Interpretation Essay

Pyramus and Thisbe

Everybody knows the crimson red color of the mulberries, but not everyone knows that they once were white. Long ago the mulberry tree stood tall and majestic with brilliantly white berries. Till the fateful day when it witnessed and absorbed the death of two lovers. The story of Thisbe and Pyramus shows us the sacrifices we make for love and the depth in which our devotion to the one we love goes. The ways in which we can analyze the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe is by using the natural, social, and psychological levels of interpretation. By using these levels we can see how the myth relates to us not only on the surface but emotionally and socially as well.

Pyramus was a beautiful young man of Babylon who fell in love with the girl next door. When his love was denied he devised a plan to meet up with Thisbe. Upon arriving at the forest he saw Thisbe’s cloak ravaged by the lioness and was stricken with grief. Feeling horrible remorse and responsibility for the loss of his love he felt that taking his own life could be the only penance. On the social level Pyramus represents all young men in communities. The need for him to provide and take care of Thisbe is typically the role of all young men. Psychologically he shows bravery and chivalry. He portrays his strong devotion for the well being of Thisbe. Although if Pyramus had not acted so rash he could have found out that Thisbe was still alive.


Thisbe was the most beautiful girl of all Babylon. She grew up loving her neighbor Pyramus, but once they got older their love became forbidden. It came to be that Thisbe’s love would not be thwarted. She agreed to meet Pyramus and runaway. When she came upon Pyramus dying on the forest floor, her love for him brought her to take hers as well. On the social level Thisbe being a young woman represents the future. All life depends on younger generation. If the young cannot live due to the circumstances that are put upon them, how will we prosper? Psychologically Thisbe represents the longing to be with whom you want. By running away she shows rebellion and also the secrecy of their love. Additionally Thisbe reflects the dream most girls have, to have a love that is forbidden and her knight in shining armor will come and take her away and live happily ever after. Unfortunately for Thisbe her story ended in tragedy.


One must think that the tragedy that takes place in this story might not have happened. Thisbe and Pyramus just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However no one can stop a lioness from hunting. Socially the lioness represents the customs and beliefs of families. Some families will not permit a marriage due to the thought that they are not compatible. The lioness takes them from each other showing that separation. Even though psychologically the lioness represents separation, it also represents joining. By taking both their lives indirectly, she made it possible for them to be together in death for eternity. The lioness can bring the feelings of sorrow and grief for the families, but for the lovers she brings joy.


So in the end the two lovers end up together, although it cost the parents their children. By looking at the story of Pyramus and Thisbe on a natural, social, and psychological level, we can see that everything has a deeper meaning. The two young lovers represent love, loss, secrecy, rebellion, and desire. These feelings are feelings that everyone in the world can relate to and compare to their own lives.