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The Allusion of Hero and Leander in Romeo and Juliet
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The Allusion of Hero and Leander in Romeo and Juliet
Works Cited
Houston, Whitney, perf. I Will Always Love You . Arista
Records, Inc & Viacom International Inc., 1999. Web. 19 Mar 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7Ld>.
Keller, Ferdinand. <i>Hero Finding Leander</i>. Digital
image. <i>Snipview.com</i>. Web.
Melnick, Lynn. "Hero and Leander." <i>Poetry
Foundation</i>. Poetry Foundation. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173940>.
Shakespeare, William. "Romeo and Juliet."
<i>SparkNotes</i>. SparkNotes. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/page_106.html>.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Hero and Leander Summary."
<i>Shmoop.com</i>. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. <http://www.shmoop.com/hero-leander/summary.html>.
Significance
- Juliet's parents wouldn't let her marry a man of a rival family (Romeo) just as Hero's parents would never let her marry a man of a foreign city.
- Shakespeare uses Mercutio to foretell the demise of Romeo and Juliet by the use of the allusion, Hero and Leander.
- He uses this particular allusion because of the way in which they all fall in love; hastily and at first sight.
- Likewise, Romeo and Juliet meet in secret.
- Both couples were temporarily in complete euphoria, until fate intervenes.
Romeo and Juliet
Hero and Leander
Mercutio
Without his roe, like a dried herring. O flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in. Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench— marry, she had a better love to berhyme her—Dido a dowdy, Cleopatra a gypsy, Helen and Hero hildings and harlots, Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose.— Signior Romeo, bonjour! There’s a French salutation to your French slop. You gave us the counterfeit fairly last night. (Shakespeare)
- Leander lives in Abydus, Hero lives in a tower by Hellespont (narrow strait-Mediterranean/Black Sea) in a city called Sestus.
- Meet at a festival, and fall in love.
- Forbidden by her parents to get married.
- Leander visits her by swimming across the strait every night, by the light of Hero's tower.
- Turbulent weather occurs, causing out of control currents. Light is blown out from Hero's tower, Leander cannot see and drowns.
- Hero finds his body wash up on shore, she cannot live without him.
- She throws herself off the tower into the strait, Hellspont.