The passage follows Pyramus, a young boy, who wakes up to find his father, Xerxes, leaving the room in the middle of the night. Fearing the worst, he follows him with his younger brother, Maximus, who is fast asleep in his arms. They find their father by the ocean, where Xerxes, consumed by grief over the loss of his wife, is contemplating suicide. He's yelling at the moon and the sea, overcome with sorrow and despair.
When Pyramus cries out and begs him not to leave, Xerxes tries to send him away, but his son's pleas and the sudden crying of the younger brother, Maximus, make him realize what he is about to do. Pyramus, seeing his father's hesitation, intentionally pinches Maximus to make him cry louder, knowing that the sound of his child's tears is something his father cannot ignore.
