THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE SEVERAL WORKS (The plays and poems are treated in what 'the author believes to be the approximate chronological order.) Venus and Adonis. The story of Venus and Adonis as told by Shakespeare is a combination of two Ovidian stories (see s. v. Adonis); but of Ovidian allusions in the course of the poem we have but 2-a reference to Narcissus, and one to the intrigue of Mars and Venus. Cupid is mentioned once by name, and twice by implication. There are 4 allusions to the divinities as nature-personifications. A reference to Tantalus and Elysium is the only possible Vergilian indebted ness. Love's Labor's Lost. Critics are substantially agreed in considering LLL Shakespeare's earliest independent drama, but the probability that it received a considerable revision in 1598 makes it unsafe to use the play as a basis for any generalization as to the poet's treatment of mythology in his earliest period. The numerous allusions of a playful or humorous character, especially in the speeches of Biron, suggest the manner of such plays as Ado or As rather than that of the earlier works. The play contains 38 mythological allusions (+ an oath by Jove, and numerous mentions of Hector, who appears as one of the Nine Worthies); but, although the allusions are numerous and varied, they are neither very definite nor very artistic. Cupid is mentioned 10 times, always playfully, Venus twice, and Love twice. Jove is twice referred to in erotic connection, and in one of these instances Juno is mentioned with him. Nature-nymph appears but once in a pedantic speech of Holofernes. Other divinities mentioned are: Bacchus, Mercury as orator, Apollo as patron of music, Mars. Of the 8 allusions to mythological matter contained in Ovid, 6 are to Hercules, and only one, a reference to Argus, is at all definite. There is no suggestion of Vergilian influence, though several heroes of the Trojan war are mentioned incidentally. Eighteen of the mythological allusions are in speeches of Biron. Comedy of Errors. Though Err. is modeled on a classical original, classical mythology appears but little in its dialogue. There are only 6 mythological allusions, 2 of them humorous. Two Gentlemen of Verona. Of the 8 mythological allusions in Gent., 5 are definite, and 3 vague. Of the former, 2 are to Hero and Leander, and the remaining 3 to Ovidian fable. Though neither Cupid nor Venus is mentioned by name, there are 12 mentions of Love with attributes of Cupid (or Venus). Naturemyth is represented only in an oath by the 'pale queen of night.' Save in an oath by Jove, the gods do not appear at all; nor is the Trojan war ever alluded to. The allusions all occur in speeches of the serious characters. The date of Gent. is very uncertain; it has been placed as early as 1590, and as late as 1595. The relatively large proportion of Ovidian allusions would lead us to place it near Merch., while the small number of the allusions, and the total absence of the divinities, suggest the manner of Err. The Rape of Lucrece. Though the date of Lucr. is uncertain, its publication in 1594 and the general character of its composition lead the critics to assign it to about the same period as Gent., an assignation which is borne out by an examination of the mythology of the two pieces. The mythology in Lucr. is largely confined to the elaborate description of the painting Comedy of Errors-Merchant of Venice 121 in the house of Lucrece, depicting scenes from the Trojan war, a description which shows evident familiarity with En. 2. Ovidian story is represented by 4 allusions. A personification of night is the only instance of nature-myth, while an appeal to 'high almighty Jove,' and a reference to the doves of Venus, are the only mentions of the divinities. King Richard II. R2 contains 6 mythological allusions: one to Neptune as the sea, 2 to Mars as god of war, one to the shears of destiny, one to Troy, and one of Ovidian origin to 'glistering Phaeton,' who 'wanted the manage of unruly jades.' This last is the only definite allusion. The paucity of mythological allusion in this and the two histories belonging to the same period is to be explained in part at least by the character of their subjects. Among scenes of battle and murder the graceful stories of Ovid seem out of place. The single Ovidian allusion is spoken by the poetical Richard. King Richard III. Of the 5 mythological allusions in R3, 2 are to Mercury as the winged messenger of Jove, one to the chariot of the sun, one to Lethe as the river of forgetfulness, and one an elaborate reference to the Vergilian Hades. King John. There are 8 mythological allusions in K. J., distributed one each among the following subjects: Neptune as the sea, Mars as the god of war, Mercury as the messenger, Ate as spirit of discord, Hercules, the Amazons, Rumor, the shears of Destiny. None of the allusions is at all definite, and none is to Ovidian story nor to the Trojan war. Merchant of Venice. Though several plays have a larger number of allusions than Merch., in none is mythology employed with greater appropriateness and beauty. Of the 28 mythological allu |