The tender boy: an analysis of the myth of Adonis in Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis

This thesis aims to explore and understand the roots of Adonis as a mythological figure in William Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis. Beginning with an overview on the influence that classical themes had on English authors during the late sixteenth century, the first chapter focuses on Ovid’s reception in Renaissance England, going through the pivotal role played by Arthur Golding’s translation of the Metamorphoses and following the development of the epyllion in Elizabethan England. Moreover, the second chapter is meant to offer a synopsis of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis, placing it in its socio-political context. Conclusively, the last chapter will center around the myth of Adonis in Shakespeare's poem: the attempt of this thesis is to point out the innovative variations, concerning features and actions, of the Adonis depicted by Shakespeare, but also try to determine which are his literary sources by analysing his Latin classical background, paying particular attention to Ovid, and moving towards how he could have been influenced by the works of some of his contemporaries.