Hero's Visit by Chastity and Love: A Feminist, Lesbian Rewriting of Marlow's Hero and Leander

written by Jessica Humphrey | illustration by Jeanine Lee, layout by Angela Zheng

Headnote: In Christopher Marlowe’s retelling of the classic Greek myth, Hero and Leander are two youths in love, but Hero is conflicted because she’s a priestess who also idolizes Venus. Leander desperately tries to convince her to abandon chastity, and she ends up agreeing to meet him in her tower at night. As he swims across Hellespont to be with her, he is confronted by Neptune, who holds him back after mistaking him for his lover Ganymede. Because Marlowe’s poem doesn’t show what’s happening with Hero during this time, I created a homoerotic scene for her that strives to both challenge the cultural idealization of virginity and the pressuring into sex.

“O Leander, Leander!” she cried oft, 1 And Hero awoke in her dreaming loft. Her sheets rippled like the watery plain, She pled to her pillows to dream again. Her wish was granted: a divine sight stood In the doorway to keep safe maidenhood. Hero’s great tower stretched to Heaven’s gates; Her lustful snores had rattled their meal plates. Three nymphs immediately swarmed the room And began bathing in Hero’s perfume. While wrapping themselves in her chains and robes, One eyed the flowery veil in the ‘drobes; 2 They swooned when they imagined Hero crowned And like bees, they danced and circled around, Using their tongues to catch the nectar sweet They believed dripped from her neck to her feet. 3 The queer caresses made Hero near choke, She swatted the femmes and Diana spoke: 4 “I am here to denounce the urge to plow; 5 Join my commune and to purity bow. Don’t abandon your chastity and fall To the lowly passions of lust and gall; Be rewarded with much honor and praise 6 Instead of disgrace and disease ablaze.” Hero was quick to obey the stern plea (Though what else could she do, but bend the knee?). “I, of course, pledge my allegiance to you, Live with shame and regret, I shall not do. If my young soul would be taken away, I swear to stay chaste ‘til my dying day.” But the cruel storm outside made Hero sweat, For it seemed her yield made the sea upset. She thought she could hear her love scream aloud, But his voice always chased her, so she bowed. At Olympus, Venus’ slumber broke; When Diana lectured, she always woke And in one jump off Galatea’s page, She entered the stage to resume her rage: “I come hither in heat for love’s defense, My dear follower, reject Frigid’s sense. Your only regret will be a missed flame; To be unhappy like her is the shame. She hates delights and envies desires, 7 With venom, she stomps out the world’s fires. Deny yourself joy? Please do not be stupid; Give into your passions and dance with Cupid.” At seeing her idol, our Hero froze;

The Roman Aphrodite tapped her nose: “Resisting love is as worthless, my lamb, As every abstinence-only program.” Hero was torn in two as the high feud Grew and the goddesses yelled, “Whore!” and “Prude!” Left too weak by the warring around her, She sunk into bed to drown with Leander. All of a sudden, the nymphs were banished; Diana breathed, “Don’t open,” and vanished. Fine Venus, sprawled at the foot of the bed, Posed a bacchanalia, then she too fled. 8 Hero guessed it was her distressed cheek tear That convinced both almighty gales to clear, But when the dazed maid heard knocking, she knew; She cried, “Love, I come!” and not leapt, but flew. 9 Honor was still dear and there was still scare, Yet her mind, clothed in voices, wanted bare; Thus, she stayed not in her robes, but straight ran With drunken madness to bare her bare man. 10