In "Venus and Adonis" by William Shakespeare, readers are treated to a passionate and tragic tale of love and desire. The story follows the goddess Venus as she becomes infatuated with the beautiful young Adonis, who is more interested in hunting than in reciprocating her affections. Despite Venus's many attempts to win his heart, Adonis remains unmoved, leading to a heartbreaking conclusion that leaves both characters forever changed.

Shakespeare's lyrical and poetic language brings the story to life, creating a vivid and emotional experience for readers. The contrast between Venus's fiery passion and Adonis's cold indifference makes for a compelling narrative that explores themes of love, beauty, and mortality. The tragic ending serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the power of unchecked desire.

Overall, "Venus and Adonis" is a captivating and haunting work that showcases Shakespeare's mastery of language and storytelling. It is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers centuries after it was first written, making it a must-read for fans of Shakespearean literature.

Book Description:
Both Ovid and Spenser also treat this ancient myth, but Spenser alters the ending, converting the tale into an archetype of fulfilled love, whereas Ovid, like Shakespeare, combines humor with pathos as a buffer against sentimentality. Ovid’s Venus behaves absurdly out of character, becoming a huntress to keep her lover company in the woods. Shakespeare, however, preserves decorum; his Venus remains at all times the queen of love. The humor arises rather from the fact that the would-be paramour isn’t interested. This endows the goddess’s wooing with nearly slapstick over-exertion, and yet her sincerity makes her appealing, while Adonis’s immaturity forces us to respect his chastity. The pathos comes, of course, from the unhappy ending—more unhappy because we do not expect a comedy to end sadly, especially not when we sympathize with the characters. The poetic form or genre, the epyllion, is an erotic narrative based on mythology, like Marlowe's Hero and Leander and, later, Phineus Fletcher's Venus and Anchises, also found in the catalogue. Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, both narrative poems, are the only works that Shakespeare ever carefully saw through the press. - Summary by T. A. Copeland