Echo and Narcissus, a la Shmoop: A Couple of People in Love With the Same Guy
Love is a beautiful thing. It brings people together...
...helps us through hard times...
...and basically keeps the planet going.
Unfortunately, love can also get a little crazy.
...and then it’s not such a beautiful thing.
Take Echo, a young and beautiful nymph...
...who deceived Zeus’ wife, Hera...
...so that she wouldn’t discover he was messin’ around with a bunch of mountain nymphs.
Echo had a pretty sweet life...
...until Hera caught wise and took away Echo’s voice.
...she roamed around the forest...
...until she met, or rather, spied on Narcissus...
...a good looking guy who was so in love with himself, he wouldn’t even look at anyone else.
So, because he would never be hers, Echo withered away to nothing.
Narcissus ultimately bit the dust because he couldn’t have the love of his life...
...himself.
So, which one of these two were creepier?
Can’t say we’d enjoy an evening with either one but we know one thing...
...Echo was one scary nymph.
Lusting after a lost love is bad enough...
...but stalking someone is definitely not cool.
But maybe Narcissus is even creepier...
...because what could be creepier than being literally in love with yourself?
Here was a guy who could have had anyone...
...but was arrogant enough...
...to reject anyone who ever tried to love him...
...and ended up dying alone, staring at his own reflection.
Most stories feature at least one good, virtuous character
to contrast against the weirdos and sleazeballs…
…but not in Greek mythology.
Pretty much all of those guys had issues.
So between Echo and Narcissus…
...who wins the creepy prize?
A girl who stalks a guy who doesn’t love her...
Or a handsome guy who can’t be dragged away from a mirror?
We’re not sure...
...but maybe both of them could have used a few sessions on Dr. Logos’ couch.
What’s your verdict?
Shmoop amongst yourselves.