Venus and Adonis - Essay Example

Venus and Adonis Topic: Write an essay on the function of the following episode in Venus and Adonis, paying particular attention to the description of the two animals and the significance of their behaviour. (full question see attached) Shakespeare has developed the basic narrative in to a poem of 1194 lines. The main theme of the poem is to make Adonis refuse Venus's offer of herself. Shakespeare shows a liking for activist heroines, who take the initiative, force to woo and pursue an evasive male, who does not readily respond the advances. Young Adonis is the most handsome youth, the only one in the world. God has chiseled such a rare figure. But he is disinterested in the art of love. He gets immense joy in hunting and riding over the hills after deer and fox. Mesmerised with his beauty, Venus specially descends on Planet Earth from the heavens and falls in love with him desperately. Passion has been compared as an animal instinct. Shakespeare highlights this instinct though the love play of Adonis and Venus. Love and passion of a woman have the capacity to disturb the mental equilibrium of a man and Venus is aware of the strength and the power of seduction of the feminine charms. She challenges him one morning in the fields as he is on his hunting mission. She pleads with him to dismount, tie his horse to a tree and engage in conversation with her. Shakespeare describes how Venus proceeds step by step to kindle the animal passion in Adonis. Initially she is tactful with her love but later does not hesitate to apply force, reclines by his side and eyes him with caressing glances, engages him in passionate conversation, explains to him in tender words the wonder and glory of love. Adonis does not relent, he is steady and firm, is more anxious to leave her even as she begs him for kind disposition and a kiss, but Adonis is set on his single-pointed determination for hunting. She lists the pleasures that she can offer to him, Adonis finally breaks himself from her arms, and it is at this moment , Shakespeare explains in clear terms the victory of the animal instinct, by the example of the behavior of the horse. As Adonis rushes towards his stallion, it hears a call of a jennet in a field nearby. Shakespeare describes the situation thus: “Away he springs and hasteth to his horse. But, lo, from forth a copse that neighbors by, A breeding jennet, lusty, young and proud, Adonis' trampling courser doth espy, And forth she rushes, snorts and neighs aloud: The strong-neck'd steed, being tied unto a tree, Breaketh his rein, and to her straight goes he.” The aroused stallion forgets about the loyalty to its master, breaks the leather thong that holds him and gallops towards the jennet. Shakespeare paints exactly the opposite scenario here as for the male-female love. Initially, jennet pretends to be cold to the stallion's advances but that seems to be a deliberate ploy! When she realises that Adonis is about to take control of his mount, she neighs with affection succeeds in thwarting the attempt of Adonis to take charge of the stallion, and the two horses gallop away to another field to take their love-play to logical conclusion. The situation is described thus:“ He springs up to rejoin his horse, but (conveniently for and perhaps arranged by Venus) his stallion pursues a mare in heat, breaking its reins. The mare is coy, the stallion frustrated, but at last the two horses run off leaving Adonis stuck again with Venus.” (Synopsis....)Adonis is left behind!The power of love is such, even an animal would not like interference by a third party-in this particular case-Adonis! Shakespeare describes the condition of the rushing stallion towards the jennet, a perfect description, when an animal is in heat. He also draws comparison of the mental condition of Adonis to the advances of Venus. Adonis is stern and nothing kindles his emotions and passion. Venus tries her best to woo him and ultimately fails. Perhaps the stallion/jennet episode is the deliberate ploy of Venus as Venus belongs to the divine kingdom and capable of initiating the supernatural incidents. The condition of the stallion is entirely different. He is uncontrollable and gallops towards fulfillment of his passion. It is difficult to fathom what Shakespeare intends to convey through this incident of the behavior of stallion and the jennet. Adonis is cold. Even the divine intervention of Venus fails to create dents in the strong willpower of Adonis. His stallion, leaps, neighs,hounds and breaks asunder. Shakespeare describes the plight of the stallion thus: “The iron bit he crusheth 'tween his teeth, Controlling what he was controlled with. His ears up-prick'd; his braided hanging mane Upon his compass'd crest now stand on end;” What physical changes take place in passion-filled stallion? Shakespeare concludes-- his swollen nostrils drink the air, as if from a furnace, sending vapours. His eyes emit fire, and the intense desire to mate is seen in his eyes. His demeanor indicates gentle majesty and modest pride. Pride for the adventurous task that he is going to undertake soon responding to the call of the jennet. The surrender of Venus to the charm of Adonis was instant; she came all the way from the heavens to Planet earth to seek fulfillment of her love, but in case of the animals, jennet has the upper hand. How does the jennet respond to the love and neighs of the stallion! She shows the deliberate initial reluctance, being a proud female, who likes to be wooed. She spurns the love and scorns the heat he feels. When she sees Adonis is waiting for an opportunity to seize control of him, what does the jennet do? To put it in the words of Shakespeare, “His testy master goeth about to take him; When, lo, the unback'd breeder, full of fear, Jealous of catching, swiftly doth forsake him, With her the horse, and left Adonis there:” This scenario has no effect on Adonis, but Venus out of the encouragement she gets from this development, rushes to him to continue with her game of love. Her all pleas fall on the deaf-ear and finally Adonis gives her the disgusting look of scorn. The lovelorn goddess faints and falls to the ground. Shakespeare provides a tragic conclusion to the story and the love-game planned by Venus does not succeed. Having unwisely spurned the path love, Adonis meets with the tragic end in the game of hunting, which was so dear to him. ************** Works Cited: Synopsis Venus and Adonis. Time:Antiquity... hudsonshakespeare.org/.../synopsis_venus_and_adonis.htm - Cached – Retrieved on February 16,2010. Read More