Question

read the excerpt from ovids \pyramus and thisbe\.
now the girl
again seeks out the tree: though trembling still,
she would not fail his tryst; with eyes and soul
she looks for pyramus; she wants to tell
her lover how she had escaped such perils.
she finds the place—the trees familiar shape;
but seeing all the berries color changed,
she is not sure.
ovid creates a tense situation, as thisbe does not
realize that
options:

• pyramus is dying
• pyramus no longer loves her
• she is lost in the woods
• she is in grave danger

Explanation:

In the story "Pyramus and Thisbe", Pyramus mistakenly thinks Thisbe is dead and stabs himself. When Thisbe returns to their meeting place, she doesn't initially realize Pyramus is dying (he is injured and on the verge of death at this point in the narrative). The other options are incorrect: Pyramus still loves Thisbe, Thisbe is not lost (she finds the tree), and the immediate tense situation here is about Pyramus's condition, not her being in grave danger (her escape perils are past at this moment).

Answer:

A. Pyramus is dying