Literary Couples

Love, romance and the accompanying tribulations and joys have provided endless material for writers from the beginning of time.  Enjoy this list of memorable love matches......

Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet,
by William Shakespeare

Generally perceived as the quintessential romantic couple, Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers, painfully separated by feuding families. In this classic play, Shakespeare asserts that teenagers were just as impulsive and dramatic in the 16th century as they are in modern times..

Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy
Pride and Prejudice,
by Jane Austen

Despite her mother's incessant pleas, the independent and headstrong Lizzy is determined to marry for true love or else be a spinster.  In a life bound by etiquette and frivolity, she meets the proud, taciturn, and very wealthy Darcy. The two seem to disagree on just about everything, but an unlikely love blooms from their antagonism.

Tristan and Iseult
Folk Legend

This archaic legend tells a tale of forbidden love between a Cornish knight and an Irish beauty. Tristan, who is trusted implicitly by the King.  He is sent to fetch the enchanting Iseult and bring her back for a royal wedding. During the journey, the two unknowingly consume a potion that entrances them, and they fall deeply in love.

Gatsby and Daisy
The Great Gatsby,
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

In a period marked by surrealism and superficiality, Jay Gatsby attempts to win back his old flame, Daisy, with flashy parties and panache. Daisy's marriage presents a weighty obstacle, but Gatsby fervently persists.

Jane Eyre and Rochester
Jane Eyre,
by Charlotte Bronte

 Jane is an abused orphan employed as a governess to the charge of an abrasive, but very rich Edward Rochester. The improbable pair grow close as Rochester reveals a tender heart beneath his gruff exterior. He does not, however, reveal his penchant for polygamy.

Catherine and Heathcliff
Wuthering Heights,
by Emily Bronte

Sweethearts, Catherine and Heathcliff,  manage to continue a paranormal affair even after Catherine's death. Death has not abated Heathcliff's adoration of his beloved, and he begs Catherine's spirit to haunt him always.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Macbeth,
by William Shakespeare

 Lady Macbeth wields a weighty influence over her infatuated husband. When she urges him to seize the crown by murdering the current king, her infectious ambition takes hold, and the easily manipulated Macbeth takes measures to carry out the treasonous scheme.

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler
Gone with the Wind,
by Margaret Mitchell

Proving that timing is everything, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler never seem to be quite in synch. Throughout the epic story, this tempestuous twosome experience passion but not permanence, and their stormy marriage reflects the surrounding Civil War battles.

Lancelot and Guinevere
Folk Legend

The love that rocked an entire kingdom, the illicit affair between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot has been immortalized by storytellers for generations. The rogue Lancelot is knighted by King Arthur after he bravely rescues Guinevere from odious captors. However, unbeknownst to the King, his favorite new member of the Round table is in hot pursuit of the Queen.

Emma and Knightley
Emma,
by Jane Austen

Austen once remarked that she created Emma as a character that no one would like but herself. Vowing never to marry, Emma is content instead to play matchmaker -- to fruitless and hilarious results. She nonetheless finds herself a surprising and loving mate in her close friend, George Knightley.

Odysseus and Penelope
The Odyssey,
by Homer

Few couples understand sacrifice quite like this Greek pair. After being torn apart, they wait twenty long years to be reunited. War takes Odysseus away shortly after his marriage to Penelope. Although she has little hope of his return, she resists the 108 suitors who are anxious to replace her husband.

Also making my list.....

• Anne and Gilbert - Anne of Green Gables
• Jo and Laurie - this is a "wish" match since Jo ended happily married to Mr. Baehr in Little Women
• Beatrice and Benedict - Much Ado About Nothing...for them being smart, happy and single was perfect
• Ma and Pa Ingalls
• Kermit and Miss Piggy - right, they aren't literary hallmarks, but their dart and dodge affair rivals that of many lovers caught between the pages