Pyramus & Thisbe

Pyramus was the most handsome man and was childhood friend of Thisbe, the fairest maiden in Babylonia. They both lived in neighboring homes and fell in love with each other as they grew up together. However, their parents were dead against them marrying each other. So, one night just before the crack of dawn, while everyone was asleep, they decided to slip out of their homes and meet in the nearby fields near a mulberry tree. Thisbe reached there first, covered with a veil. As she waited under the tree, she saw a lion coming near the spring close by to quench its thirst. Its jaws were bloody, indicating it had just feasted on its prey. When Thisbe saw this horrifying sight, she panicked and ran to hide in some hollow rocks nearby. As she was running, she dropped her veil.

The lion, on hearing the shriek came near the tree where Thisbe was initially waiting. The creature picked up the veil in his bloody jaws. At that moment, Pyramus reaches near the mulberry tree and sees Thisbe's veil in the jaws of the lion. He is completely devastated as he thinks that the lion just hunted down Thisbe. Shattered, he pierces his chest with his own sword. Unknown to what just happened; Thisbe is still hiding in the rocks due to the fear of the lion. When she comes out after sometime, she sees what her lover did to himself. She is totally shattered when she sees the sword piercing right through her lover's chest. She also takes the sword and kills herself.

“O, Pyramus,” she cried, “what has done this? Answer me, Pyramus; it is your own Thisbe that speaks. Hear me, dearest, and lift that drooping head!” were words uttered by Thisbe to bring Pyramus back from the jaws of death. The legend says that on hearing the grief-struck pleas of Thisbe, Pyramus did open his eyes, though only for a moment. He died soon after, leaving his beloved alone and weeping. Thisbe’s act of taking away her life on feeing desolate is extremely tragic and touching that one can instantly feel connect with the unfortunate lovers.