Venus and Adonis: Analysis of Major Characters
"Venus and Adonis" is a narrative poem that explores the complex relationship between Venus, the goddess of love, and Adonis, a handsome young hunter. Venus is depicted as an ardent and passionate figure, fiercely vying for Adonis's affection, using her mastery of rhetoric to persuade him of the virtues of love and fertility. Her intense desire for him is contrasted by Adonis's shyness and reluctance, which only fuels her passion. Adonis, while initially resistant to Venus's advances, demonstrates sensitivity and tenderness, especially in moments of vulnerability. His determination to pursue hunting ultimately leads to tragedy, as his rejection of love results in his death. The poem has sparked scholarly debate regarding the thematic undercurrents of love and beauty, with some interpretations viewing Venus as a Platonic ideal rather than solely an erotic figure. The dynamics between these two characters reflect broader Renaissance ideals, highlighting the tension between desire and the consequences of neglecting emotional connections. Overall, the poem serves as a poignant exploration of love's complexities and the interplay between passion and fate.
Venus and Adonis: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Shakespeare
First published: 1593
Genre: Poetry
Locale: Greece
Plot: Erotic
Time: Remote antiquity
Venus (VEE-nuhs), the goddess of love and beauty. Voluptuous and fierily passionate, she is greedy for the love of young Adonis and immodestly thrusts her attentions on him. His shyness and sullenness increase her desire. She is a master of Renaissance rhetoric and delivers a stream of oratorical debate to convince Adonis of the importance of fertility. Her knowledge of the English countryside and hunting makes for particularly graphic and poetic descriptions. Her grief at the death of Adonis is as passionate as her love. There have been some scholarly arguments that hold her to be an allegorical Platonic figure rather than the erotic creation she appears to most readers to be.
Adonis (uh-DON-ihs), a shy, handsome young hunter. Venus' lavish wooing drives him into sullen obstinacy. He too is well trained in rhetoric and carries his side of the debate with rebukes for her lustful behavior. He is, however, tenderhearted and softens considerably when she swoons. He does not yield completely to her importunities and stubbornly goes ahead with his plans to hunt the boar. His death results. Those who hold that the poem is an expression of the Renaissance ideal of love compare Adonis with the fair young man of the sonnets and indicate that his death is justly the result of his rejection of love and beauty and his consequent failure to reproduce his kind.