Cite three allusions to Greek and Roman mythology used in Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet?

[babygrl]

I need help with my homework. This is the question:
Shakespeare also uses allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. These allusions serve to enhance his poetic use of figurative language. Cite three allusions used in Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet.

Thanks in advance!

[Sharon]

Use the quote:

"From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels" -Romeo & Juliet

It Alludes to Greek mythology in refernce to sunrise.

First translations, then mythic tales alluded to & the context:
'From forth' = out of the way of
'Titan's fiery wheel' = the burning wheels of the chariot of the sun-god, the Titan Helios (Roman poets referred to the Greek sun god as Titan; In Greek mythology the sun was personified as Helios. As time passed, Helios was increasingly identified with the Greek god of light, Apollo. The equivalent of Helios in Roman mythology was Sol Invictus. )
Fiery wheels = Greek God Apollo's [or Hyperion's] cart which draws the sun in its path. From the 5th century BC, Apollo, originally a deity of radiant purity, was more and more interpreted as a sun god. (A sun chariot is a mythological representation of the sun riding in a chariot. )
Titan = Saturn's largest moon, the name 'Titan' derives from the union of the Greek gods of the sky (Uranus) & land (Gaia)

In Greek mythology, Hyperion was the Titan of light, the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn, and Helios was his son. Helios is the young Greek god of the sun. Each morning at dawn he rises from the ocean in the east & rides in his chariot, pulled by four horses - Pyrois, Eos, Aethon and Phlegon -- through the sky, to descend at night in the west. He was called upon by witnesses because he saw and knew everything that happened on earth. Helios was depicted as a youth with a halo wearing a billowing white cloak. His daughters were Phaethusa ("radiant") and Lampetia ("shining"). He had a son named Phaeton. Helios once allowed Phaeton, his son, to guide his chariot across the sky. The unskilled youth could not control the horses. When Phaethon lost control of the horses Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt. This scorched the ground, creating deserts. A lesson to mortals: do not try to rise above yourself.

There is an English adage to consider: Red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning. The sky goes red when there are rain clouds coming from the east. Shakespeare's original audience would have been in tune with this. We are moving from the time of night - with its dreams and confusions, to day. But there are clouds on the horizon. Beware, there's a storm brewing.

Now viewing this in the context of the play: When Friar Laurence first appears he sets the scene for us: "The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night, / Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light, / And fleckled [dappled] darkness like a drunkard reels / From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels" (2.3.1-4). The imagery not only gives us a vivid picture of dawn's mixture of light and dark, but it reminds us of the lovers' situation. Night can be said to be "frowning" because it can be full of uncertainty and danger, and darkness can be compared to a drunkard because it is in the dark that we party hearty and throw caution to the winds. In the night Romeo and Juliet have experienced all of this: uncertainty, danger, and sudden passion. But now the fiery wheels of the sun-god's chariot are chasing away the night and bringing the light of day, with its relentless realities.


Another would be, Cupid and Psyche.

[Diana P]

"The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,"

Here are two in one sentence:

"With Cupid's arrow,--she hath Dian's wit;"

"Dian" is "Diana." He shortened it so the meter would fit.

Actually, Paris is also a character in Homer's The Iliad and Vergil's Aeneas. He played a large part in causing the Trojan war. But he's not a god.

Here where you can find a brief summary of each god and goddess. In the top right, enter a name in "Search Mythica":

http://www.pantheon.org