Venus And Adonis

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From the time of the Ancient Greeks through to the 21st Century, human desire has always been a thought provoking idea in literature. Early Modern Bards, William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe explore this notable topic in their respective epyllion’: Venus and Adonis (1593) and Hero and Leander (1598). Not only do they provide an insight to the horrors that occur when humans act upon their ‘carnal desires’, but they also highlight the desires of Roman deities. By doing so both Shakespeare and Marlowe demonstrate that mythological Gods share the same vices as humans, thus making them a futile source of worship. During the course of this essay I will be taking a biblical approach in explaining how desire results in suffering, and ultimately the downfall of the characters in these two Renaissance poems. It is evident that desires stem …show more content…

Adonis is referred to as a ‘jade’ who stood ‘tied to a tree,’ a phrase which suggests that Venus perceives Adonis to be a source of abundance; a jewel which has captivated her. Little is she aware of the fact that she ‘will surely fall’ according to the bible due to her thirst for worldly desires. The Gods’ infatuation with the ‘ivory skin’ of the humans illustrates the fact that acting upon ones lustful desires also results in the pursuer being guilty of committing an act of greed. This indicates that Venus’ desire has acted as a catalyst to engage in other sins; committing lust and greed: two of the Seven deadly sins. The alliterated sound of the expression, ‘tied to a tree’ stresses the idea that Venus is abusing her powers as a goddess; using nature which is giving and all providing to fulfil her selfish needs. As a whole both poets emphasise the fact that desire stems from the eye being deceived by external beauty, and once an individual acts upon this certain destructive emotion then they are prone to committing many other

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