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  • 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 Zeuswife, Hera...

  • ...so that she wouldn’t discover he was messinaround 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?

  • Were not sure...

  • ...but maybe both of them could have used a few sessions on Dr. Logoscouch.

  • What’s your verdict?

  • Shmoop amongst yourselves.

Echo and Narcissus, a la Shmoop: A Couple of People in Love With the Same Guy

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