1. Romeo and Juliet

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The tragedy of the two teenagers from two rival families in Verona, who fall in love at first. They become true lovers and then risk it all for their love. The couple has become the most famous lovers ever.

2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

The romance of Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most catchy, interesting and heartbreaking of all times. The tale of these two historical characters had later been dramatized by William Shakespeare and is still staged all over the world. The relationship between these two powerful people put the country of Egypt in a powerful position.

3. Lancelot and Guinevere

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

One of the best-known stories of Arthurian Legend is the sad romance of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s wife. Lancelot and Guinevere’s love for each other grew slowly as initially Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. They tried to keep their love a secret from the king, but eventually, it became known and was a catalyst for the Round Table to fall. King Arthur’s nephew gathered 12 knights and stormed Guinevere’s chamber, catching the couple in bed. Sir Lancelot fought his way out of the castle, but guards seized Guinevere who was trialed and condemned to burn to death for her infedility. Upon hearing the news of his beloved’s imminent execution, Sir Lancelot attempted to rescue her. Lancelot ended his days as a hermit and Guinevere became a nun at Amesbury where she died.

4. Tristan and Isolde

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

The dramatic love story of Tristan and Isolde takes place during medieval times during the reign of King Arthur. Isolde of Ireland was the daughter of the King of Ireland. Isolde was engaged to King Mark of Cornwall who sent his nephew, Tristan, to Ireland to escort Isolde back to Cornwall. However, on their way, Isolde and Tristan fell in love. The bride did marry Mark of Cornwall, but the couple’s affair continued after the marriage. When King Mark finally learned of the affair, he forgave Isolde, but Tristan was exiled from Cornwall, so he went to Brittany. There he met Iseult of Brittany, whom he married, but did not perfected the marriage because of his love for Isolde. After falling ill, Tsent for Isolde in hopes that she would be able to cure him. If she agreed to come, the returning ship’s sails would be white, or the sails would be black if she did not agree. Iseult, seeing the white sails, lied to Tristan and told him that the sails were black. He died of grief before Isolde could reach him. Isolde died soon after of a broken heart.

5. Paris and Helena

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Narrated in Homer’s Iliad, the story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan War is a Greek heroic legend. Helen of Troy was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, fell in love with Helen and taken her, bringing her back to Troy. The Greeks assembled a great army, led by Menelaus’s brother, Agamemnon, to retrieve Helen. The city was perished. Helen returned safely to Sparta, where she lived happily with Menelaus for the rest of her life.

6. Orpheus and Eurydice

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

In the ancient greek tale of desperate love, Orpheus fell deeply in love with and married Eurydice, a beautiful nymph. Aristaeus, a Greek god of the land and agriculture, became quite fond of Eurydice, and actively pursued her. While escaping from Aristaeus, she ran into a nest of snakes which bit her fatally on her legs. In his sadness, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. In his anxiety he forgot that both needed to be in the upper world, and he turned to look at her, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever.

7. Napoleon and Josephine

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

A marriage of advantage, at age 26 Napoleon took a fancy to Josephine. An older, prominent, and most importantly wealthy woman. As time drew on, Napoleon fell deeply in love with Josephine, and she with him, but that didn’t deter the adultery on both sides-their mutual respect for one another kept them together, and their burning passion between them didn’t falter, and was genuine. They eventually separated, as Napoleon deeply required something Josephine could not give him, an inheritor. Sadly they parted ways, both bearing the love and passion in their hearts, for all eternity.

8. Odysseus and Penelope

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Few couples shown sacrifice as much as this Greek pair. After being torn apart, they wait two decades to be reunited. War calls 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. Odysseus is equally devoted, refusing a beautiful sorceress’s offer of everlasting love and eternal youth, so that he might return home to his wife and son.

9. Paolo and Francesca

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Paolo and Francesca became famous by the Dante’s masterpiece “Divine Comedy”. It is a true story: Francesca is married with Gianciotto Malatesta a terrible person, but she has Gianciotto’s brother, Paolo, as lover. Their love evolves when they read together a book about Lancelot and Guinevere. When the two lovers are revealed they are killed by Gianciotto.

10. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

“Gone with the wind” can be described as one of the timeless romance in literature. Margaret Mitchell’s famous work tells the love and hate relationship between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. A good example of the fact that timing is essential, this couple never seem to be quite in sync. Throughout the epic story, this passionate couple experience passion but not continuity, and their stormy marriage mirrors the surrounding Civil War battles. The teasing, immoral, and endlessly pursued Scarlett can’t make up her mind between her many suitors. When she finally decides to settle on being happy with Rhett, her fickle nature has already driven him away.

11. Jane Eyre and Rochester

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

The famous story written by Charlotte Bronte, two find a cure for loneliness in each other’s company. Jane is an abused orphan employed as a governess to the charge of an abrasive, but very rich Edward Rochester. The rare pair grow close as Rochester reveals a tender heart beneath his rude exterior. On their wedding day, a shocked Jane discovers he is already married. Heartbroken, Jane runs away, but later returns after a horrible fire has destroyed Rochester’s mansion, killed his wife, and left him blind. Love triumphs, and the two reunite and live out their days in shared happines.

12. Layla and Majnun

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Nizami of Ganje is a medieval poet of Iran, a tale of Layla and Majnun A story of unattainable love. Layla and Qays fall in love while at school, but their love is soon discovered so they are prevented from seeing each other. In misery, Qays chooses the desert to live and be consoled by animals. He becomes known as Majnun (madman). There he befriends an elderly Bedouin who promises to win him Layla’s hand through warfare. Layla’s tribe is crushed, but her father continues to refuse her marriage to Majnun because of his mad behavior, and she is married to another. After the death of Layla’s husband, Layla and Majnun meets, but they are never fully reconciled in life. Upon death, they are buried side by side.

13. Eloise and Abelard

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

This is a story of a loving pair whose love letters became world famous. Around 1100, Peter Abelard went to Paris to attend the school of Notre Dame. He earned a reputation of a superb philosopher. Fulbert, the canon of Notre Dame, hired Abelard to teach his niece, Heloise. Abelard and the intelectual Heloise fell deeply in love, conceived a child, and were secretly married. But her father was furious, so Abelard sent Heloise to safety in a convent. Thinking that he intended to abandon Heloise, Fulbert had his servants castrate Abelard while he slept. Abelard became a monk and devoted his life to learning. The heartbroken Heloise became a nun. Despite their separations and tribulations, Abelard and Heloise remained in love. Their poignant love letters were later published.

14. Pyramus and Thisbe

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

A heartbreaking love story is that of Pyramus and Thisbe. Pyramus was the most handsome man and was childhood friend of Thisbe, the fairest maiden in Babylonia. They both lived in neighboring homes and fell in love with each other as they grew up together. However, their parents were dead against them marrying each other. So one night just before the crack of dawn they decided to meet in the nearby fields. Thisbe reached there first. As she waited she saw a lion coming near to quench its thirst at a spring close by. Its jaws were bloody. She ran in panic to hide. As she was running, she dropped her veil. The lion came near and picked up the veil in his bloody jaws. At that moment, Pyramus reaches near the mulberry tree and sees Thisbe’s veil in the jaws of the lion. He is completely devastated and pierced his chest with his own sword. Unknown to what just happened, Thisbe is still hiding in the rocks due to the fear of the lion. When she comes out after sometime, she sees what her lover did to himself. She is totally shattered when she sees the sword piercing right through her lover’s chest. She also takes the sword and kills herself.

15. Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Actually Jane Austen has embodied two characteristics of human nature, pride and prejudice in Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy typifies the educated aristocracy while on the other hand, Elizabeth is the second daughter of a gentleman of modest means. Her considerate mother and careless father never gave any thought to the future of the daughters, it is always taken for granted, that they will do well for themselves. To a woman of Mrs. Bennett’s understanding, doing well exclusively means finding a rich, well to do husband. For a man of Darcy’s social stature, these were very serious failings of the family and totally unacceptable to his polished, educated and refined mind. How they become united and understand the love for each other makes a very interesting study.

