?
6. What memorial does Thisbe request for the death of their love?
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
1. Where is the play going to take place, at whose wedding?
2. How is the love of Pyramus and Thisbe described?
3. How does the character “Bottom” respond to being given the role of
Pyramus (How does he say he will play the role?)
4. Who is assigned the role of Thisbe? What is the reason given for not
being able to be Thisbe?
5. How does Bottom propose that he will play both characters?
6. Are the characters in this play taking the death of the star-crossed lovers
seriously? How do you know?
7. What is the effect of Bottom trying to play both main characters and the
lion at the same time? Can you predict what the audience will do when
they see this?
Treatment of Pyramus & Thisbe in Shakespeare’s play
1. How does Shakespeare treat the love of Pyramus and Thisbe in his
play? Remember that the original story would be considered a tragedy
and Shakespeare’s play is a comedy.