Question

Which lines from Ovid’s "Pyramus and Thisbe" establish setting?

The house of Pyramus and that of Thisbe
stood side by side within the mighty city
Theirs did—indeed they wanted to be wed,
but marriage was forbidden by their parents
They had no confidant—and so used signs:
with these each lover read the other's mind:
Just so, one night, they wished each other well,
and each delivered kisses to the wall—

Answer 1

Lines 1–2 and lines 7–8.

- Lines 1–2 ("The house of Pyramus... stood side by side within the mighty city") establish place and proximity (two houses side by side in a city).
- Line 7 ("Just so, one night, they wished each other well") gives the time of day.
- Line 8 ("and each delivered kisses to the wall") supplies a concrete physical detail (a wall between them), further grounding the scene.