What is a love triangle? A love triangle is a romantic relationship between three people. Or, it can be described as two people who are attracted or romantically linked to this third person. My question is, why does every story seem to have a love triangle and why do we need them?
Examples of Love Triangles: Twilight (Bella, Edward, and Jacob) and Vampire Diaries (Elena, Stefan, and Damon). Even a story as old as time has a love triangle: Helen of Troy (Helen, Paris, and Menelaus)
Don’t you love a good love triangle? The choice of two men or two women who are both very different but also perfect in their own way. Fighting for the main character’s love and affection.
In a love triangle, we usually hear about them causing chaos like war, forbidden romance, revenge, death, or other unspeakable acts. It’s the second plot, other than the original plot: who will she choose? The seemingly oh so perfect, beautiful guy or the wild spontaneous striking bad boy? Throughout the book or television show, the main character goes back and forth between the two consistently. That you even begin thinking is this the only girl or guy that exist in the whole entire world? Why are they fighting over this person like they’re the last person on earth?
Love triangles usually start off with the main character and a lead guy or girl. Who are two people seemingly meant to be together. Until an unlikely third party is introduced giving us and the main character pause. These Love triangles usually happen when the lead male/female screws up in some way or another. Take for example Twilight, Bella and Edward are meant to be she knows that, he knows that; we know that, until Edward ditches her in book 2 to save her soul or whatever.
Then enters Jacob, who is the complete opposite from Edward. Both guys have certain qualities about themselves that attract Bella, both think they are right for her. Bella is caught in the middle; she also has feelings for Jacob but can’t admit it to herself. This scenario is literally every love triangle think about: "Vampire Diaries," "True Blood," "One Tree Hill" the list goes on.
To remind you these love triangles usually cause chaos (cough cough) remember that Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships.
What’s worse is that the lead goes back and forth between the two like constantly. It’s totally gross. I mean you’re with one guy and then you’re with the other guy and then back and forth and repeat (I’m pointing at you Vampire Diaries).
If you think about this realistically (in real life) this would never happen. A guy or girl switching back and forth between two people. Like a ping pong, absolutely not. I mean it happens I guess. And there are relationships that work with more than two people in them. What I’m saying is that love triangles are so overrated.
Also, no one really emerges from a love triangle really happy. See these love triangles are ruled by a force called fate. So, this Love triangle can’t and will not last forever. There’s always that one person left behind broken hearted to see his or her love with someone else. Or in some other cases, this person gives up his/her life for this love or is murdered.
For example, in certain versions of King Arthur, there is a love between Guinevere and Lancelot creating a love triangle between them and King Arthur. Often Lancelot dies in these versions fate putting Guinevere with King Arthur. (I could be wrong but…Am I?)
I ask you right now think of every love triangle you’ve ever read about or watched on T.V. Nothing ever really good comes from them, do they? Why is that? Let me know what you think?
