Analysis of Love and Fate in the Stories of Narcissus: Binding Together Unlikely Characters Anonymous College

The term “narcissist,” defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “A person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves,” comes from the story and character of Narcissus. He is a man who rejects the love of all who fall for him until he discovers he is in love with his own image. Within his own telling of Narcissus’ story, Ovid explores two facets of love which are intertwined with one another and the uniqueness of love displayed by each character. The reader discovers what love means to Echo, the spurned lover, and Narcissus; one also learns the difference between a corrupted love and a wholly selfless love. Even though Narcissus and his lovers have different experiences with unrequited love, they are all bound by the immense pain associated with it. Also, Ovid places special emphasis in the role of the gods in the unfortunate fates of both Narcissus and Echo.

Ovid’s telling of Narcissus comes in two parts. The first focuses specifically on Echo, a nymph cursed by Hera with speaking by echoing others, and her unrequited love for Narcissus. Her lack of control over her own speech enslaves her, making her life dependent on her voice and echoing others. One day, Echo sees Narcissus while he is hunting; at first, he does...