Venus and Adonis
Venus and Adonis
In a Nutshell
Pop quiz: think about every super dramatic love story you've ever read or seen.
Ready? What's on your list? Maybe some of these:
- Jake and Neytiri of Avatar
- Rose and Jack of Titanic
- Edward and Bella (and Jacob) of Twilight
- Romeo and Juliet
- Katniss and Peeta (and Gale) of The Hunger Games
Now, picture all of these stories pumped up on steroids – that's what "Venus and Adonis" is like. You've got the goddess of beauty, love, and (ahem) procreation, falling desperately in love with a guy who is literally the sexiest man on earth. What could possibly be a more love-y love story? We have no idea. So, if you're into romance, here you go – Shmoop delivers it to you in a heart-shaped box.
But maybe you aren't into romance. Maybe you'd prefer that Jake wasn't healed by a magic tree and turned into a Na'vi in Avatar. Maybe you wish Edward and Bella broke it off before they had a monster baby. Well, if you like to see love thwarted, this is definitely the story for you.
Shmoop Connections
Explore the ways this myth connects with the world and with other topics on Shmoop
- Check out Ovid's version of Venus and Adonis' love story in Book 10 of The Metamorphoses.
- The first piece of poetry published by Shakespeare was called Venus and Adonis. We wonder if the dirty jokes helped make the poem so popular?
- Deluded Willy Lowman calls his sons Adonises in Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman.