Romeo and Juliet. Anthony and Cleopatra. Samson and Delilah.
Just what is it about these star-crossed lovers -- whose names and stories continue to resonate among us -- that inspires poets and chroniclers to immortalize their tales in song and memorable prose long after their bones had turned to dust? And what is it about these couples that makes us empathize and marvel at their plight?
I'm sure there must have been thousands of lovers who have loved just as passionately before and after these pairs have left their mark in the human imagination. Everyday you meet couples whose quiet and enduring devotion could be just as intense and touching, and yet you don't hear or read about them.
A possible explanation? How about the potent combination of power, looks, social position, and above all a poignant and heart-tugging story. Go ask yourself -- If you were a poet or a budding troubadour in search of a worthy subject, and Cleopatra had been a common weaver, Samson a scrawny sailor, and Juliet a widow in her thirties, would you still consider their tales fascinating?
In short, it is due largely to their unique 'circumstances' that these remarkable individuals were able to inspire people to identify with their emotional dilemmas. (Rather similar to the way we lap up details of the romantic exploits of modern-day celebrities.)
And to seal matters further, they all fit the bill of having stature-defining moments, the stuff of which timeless reputations are made: a touching death scene (Romeo and Juliet did theirs with flair; Cleopatra staged her own dramatic exit), a memorable line or two, and remarkable feats (Samson destroying the temple of the Philistines after he regained his strength).
The more I think about it though, the more I get convinced that it all has something to do with having a great press coverage. True, there weren't paparazzi or celebrity magazines during those days. But just consider who their press agents were.
Romeo and Juliet and Anthony and Cleopatra found a worthy minstrel in the Great Bard (Shakespeare), who embellished their stories and turned them into superb plays. Samson and Delilah? Well, they got featured in the Bible, didn't they?
