Question
Anarce
Connect: In the Prologue to Romeo and Juliet, the play is summarized in this manner:
"A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,
Whose misadventured piteous overthows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife."
What changes did Shakespeare make to the central ideas of "Pyramus and Thisbe"?
Answer
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is based on the central ideas of "Pyramus and Thisbe," but he made several changes to the story. In Shakespeare's version, the lovers come from feuding families, and their deaths ultimately bring peace to the community. Additionally, Shakespeare added several characters and subplots to the story, including the characters of Mercutio and Paris, and the feud between the Capulet and Montague families.