16. Salim and Anarkali

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

The love story of Salim and Anarkali is a story that every lover knows. The son of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, Salim, fell in love with an ordinary but beautiful courtesan Anarkali. He was mesmerized by her beauty and fell in love as soon as he saw her. But the emperor could not digest the fact that his son was in love with an ordinary courtesan. He started pressurizing Anarkali and devised all sorts of tactics o make her fall in the eyes of the young, love smitten prince. When Salim came to know of this, he declared a war against his own father. But the mighty emperor’s gigantic army is too much for the young prince to handle. He gets defeated and is sentenced to death. This is when Anarkali intervenes and renounces her love to save her beloved from the jaws of death. She is entombed alive in a brick wall right in front of her lover’s eyes.Actually Jane Austen has embodied two characteristics of human nature, pride and prejudice in Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy typifies the educated aristocracy while on the other hand, Elizabeth is the second daughter of a gentleman of modest means. Her considerate mother and careless father never gave any thought to the future of the daughters, it is always taken for granted, that they will do well for themselves. To a woman of Mrs. Bennett’s understanding, doing well exclusively means finding a rich, well to do husband. For a man of Darcy’s social stature, these were very serious failings of the family and totally unacceptable to his polished, educated and refined mind. How they become united and understand the love for each other makes a very interesting study.

17. Pocahontas and John Smith

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

This love story is a famous legend in the history of America. Pocahontas, an Indian Princess was the daughter of Powhatan – a powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Pocahontas for the first time in her life saw Englishmen in May 1607. She found John Smith most attractive and developed a liking for him. Smith was taken to the official residence of Powhattan and he was tortured. It was Pocahontas who saved his life from the attack of the Indians. Pocahontas then helped Smith to stand on his feet and Powhattan adopted Smith as his son. Pocahontas and Smith became friends with each other. John Smith after getting badly injured due to gunpowder explosion, returned to England. When Pocahontas made a visit to the fort, she was informed that Smith was dead. Pocahontas decided to become a Christian, taking the name “Rebecca” when she was baptized. A year later, she married John Rolfe. She made a visit to London, where he met his friend John Smith after eight long years and it was their last meeting.

18. Marie and Pierre Curie

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

Partners in love and science. Maria “Marie” Sklodowska Curie traveled to Paris in 1891 to attend the Sorbonne. She spent every spare hour reading in the library or in the laboratory. She caught the eye of Pierre Curie, director one of the laboratories where Marie worked. Curie made several marriage proposals and they were finally married in 1895 and began their famous partnership. In 1898 they discovered polonium and radium. The Curies and scientist Henri Becquerel won a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 for discovering radioactivity. When her husband died in 1904, Marie pledged to carry on their work and became the Sorbonne’s first female teacher. In 1911 she became the first person to win a second Nobel Prize, this time for chemistry. She continued to experiment and lecture until her death of leukemia in 1934, driven by the memory of the man she loved.

19. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Photo Credit: © depositphotos

This love story is about English royalty who mourned her husband’s death for 40 years. Victoria was a lively, cheerful girl, fond of drawing and painting. She ascended the throne of England in 1837 after the death of her uncle, King William IV. In 1840, she married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. While at first Prince Albert was unpopular in some circles because he was German, he came to be admired for his honesty, diligence, and his devotion to his family. The couple had nine children. She relied on his advice in matters of state, especially in diplomacy. When Albert died in 1861, Victoria was devastated. She did not appear in public for three years. Her extended seclusion generated considerable public criticism. Several attempts were made on Victoria’s life, but she never stopped mourning her beloved prince, wearing black until her death in 1901. During her reign, the longest in English history, Britain became a world power on which “the sun never set.”