|
Asimov’s Guide To Shakespear. Volume 1This is not the only flower that was supposed to have originated out of the blood of a mortal loved by a god. There was the case, for instance, of a beautiful Spartan prince, Hya-cinthus, with whom Apollo fell in love. (The Greeks had a tolerant and even approving attitude toward male homosexuality, and the Greek gods indulged in it too.) The West Wind was also in love with Hyacinthus and when Apollo and Hyacinthus were exercising by throwing the discus, the West Wind, out of jealousy, blew the discus against the boy's head, killing him. From the blood of Hyacinthus sprang the hyacinth, which carries on its petals markings that look like the first two letters of the name of Hyacinthus (in Greek), two letters which, coincidentally, mean "woe." … to Paphos. .. Shakespeare's version of the story ends there, with the disastrous climax of Adonis' death. The last, and 199th, stanza, reads: Thus weary of the world, away she hies And yokes her silver doves, by whose swift aid Their mistress, mounted, through the empty skies «In her light chariot quickly is convey'd, Holding their course to Paphos, where their queen Means to immure herself and not be seen. —lines 1189-94 The doves, for their amorous dispositions, their whiteness and gentleness, are fitting representations of romantic love and are therefore associated with Venus ...» | Код для вставки книги в блог HTML
phpBB
текст
|
|