Most Famous Lovers of Literature and History

[andrewan]

Whether you are feeling all alone in the world or truly believe there are always more fish in the sea, these lovers will renew or reinfornce your faith in "love"... these are the most famous lovers in history. Do you know any others?
1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony
3. Lancelot and Guinevere
4. Layla and Majnun
5. Tristan and Iseult (Isolde)
6. Eloise and Abelard
7. Paris and Helena
8. Orpheus and Eurydike
9. Napoleon and Josephine
10. Cyrano and Roxane
11. Pyramus and Thisbe
12. Werther and Lotte
13. Odysseus and Penelope
14. Jane Eyre and Rochester
15.Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

[Lucre]

16. Liang Shan Bo & Zhu Ying Tai
17. Jia Bao Yu & Lin Dai Yu

[Cesare]

Romeo & Juliet - a couple of hormone driven silly teenagers whose only saving grace is that they died of their stupidity and that they died a good-looking death
Paris and Helena, dooming a whole proud city because of their - whatever it was it was not worth it... Eww.
Werther, who was emo looong before emo became trendy and as useless, whiny and self-absorbed as any stereotypical emo can be... He only got what he brought upon himself, poor silly sod. (Though I admit I do like the book.)
Guess I'm not romantic enough or what, but many of those famous couples of literature, history and myth seriously get on my nerves.


BTW - you forgot about Lady & Tramp...

[Banh Mi]

Although not the most famous, I give props to Sullivan Ballou during the American Civil War.

He was a lawyer with a promising political career who discarded that to defend that he believed in. And the letter to his wife is so elloquently worded. Everyone should read it, it was found after he died.

click to show/hide spoilers

July 14, 1861
Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah,

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days -- perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye
when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure -- and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. If it is necessary that I
should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how
strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution.
And I am willing -- perfectly willing -- to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows -- when, after having eaten for long years the bitter
fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children -- is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze,
that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death -- and I,
suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.

I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of
the principles have often advocated before the people and "the name of honor that I love more than I fear death" have called upon me, and I have obeyed.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and
bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give
them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I
know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me -- perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If
I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your
happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet
the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- amidst your happiest
scenes and gloomiest hours -- always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or if the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father's love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him
among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters.

Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God's blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.

Sullivan

[PJ]

Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu

[rosely]

The Snow Queen:

Gerda & Kay
Kim Bora & Han Deukgu

[Dennis Chen]

Cupid and Psyche
Beauty and the Beast (based on the above)
Don Juan and many, many women
Hero and Leander

Whether or not Lancelot and Guinevere were lovers is debateable.

[pemberly]

1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony
3. Lancelot and Guinevere
4. Layla and Majnun
5. Tristan and Iseult (Isolde)
6. Eloise and Abelard
7. Paris and Helena
8. Orpheus and Eurydike
9. Napoleon and Josephine
10. Cyrano and Roxane
11. Pyramus and Thisbe
12. Werther and Lotte
13. Odysseus and Penelope
14. Jane Eyre and Rochester
15.Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

1) a couple of horney teenagers
2) she used him to fight octavian. apparently, she dug julius caesar a lot more.
3) um.... you do realize that guinevere was a married woman at this time who had an affair with her hubby's buddy while her hubby was away at a holy quest.
7) she only liked him bc she was under a spell. as soon as it wore off, she went back to her husband.
10) she spent 90% of the book in love with someone else, and only liked him when he died, via clay pot falling on his head.
15) again, she spent 90% of the book in love with another man, as well as being married to 2 other guys and making babies with them in the meantime. he also left her at the end.